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Several national championships were being staged around the world this weekend. Many European countries, Great Britain, Canada and the US were allowing athletes to qualify for the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships happening in September. There were comeback stories of note.

USATF men’s 800 metres

One of the most eye-opening races was the men’s 800 metre final in Eugene, Oregon, where the USATF was staging its nationals.

The race was won by Donavan Brazier, who has come back from years of injuries to win the two-lap race in a surprising 1:42.16 performance. Just as shocking was 16-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus finishing in second place in a time of 1:42.27. This performance proved to be the U18 world record. Taking third was Bruce Hoppel in 1:42.49. Eight of nine athletes finished faster than 1:45.00.

For Lutkenhaus, the finish time is also the North American and American U20 record.

For Brazier, it was a long road back to being healthy and a major step forward back to being able to compete internationally. The only two consistent performances currently faster than the top three from the USATF are Canada’s Marco Arop, Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati and Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi, all running sub-1:42 recently.

“To come back and win like this after what I’ve been through… it means everything,” Brazier said post-race.

Pos.NameTime
1Donavan Brazier 1:42.16 PB
2Cooper Lutkenhaus1:42.27 U18WR
3Bryce Hoppel 1:42.49 SB
4Josh Hoey 1:43.06
5Brandon Miller 1:43.14 PB
6Isaiah Harris 1:44.23 PB
7Abraham Alvarado 1:44.41 PB
8Camden Marshall 1:44.89 PB
9Colin Sahlman 1:45.99

Canadian women’s 1500 metres

Another comeback of note was on display at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa, Ontario. Gabriela DeBues-Stafford won the 1500 metre race. Her sister Lucia Stafford finished in second place and Kate Current took third.

DeBues-Stafford was down for at least two years with injuries that derailed her plans to run in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

While finishing in the top three is one of the requirements to make the big Tokyo meet, speed is another requirement — to get under the qualifying standard. This race did not produce fast times. The results were 4:08.38, 4:10.48 and 4:11.35, respectively.

The decision is weighted partially on global rankings. The target number of athletes to compete in the 1500m event is 56. Also, time standard counts, so athletes need to run under 4.01.50 or 4.19.90 in the mile (1609m) during the qualification period.

On July 11, DeBues-Stafford clocked a 4:01.19 in Dublin, Ireland. In May, Lucia Stafford ran her season’s best, going 4:03.54 in Rabat, Morocco. Three weeks ago, Current ran 4:03.06 in Poland in May. World Athletics reserves the right to directly invite athletes who have not fully qualified.

Meanwhile, Shelby Houlihan won her sixth national title and it had been six years since her previous due to COVID and her four-year drug ban.

Also, there was drama in the men’s 100 metre sprint where Kenny Bednarek shoved Noah Lyles at the finish for staring him down during the final steps of the race. Lyles won, Bednarek finished second.

2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships qualifying standards

Zarnel Hughes rips it up in London

Zharnel Hughes produced a scorching sprint performance, while there was an outstanding victory for Dina Asher-Smith.

Doubling up as both the national championships and the official trials ahead of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, a host of athletes cemented their spots on the British team come September, with Hughes among those to star.

Returning to the track having won the British 100m title yesterday, the British record holder put on another phenomenal show, winning in a scorching championship record time of 19.90 (+1.2) – the first sub-20 clocking ever seen at a British championships – to add another domestic title to his ever-growing collection. The battle for silver and bronze saw Jona Efoloko run a personal best of 20.42 to edge out Ethan Harbias-Wiltshire’s 20.51, also a lifetime best.

An elated Hughes said, “It was a good contest, I just had to work a bit in the home straight, but I trusted myself. Winning the 100m yesterday was pretty cool, but I wanted the 200m title more. My coach will get me a lot sharper for the Championships – I’m excited to see what I can do in Tokyo.”

Dina Asher-Smith

On track directly after, the women’s equivalent saw a stacked line-up go head-to-head in search of silverware and a top two finish to be in contention for the worlds. After running a superb bend to come into the straight out in front, UK leader Dina Asher-Smith came under huge pressure from newly crowned 100m champion Amy Hunt.

Going all the way to the line – and with no clear call on who had taken the title – it came down to thousandths of a second, with Asher-Smith narrowly edged out Hunt, their times both sitting at a new championship record of 22.14, the time serving as a huge personal best for Hunt.

Behind the pair, and recovering brilliantly from the disappointment of a false start in yesterday’s 100m final, Daryll Neita (Lance Brauman, Cambridge Harriers) ran a season’s best time of 22.30 to secure the world qualifying time and win British bronze.

Finding her form at just the right time, Asher-Smith said: “It was an excellent race, we needed a photo-finish because neither of us knew who had won. But I am happy to come here and run a low-22, it is a fantastic time. The ladies did amazingly as well, so it bodes well for us going into the relay.”

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