Australia stands on the cusp of grabbing its second medal of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, as middle-distance trailblazer Jessica Hull gears up to chase down reigning world and Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon in the Women’s 1500m final. High jumper Yual Reath also gets ready to fly in his first major championship final, while Tokyo Olympic hero Peter Bol launches his campaign.
All eyes will be on Olympic silver medallist Jessica Hull (NSW, Simon Hull) when she strives for her fourth global medal in the Women’s 1500m Final today. The Australian record holder has had another great year and is a genuine medal contender once more, in one of the deepest fields at the World Athletics Championships.
Hull, the fifth fastest metric miler of all time at 3:50.83 has raised the bar in 2025 catapulting to world number one after a number of Diamond League podium finishes this season.
Already the fastest and highest placing Australian in the Women’s 1500m at the World Athletics Championships, when seventh in 2023 and 2022, Hull holds the second fastest time behind world record holder Faith Kipyegon (KEN), and nearly five seconds separates her from third seed Nikki Hiltz (USA).
Hull is always looking to raise the bar and is determined to claim her fourth global medal and first World Athletics Championships medal.
“I feel the pressure a little bit. I think the pressure from myself is the strongest in a way. That internal pressure and expectation to show up and do the work that my team and I have put in for race day,” Hull said.
“I don’t want to settle for silver or bronze, I want to have a challenge at the gold. It doesn’t mean I’m going to get it but I want a fighting chance of it.”
The evening session also brings the Men’s High Jump Final as landscaper turned ‘King of Ballarat’ Yual Reath (VIC, Mike Barber) laces up for his first major championship final. The 25-year-old qualified for the 12-man final with a season’s best of 2.25m and is inching closer to the form that saw him jump 2.30m last year.
Reath may have the lowest season best of the field and concedes he is still “competition rusty” after easing his way into the season, but the natural performer is primed to fly at the National Stadium of Japan.
“When you get over the bar, you just scream and let it out and it’s such a good feeling. I’m still competition rusty at the moment, but I know I’ve got more in me to jump 2.30m”
Korean world leader Sanghyeok Woo (2.36m) and New Zealand’s Olympic champion Hamish Kerr are the favourites.
Olympic finalist Peter Bol (WA, Justin Rinaldi) will make his return to Tokyo Olympic Stadium today, a happy hunting ground for the 31-year-old who made his mark in the same stadium when he placed a sensational fourth in 2021.
Producing two Australian records this year with a best of 1:42.55, Bol is ranked second in his heat and ninth overall, but will be challenged to advance through two rounds before his shot at a medal. In Heat 4, Bol will face USA’s Bryce Hoppel (1:41.67) and Swedish star Andreas Kramer (1:43.13) chasing top-three to guarantee his spot in the semi-finals.
Joining Bol in his quest to progress to the two-lap semis will be Olympic semi-finalist Peyton Craig (VIC, Craig Mottram) and Luke Boyes (NSW, Ben St. Lawrence), who feature in Heat 5 and 6 respectively. Boyes, 21, ran his personal best at the nationals in April of 1:44.50 but hasn’t raced since due to injuries. Craig also ran his personal best of 1:44.07 when second to Bol at Nationals and ran his second-best time (1:44.24) last month.
Olympic 400m semi-finalist Reece Holder (QLD, Christopher Dale) is ready to step up and qualify for the Tokyo World Championship final. The 23-year-old was impressive in the heats running 44.45 seconds, just 0.01 slower than his Paris 2024 personal best, and has learnt to save his legs for the semi-final.
The FISU World University Games medallist will feature in Heat 1, from Lane 8, once again taking on American Christopher Bailey (44.15) after racing together in their heat. Holder is seeded fourth amongst the 9-strong field but is only 0.14-seconds separating him from second. Holder will need to produce another career-best time to lock in a top-2 placing to automatically advance. Should Holder book a finals berth, he will be the first Australian man to make the 400m finals since John Steffensen in 2005.
Western Sydney’s Desleigh Owusu (NSW, Andrew Murphy) makes her World Championships debut in the Women’s triple jump qualifying round, eager to translate her personal best domestic season into international success.
The first female to represent Australia in triple jump at the World Athletics Championships, Owusu makes history today and will enter competition with a best of 13.86m. As well as chasing qualification to the 12-woman final, she will be eyeing off the Australian record of 14.04m, to further cement herself in the Australian athletics history books.
Day Four of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo begin at 8.35pm AEDT and can be viewed live and free on SBS Viceland, SBS On Demand and through the Nine Network.
By Sascha Ryner, Australian Athletics
Posted: 16/9/2025
