The penultimate day of the World Athletics Championships promises to be one of Australia’s busiest yet, with eleven athletes lining up for finals on the track and field and roads. Led by history-makers Rose Davies and Linden Hall, javelin medallist Mackenzie Little and some of the country’s finest race walkers competing for medals, four relay squads and discus giant Matthew Denny will be chasing coveted finals places on Sunday.  

Global medallist and Royal North Shore Hospital registrar Mackenzie Little (NSW, Angus McEntyre) made light work of last night’s qualification, with a one-and-done throw of 65.54 metres for her best result of the year. It was the third-best throw of her impressive career and automatically landed a spot in tonight’s final

The bronze medallist at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, finished qualifying ranked second behind Adriana Vilagos (SRB, 66.06m), but had only notched one 60m+ throw throughout the season. Little admits that balancing two high-performing careers had been taxing. Working in the Emergency Department last week dealing with cardiac arrests to now, with a one-track mind, Dr Little is ready to build on her throw in a full series of six. 

“This season’s been up and down. It’s been about dragging myself to training after a long days’ work, and I don’t want to say that I want this to be worth it, but I wanted to enjoy this and I wanted to be really thankful,” Little said.

“After my throw tonight, I turned around and looked at coach (Angus McEntyre) and I was like, ‘thank you’. We’ve had to really work hard and it’s just coming together. I’ve spent lots of time on the plane this year, back and forth. I’ve gotten to all the Diamond League that’ll have me, because that’s what athletics is all about – travelling around the world and competing with friends from these different countries. It’s what keeps me in the sport and that’s what’s motivating for me.”

No stranger to the competition at major championship finals, the world number five this season will face 11 athletes with 60m+ throws to their name after the qualification round, including hometown hero and defending world champion Haruka Kitaguchi and world leader at 67.76m, Victoria Hudson (AUT). 

Before the action in the stadium, Australia’s morning begins with the Women’s 20km Race Walk, where Rebecca Henderson (VIC, Simon Baker) continues her Tokyo campaign after placing highest of the Australians, 9th, in the 35km event on Day One. She is joined by World University Games gold medallist Elizabeth McMillen (NSW, Jared Tallent) and Alexandra Griffin (WA, Jared Tallent), both in career best form with bests of 1:28:18 and 1:32:43 – both stepping onto the stage for the first time.

The field is truly world-class. World record holder Jiayu Yang of China (1:24:49) is the leading favourite along with Spain’s Maria Perez, a dual world champion with a season’s best time of 1:27.22. Peru’s Olympic champion Kimberly Garcia Leon (1:28:11) will also be aiming to continue the country’s success in the event. The Australians will need to balance patience with tactical awareness through the 18 laps of a 1km circuit, after starting and then finishing at the Tokyo National Stadium.

The Men’s 20km Race Walk follows, with a distinctly different narrative. Rhydian Cowley (VIC, Brent Vallance), stepping back into the spotlight at his sixth World Championships, continues to add to one of the most durable careers of Australian race walking. Alongside him Declan Tingay (VIC, Brent Vallance), whose sub-1:20 speed places him among the fastest globally, offers a top-8 potential when the race becomes a test of pace. Rounding out the trio Tim Fraser (ACT, Jared Tallent) makes his debut, providing a glimpse of the next generation. 

Middle-distance history beckons in the Women’s 5000m final, with Rose Davies (NSW, Scott Westcott) and Linden Hall (VIC, Ned Brophy-Williams) becoming the first Australian duo ever to contest the final at a World Athletics Championships.

Davies arrives as the national record holder (14:31.45). At the same time, Hall lines up in her happy hunting ground in Tokyo – the same stadium in which she last made a global final in 2021 at the Olympic Games. Together, they face a world-class field headed by world record holder Beatrice Chebet (KEN, 13:59:06), Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon (KEN) and former world 10,000m champion Gudaf Tsegay. 

On the infield, Camryn Newton-Smith (QLD, Ralph Newton) and Tori West (QLD, Eric Brown and Sam Leslie) continue their campaign in the heptathlon. With four events completed overnight in just one session, the Australian duo will enjoy the space on Day Two of competition with the long jump late in the morning session, followed by the javelin and 800m in the evening session. 

The Australians, who both competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics, have a competition within the competition. Newton-Smith is in 18th on 3,566 points, and West is just seven points behind in 19th. Both athletes will be looking to pull back a few places in a field that includes some of the superstars of the event’s history.  

All eyes will be on the throwing circle in the morning as Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Denny (QLD, Dale Stevenson) unloads in the Men’s Discus qualification round with momentum on his side. The Olympic bronze medallist has twice gone beyond 70m this year, highlighted by a staggering 74.78m throw in April for the second-furthest in world history. 

With an automatic qualification set at 66.50m, Denny will be looking to secure his place in the final with minimal fuss as he hunts for another global medal. 

The day closes with four Australian relay squads fighting for a place in the finals, with the events often providing some of the most dramatic moments of any championships. The resurgence of sprints across the country means Australia is in contention to cement places in tomorrow’s finals in the Women’s and Men’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays – to add another chapter to an already memorable sprint campaign. 

In the Men’s 4x100m, the team of Connor Bond (NSW, Mick Zisti), Joshua Azzopardi (NSW, Rob Marks), Calab Law (QLD, Andrew Iselin) and national 100m champion Rohan Browning (NSW, Jack Edwards) race for Australia in Heat 2 against a stacked field that includes world leaders South Africa (37.61), Great Britain (37.36), Japan (37.43) and Italy (37.50). Australia’s fastest man Lachlan Kennedy is out of action due to injury, yet the team knows they are capable of pushing towards the Australian record of 37.87 in an attempt to secure a top-3 placing for the finals.

The seasoned Women’s 4x100m team come together with much experience as a quartet and a national record of 42.84 to match. Ella Connolly (NSW, Andrew Murphy) will lead off and hand the baton to Bree Rizzo (QLD, Ryan Hoffman), and then to Kristie Edwards (NSW, Andrew Murphy) and Torrie Lewis (QLD, Laurent Meuwly) who is in career best form will anchor the team. Lewis lowered her own Australian 100m record to 11.08 seconds this week. Despite being heavyweights of Australian relay racing, the team will be challenged in Heat 1 by Jamaica, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy.

With the 4x400m teams less established as squads, the teams will feature fresh faces. In the Women’s 4x400m, Commonwealth relay medallist Mia Gross (VIC, John Nicolosi), global medallist Ellie Beer (QLD, Brett Robinson), Jemma Pollard (NSW, Tim Eschebach) and Carla Bull (QLD, Brett Robinson) will contest a tough draw in Heat 1 against Jamaica (3:30.42 SB), Great Britain (3:24.46)  and German (3:26.87) making it a challenge for the team with their season’s best of 3:27.31.

The Men’s 4x400m team, consisting of Cooper Sherman (VIC), Thomas Reynolds (VIC, Matthew Oakley), Reece Holder (QLD, Christopher Dale) and Aidan Murphy (SA, Nik Hagicostas) will be pushed to better their season’s best of 2:59.73, when racing in Heat 2.

Australians can tune in to the 2025 World Athletics Championships on both the Nine Network and SBS, with the morning session beginning at 8.30am AEDT.

By Sascha Ryner, Australian Athletics
Posted: 20/9/2025