The final day of World Athletics Championship delivered a flurry of medals and dramatic finishes at Tokyo’s National Stadium. Portugal’s Isaac Nader stunned the men’s 1500m, pulling clear on the bell lap to win by two-hundredths of a second from 2022 world champion Jake Wightman, Reynold Cheruiyot and Niels Laros. It was a stunning victory for the 22-year-old who returned to competition after what he called a “very bleak” couple of years following injuries and illness.

Kenyan female runners continue to be in a class of their own, with marathon winner Faith Kipyegon becoming only the third woman to complete a 5,000m-10,000m double at a World Championships. The two-time Olympic champion’s performance in the final was even more remarkable given that she is also a mother. Speaking on the More Than The Score podcast, her former teammate David Rudisha said she “means greatness” for overcoming so much to achieve what she has.

Other Kenyan women dominated the long-distance races, with golds for 800m runner Lilian Odira and 10,000m champion Beatrice Chebet. The duo helped Kenya top the overall medals table, with marathon runner Emile Cairess finishing fifth to cap a stellar event for the nation. Elsewhere, USA sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden clinched the 400m hurdles, and the American women’s 4x100m relay team won gold. Kenya’s men meanwhile displayed their strength in the relays, with Kenyan quartet Collen Kebinatshipi and Alphonce Felix Simbu winning the 4x400m. Leo Neugebauer also boosted the US haul with a five-metre PB in the javelin.