{"id":204168,"date":"2025-09-22T02:08:57","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T02:08:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/22\/australias-diminished-world-championships-return-fails-to-cloud-athletics-optimism-jack-snape\/"},"modified":"2025-09-22T02:08:57","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T02:08:57","slug":"australias-diminished-world-championships-return-fails-to-cloud-athletics-optimism-jack-snape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/22\/australias-diminished-world-championships-return-fails-to-cloud-athletics-optimism-jack-snape\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia\u2019s diminished world championships return fails to cloud athletics optimism | Jack Snape"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A<\/span>ustralia\u2019s head of athletic high performance has described Gout Gout\u2019s national debut in Tokyo as \u201cjust brilliant\u201d and has defended the team\u2019s overall performance, even though the medal return was down on tallies at the Paris Olympics and at the previous World Athletics Championships<\/a> in Budapest two years ago.<\/p>\n

Australia finished the competition on Sunday with gold in the women\u2019s high jump through Nicola Olyslagers<\/a>, adding to bronze medals to pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall, javelin thrower Mackenzie Little and Jess Hull, who was on the podium in the 1500m and also made the 800m final. While the tally is down compared to recent major meets, four medals is Australia\u2019s equal second-largest return in world championships history.<\/p>\n

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Australian Athletics<\/a> general manager of high performance, Andrew Faichney, said over the nine days of the meet there were strong performances from younger athletes while those four previous medallists delivered again. \u201cThat\u2019s a really good return on the back of last year\u2019s performances,\u201d he said. \u201cIt might on face value seem like it\u2019s a drop away, [but] we had three medalists or three medals not here as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team collected six medals in Budapest, and seven in Paris. Only one gold was won at each meet, and in both cases it came from pole vaulter Nina Kennedy who missed Tokyo through injury. Walker Jemima Montag, who won two medals in France, and world indoors silver medallist Lachie Kennedy were also missing.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll in all, I think it\u2019s been really successful,\u201d Faichney said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a number of our juniors that have been able to come through, get on the team and perform, and so for year one in an Olympic cycle it\u2019s looking very good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked who he was surprised to see do well, Faichney immediately volunteered the team\u2019s high-profile teenager. \u201cEveryone had so much expectation around Gout, but his performance was just brilliant, really,\u201d Faichney said. \u201cThe fact that he was able to perform so well in his heat, get through into the semi and finish strongly in that semi, that was fantastic as a 17-year-old athlete.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also spoke glowingly about Claudia Hollingsworth and Abbey Caldwell, who were close to the 800m final, 23-year-old Ky Robinson who finished fourth in the 5000m, and sprinter Torrie Lewis who set two personal best times at the meet.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>High jumper Nicola Olyslagers won Australia\u2019s only gold medal of the championships.<\/span> Photograph: Aleksandra Szmigiel\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Faichney defended the relay teams, who struggled with two failed changeovers and one disqualification in six races, saying the programme is at the start of a journey towards the Los Angeles Games.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I turned to 2028 and we had this performance, that\u2019d be a different circumstance,\u201d he said. \u201cThis year [is the] first year really having a crack at it, it\u2019s been really solid for us to get those teams here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Faichney also acknowledged some athletes did not meet their expectations. Highly touted 1500m runner Cameron Myers did not make it out of his heat, nor did national 800m record holder Peter Bol. Long jumper Liam Adcock \u2013 seeded No 3 in the world \u2013 did not reach the final.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a late championships for us, and we\u2019ve had a competition structure [that includes] our domestic season at the start of the year, and then we came all the way through to September,\u201d he said. \u201cHave we managed that part of it as well as other countries who\u2019ve just come out of the European [summer]? Maybe that is the situation, I think that\u2019s what we\u2019ve got to actually have a look at.\u201d<\/p>\n

At 86 athletes, the team was the largest Australian team ever at a world championships and equal largest ever at a global meet. Faichney pushed back on suggestions they were taking too many non-medal contenders.<\/p>\n

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