Triumph in Tokyo

2025 TRIUMPH IN TOKYO

3 Crowns on the Line in Tokyo B udapest provided Jamaica with a strange, yet glorious World Championships in Athletics. American hurdler Grant Holloway went sub 13 to turn the tables on 2020 Olympic champion Hansle Parchment. Wayne Pinnock and defending champion Tajay Gayle could not peg back the heroics of long jump legend Miltiadis Tentoglou (Greece), who nipped Pinnock by two centimeters, leaving Jamaica in the sand, holding all the places from second to fourth. Jamaican women won bronze in the 400m hurdles through Rushell Clayton, then wrapped up the championships with silvers in the 4x100m and 4x400m relay. Medals would come from unexpected quarters, too, giving fans much to celebrate. But the three Budapest crowns may be hard to keep. WILL ANTONIO WATSON BE READY? With less than a month to go to his title defence, his 44.89 seconds at the Brussels Diamond League was the best showing of 2025 for the former world junior champion and surprise world 2023 400m champion (44.13 seconds). Injuries and a shortage of races will make it difficult for Antonio to top the podium again in Tokyo, but he is a fighter of the first order. After returning from an injury layoff that began with a hamstring injury at the 2024 national championships,

Watson declared himself fully healed in February after managing only a 45.64 best during on and off niggles last season. “I feel like it made me a stronger person,” the Petersfield High alum told TVJ Sports, “because of the confidence I had last year, I’ve doubled down and feel more confident than any time before. I’m fully fit and ready to go … I’m ready to conquer.” Despite his optimism, Watson pulled out of the Racers Grand Prix. Then came the National Trials in June, where he started out with a cautious 46.22 seconds heat, then pulled up in his semifinal and walked off halfway. With the resurgence of 43 second man Rusheen McDonald, who won the national title, plus Delano Kennedy and Racers teammate Jevaughn Powell, Watson – if he can regain full fitness – will have great company in the one lapper and a strong trio to join him for the 4x400m relay. Without question, his is the most unsteady of the three crowns. Danielle Williams celebrates after stunning the field to win her second world 100m hurdles title (12.43 SB) in Budapest, a full 8 years after her first in Beijing in 2015.

Jamaica’s Antonio Watson (l) goes by favourite, Britain’s Hudson-Smith and some of history’s greatest quartermilers fighting down the stretch during the World 400m final.