The World Indoor Athletics Championships in Nanjing, China, witnessed remarkable achievements, with several athletes etching their names in history. Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway secured his first world indoor title in the 3000m, while Great Britain's Amber Anning clinched her nation's first-ever women's 400m world indoor title. Armand Duplantis continued his pole vault dominance, securing his third consecutive world indoor title.

Anning's Historic Victory

Amber Anning's victory in the women's 400m was a defining moment. The 24-year-old, in her first season as a professional athlete, clocked an impressive 50.60 seconds to win a dramatic race against American Alexis Holmes. This triumph came just two weeks after a disappointing disqualification at the European indoors due to a lane infringement. However, in Nanjing, Anning demonstrated remarkable composure, overcoming a mid-race shove from Holmes to claim her first major international title.

The race was incredibly close, with Anning edging out Holmes by a mere three-hundredths of a second. After the victory, Anning initially showed little emotion before celebrating with a British flag. Her journey to this gold medal included setting the fastest time in the heats, clocking 50.79 seconds. The final saw Anning, Holmes, and bronze medalist Henriette Jaeger separated by just 0.13 seconds based on their season's best times, highlighting the intense competition.

Anning's achievement marks a significant milestone in her career. After graduating from the University of Arkansas, she is now fully focused on pursuing major honors. In 2024, she broke the British 400m record with a time of 49.29 seconds and finished fifth at the Olympics in Paris. Despite missing the podium by a small margin in her first major individual final, she left Paris with two relay medals, showcasing her potential on the global stage. Her resilience was further demonstrated by bouncing back from her European indoors disqualification to help the women's 4x400m relay team secure silver and then triumphing individually in Nanjing.

Duplantis and Ingebrigtsen Shine

Armand Duplantis continued his reign in the men's pole vault, securing his third consecutive world indoor title. The two-time Olympic champion cleared 6.15m to win gold, surpassing a record-extending 100 career clearances over six meters. Despite pressure from Emmanouil Karalis, Duplantis maintained his dominance, adding another major title to his impressive resume. He has now won the past seven global men's pole vault golds on offer.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen secured his first world indoor gold in the men's 3,000m, completing the first phase of his attempt to replicate his European indoor 1500m and 3,000m double. The Norwegian athlete demonstrated his strength in the final stretch, overtaking Ethiopia's Berihu Aregawi to win in 7 minutes 46.09 seconds. This victory leaves only the world 1500m title – indoor and outdoor – missing from Ingebrigtsen's extensive list of achievements, which includes 18 international golds.

Holloway's Continued Dominance

American Grant Holloway extended his unbeaten streak in the men's 60m hurdles to 11 years, securing his 92nd consecutive indoor victory and third consecutive world indoor gold. His continued dominance underscores his status as a top athlete in his event.