The Japan Times - Seville and Jefferson-Wooden enjoy maiden world titles, US savour field of gold

It was a good night in Tokyo for the Americans as two of their outstanding field athletes, Olympic champions Tara Davis-Woodhall and Valarie Allman, won the women's long jump and discus respectively.

For Allman it filled a yawning space in her burgeoning medals cabinet -- a world title.

There was a once-in-a-blue-moon ending in the men's 10,000m as Europe got the better of the cream of African distance running -- France's Jimmy Gressier took the honours.

It was a first victory over the distance for a European since Somalia-born Briton Mo Farah in 2017 -- he also won in 2013 and 2015. Italian Alberto Cova won the event at the inaugural edition of the worlds in 1983.

Seville secured Jamaica's first men's world 100m title in 10 years leading home a Jamaican 1-2. The onwatching Usain Bolt did the sprint double at the 2015 worlds in Beijing.

As Seville ripped his vest in celebration, teammate Kishane Thompson, who had to settle for silver as he did at the Olympics last year, embraced him.

Olympic and defending world champion Noah Lyles was third.

Seville had finished fourth in the two previous world finals but the 24-year-old said he had always retained belief in himself even if others had not.

"A lot of people are saying that I am panicking (in the last two finals). I don't know what they are talking about," he said.

"But I have proved myself that I am a champion and I hope that they can see that Oblique Seville is actually competitive and a warrior."

Jefferson-Wooden succeeded her training partner Sha'Carri Richardson as world champion -- the latter finished fifth.

Jefferson-Wooden -- who took bronze in the Olympic final last year behind Julien Alfred, who could only finish third on Sunday -- timed a new championship record of 10.61sec.

The 24-year-old and Richardson are coached by the controversial former sprinter Dennis Mitchell, who served a doping ban as an athlete.

Jefferson-Wooden said it had taken her some time to learn how to cope with the stresses and strains at major championships.

"I have been dreaming of this moment," she added.

"Instead of putting the pressure on myself and taking it as something overwhelming, I was just embracing it.

"That (change) was worth the gold medal tonight."

She will bid to achieve the sprint double in the 200m later in the championships.

- 'Felt incomplete' -

The race may be recalled in the years to come as the last individual global final contested by 38-year-old Jamaican legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who finished sixth.

She said: "It's a surreal moment to know that 18 years ago I started as an athlete that wasn't sure what I wanted to do or who I was, and to be here in this moment continuing... to push the limits and finish on your own terms."

Allman, twice a minor medallist at the worlds stamped her authority on the other finalists from the first throw of 67.63 metres and rammed home her superiority home in the fifth round with 69.48m.

The former dancer raised her arms in celebration once victory was confirmed, and ran with a beaming smile to her coach in the stands.

"I didn''t realise before how much I wanted to become the world champion," she said.

"There was a part of me that felt incomplete."

Allman, who took silver two years ago and bronze in 2022, conceded she had felt the pressure keenly going in to the final.

"The nerves hit me but now everything has fallen off my shoulders," she said.

"I keep looking at this medal and can''t believe it's real."

Davis-Woodhall followed up Olympic gold with a long jump world title, outclassing the field with a leap of 7.13m.

Gressier, 28, was like a terrier snapping at the heels of the Ethiopians on the final lap and the 28-year-old's final bite was the killer blow.

"This is a child's dream come true," he said.

S.Fujimoto--JT