“I gave it my best effort and it’s the fastest I’ve run all year,” said Anning. “I had a great progression through the rounds. I’m just grateful to be out there and be amongst history in that race.
“I just wanted to focus on my lane, just stay attached, stay committed and to trust myself. I felt the race got away from me a little bit, but I finished strong. I’m proud and fifth in world you can’t complain.”
The fastest 400m final in World Championships history was won by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in a meet record of 47.78 seconds, which broke the American record of 48.29 she set in the semifinal.
In becoming the first U.S. sprinter to claim gold since Francis in 2007, McLaughlin-Levrone defeated a pair of previous champions in Marileidy Paulina (2023) and Salwa Eid Naser (2019).
The previous meet record of 47.99 was set in 1983 by Jarmila Kratochvilova at the first World Outdoor Championships. McLaughlin-Levrone’s time ranks second on the world all-time list behind the world record of 47.60 set in 1985 by Marita Koch.
Paulino collected the silver medal in a Dominican Republic national record of 47.98 while Naser of Bahrain secured bronze in 48.19.
Poland’s Natalia Bukowiecka finished fourth in 49.27 just ahead of Anning. Cuba’s Roxana Gomez placed sixth in 49.48 while Norway’s Henriette Jaeger ran 49.74 for seventh.
With eight sub-50 times in the final, each previous best mark for place was bettered.
In the men’s 800m semifinal, with rain starting to fall, Razorback Tyrice Taylor placed seventh in the first of three heats with a time of 1:46.56.
Fellow Jamaican, Navasky Anderson, reclaimed his national record in placing third in the final heat with a 1:43.72 to better the 1:43.74 Taylor set at the NACAC Championships this summer. Anderson advanced to the final on time by 0.02 of a second.
Shafiqua Maloney competed in the first round of the women’s 800m, placing eighth in her heat with a 2:03.12.
