Taliyah Brooks ties for World heptathlon bronze with PR score

TOKYO – Three career best marks during the second day of the World Athletics Championship heptathlon propelled Arkansas alum Taliyah Brooks into a tie for a bronze medal with a PR of 6,581 points, which ranks No. 8 on the all-time U.S. list.

“At first I didn’t even know it was a tie,” Brooks said. “I heard third, banged on the track, then looked up and saw two third placers. I thought they were going to break the tie. I’m happy with the shared bronze.”

American Anna Hall claimed heptathlon gold on the penultimate evening of the World Championships at Japan National Stadium with 6,888 points while Ireland’s Kate O’Conner scored 6,714 for silver. Previously, Hall was a world silver medalist in 2023 and bronze medalist in 2022.

Brooks shared third place with Katarina Johnson-Thompson, the 2023 World champion, while Germany’s Sandrina Sprengel finished fifth with a 6,434 tally.

“I’m really proud of this one,” stated Brooks. “It’s cool to share the bronze with KJT, who is someone most heptathletes have looked up to for a very long time.

“I’m proud of my day two. I’m proud that it came down to the 800m and I was able to do what needs to be done. So, I’m excited.”

This marks the first time since 1987, with Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Jane Frederick, that the United States earned gold and bronze in the same World Championship heptathlon. Hall earned the third gold by American while Brooks secured the fourth bronze medal.

The bronze for Brooks is the third claimed by an Arkansas alum at this World Championship and fourth medal overall. Brooks also earned her second World bronze medal this season after claiming third in the pentathlon at the World Indoors held in China.

“It’s crazy, obviously the outdoor one people weigh heavier than the indoor one,” noted Brooks, who had a previous best score of 6,526 points from the 2025 USATF Championships that ranked No. 10 on the all-time U.S. list.

The first day of the decathlon has Ayden Owens-Delerme of Puerto Rico in third place with a score of 4,487 points as he follows American Kyle Garland with 4,707 and Norway’s Sander Skotheim at 4,543. Behind Owens-Delerme are German Leo Neugebauer (4,455) and Johannes Erm of Estonia (4,378).

Four Razorbacks ran relay legs in the prelims of the 4 x 400m relay. Nickisha Pryce anchored the Jamaican squad with a 49.64 anchor as they won the first heat in a then world-leading 3:22.77.

The United States won the second heat of the 4 x 400m relay in a world-leading 3:22.53 as Rosey Effiong split 50.39 on the second leg and Britton Wilson split 50.65 as the anchor leg.

Chris Bailey split an astonishing 43.11 on the first leg of the men’s 4 x 400m relay. However, the American were interfered with by Zambia on the second exchange and then Kenya suffered the same fate with Zambia on the third exchange.

A runoff on Sunday morning at 10:40 a.m. (JST) between Kenya and the United States will be held for an additional spot in the final.

In fifth place after the first four events on the initial day of the heptathlon, Brooks started day two with a career best leap of 22-3.5 (6.79) in the long jump for 1,102 points. Producing the top mark overall moved Brooks into second place with 4,930 points trailing leading Hall’s total of 5,041.

Brooks improved her previous wind-legal best of 22-3 (6.76) from 2018.

“A friend texted me last night and I replied I’m fighting back,” said Brooks. “That was kind of the mood going into today. We’ve been working really hard on the long jump. There have been lots of eyes and information with the long jump. I’m proud I was able to put it together.

“That just caried momentum into the javelin and then the 800m was just you’ve got to give it what you got. I was too close to not do it. That was our mindset. I don’t need a big, long talk. I know what I need to do, I have to hang on and get what I got.”

Another career best followed in the javelin as left-handed Brooks hit a mark of 142-3 (43.37) for 732 points to better her previous best of 141-11 (43.27) from earlier this season. Hall’s total of 5,865 after six events led the field while O’Connor moved into second place at 5,743 with Brooks third at 5,662 while Johnson-Thompson was fourth at 5,578.

Brooks finished ninth in the 800m with a PR of 2:13.17 for 919 points while Johnson-Thompson ran 2:07.38 as runner-up in the event while gaining 1,003 points to tie Brooks in the overall score.

Owens-Delerme opened and closed the first day of the decathlon by producing the top times in the 100m and 400m. A 10.31 collected 1,020 points while a 46.46 generated 985.

In between the two sprint events, Owens-Delerme had a long jump of 24-0.25 (7.32) for 891 points, a shot put toss of 51-0.25 (15.55) for 824 points, and cleared 6-5 (1.96) in the high jump to add 767 points.

Razorbacks | Tokyo World Championships