Rachid Muratake Places 5th in 110-Meter Hurdles at the World Championships

Disappointment turned to heartbreak as hurdler Rachid Muratake wept during his post-race TV interview on TBS Tuesday night, September 16.

Seeking to win his first world title, Muratake finished fifth in the men's 110-meter hurdles final, reaching the finish line in 13.18 seconds at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

American Cordell Tinch captured the gold in 12.99 seconds, while Jamaica's Orlando Bennett and Tyler Mason were second and third, respectively, in 13.08 and 13.12.

Spain's Enrique Llopis was fourth (13.16) at Tokyo's National Stadium.

Earlier Tuesday night, Muratake had the third-fastest time in the semifinal round, placing second in his qualifying heat (13.17), which was .04 seconds faster than his time in the 110 hurdles final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Chiba Prefecture native finished fifth in France.

From start to finish, it appeared that Muratake, 23, ran a good race, timed his hurdles well and exerted maximum energy.

Tinch, Bennett, Mason and Llopis were all a little bit better than him on this night. The difference between being the bronze medalist and the fourth-place finisher was razor-thin. And only the time that it takes to blink once (or maybe twice) separated Llopis and Muratake.

Rachid Muratake Reacts to His Disappointing Finish

During his post-race appearance on TBS, Rachid Muratake cried and expressed an outpouring of sadness.

Indeed, his desire to win was great.

"What was missing? [And] what had I been doing wrong all this time?" he said in his tearful analysis on TBS, NHK reported. "For the year since the Paris Olympics ended, I trained with everything I had, aiming for a medal. I wanted to win a medal and celebrate with everyone."

Added Muratake, "I want to be proud that I made it to the finals. I want to win a medal, no matter how many years it takes."

Kenya Dominates the Women's 1,500 Meters

Faith Kipyegon led a 1-2 Kenya finish in the women's 1,500-meter final, clocking 3 minutes, 52.15 seconds. Compatriot Dorcus Ewoi was the runner-up in a personal-best time of 3:54.92.

Australia's Jessica Hull placed third (3:55.15), while Kenya's Nelly Chepchirchir was fourth in 3:55.25, also a personal-best time.

Three-time Olympic champion Kipyegon spoke about the excitement of her sustained success in the 1,500.

"Being able to defend my title and to win a fourth gold feels really special," Kipyegon told reporters after the race.

She won her first world title in the event in 2017 and added back-to-back golds in 2022 and '23.

"This sport drives me," the 31-year-old Kipyegon said, adding, "I need to push myself in order to be the best. I won here in 2021 [at the Olympics] just after becoming a mother, so being back here, winning again, means I can show a new gold medal to my daughter." 

Day 4 at the World Athletics Championships

Also Tuesday night, Japan's Ryoichi Akamatsu, the fifth-place finisher at the Paris Olympics, tied for eighth in the men's high jump final. His top mark was 2.24 meters, which he cleared on his second attempt.

Yuto Seko, also representing Japan, placed 10th (2.20).

The high jump title went to New Zealand's Hamish Kerr, who soared 2.36 meters over the bar on his top effort. It was the world's leading mark for the event in 2025, and it matched the height of his winning jump at the Paris Games.

South Korea's Sanghyeok Woo secured the silver (2.34), and the Czech Republic's Jan Stefela claimed the bronze (2.31).

"Today I had to fight for the gold," Kerr said after the competition, according to the World Athletics website. "It was not an easy final for me. Many times, I thought I wouldn't win. But being able to fight and not give up is important. I showed it tonight. It's not over till it's over." 

The gold medalist added, "The thing about the high jump I love most is being able to perform and put on a good show. We definitely did it tonight. I am stoked with the gold and stoked with the way I did it. That's something I am going to look back on. All the boys shocked me tonight. This competition was very, very special."

In the men's hammer throw final, Canada's Ethan Katzberg set a world championships record, winning with a toss of 84.70 meters. He achieved the feat on his second of six attempts.

Nakajima Qualifies for the Men's 400 Final

Paris Olympian Yuki Joseph Nakajima ran from the back of the pack to the front during his exhilarating second half of a men's 400-meter semifinal heat on Tuesday night. Nakajima's determination and speed paid off, resulting in a second-place finish in 44.53 seconds.

Botswana's Bayapo Ndori won the heat in 44.21.

Nakajima qualified for Thursday's nine-man final. He is the first Japanese athlete to reach the 400-meter final since Susumu Takano in 1991, when the world championships were held at the former National Stadium.

In a first-round heat on Sunday, he set a national record in the 400 (44.44 seconds).

The 23-year-old helped Japan place sixth in the 4x400-meter relay at the 2024 Olympics.

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Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.