Hodgkinson, Mahuchikh headline final day of Tokyo worlds

Olympic champions Keely Hodgkinson and Yaroslava Mahuchikh headline the ninth and final day of the world championships in Tokyo on Sunday.

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AFP Sport looks at their two events:

WOMEN'S 800M FINAL

Hodgkinson has admitted she was sweating on her place at the world championships until the last minute.

The 23-year-old Briton was sidelined for months by lingering hamstring problems after winning gold in Paris last summer and only returned to the track in August.

"It was a matter of literally day by day, week by week on what the plan was for a period of time – there was no plan," said Hodgkinson, who won world silvers in both 2022 and 2023.

"We were just going with what my body was reacting to. Luckily we made it here and we did enough and I'm in this great place."

Hodgkinson made a triumphant return to action last month, running a world-leading time of 1:54.74 at the Silesia Diamond League meet in Poland.

She followed that up with another meet record a week later in Lausanne, beating Switzerland's in-form Audrey Werro to put herself firmly among the favourites for the world title.

Hodgkinson, who could well be Britain's best remaining hope of winning a gold at these championships, will be up against not only Werro but also Kenya's defending world champion Mary Moraa, Olympic silver medallist Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia and Australia's Jessica Hull

Hodgkinson said she was "not really an athlete that needs loads of races" to be ready to compete.

"I've been losing my mind. I've been so bored just waiting for it to come around," she said.

"So I was really excited to get out there and it's our turn to have some fun and get on the stage."

WOMEN'S HIGH JUMP FINAL

World record holder and Olympic gold medallist Mahuchikh defends the title she won on a tear-filled night in Budapest in 2023.

The Ukrainian sailed through qualification, but there will be stiff competition in the final, notably from the Australian duo of Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson.

"To make the final with only one attempt over 1.92m is confirmation of my shape and confidence," said Mahuchikh, who won Olympic gold in Paris last year after winning bronze at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021.

"I felt incredible. I have been flying. The field in the final will be strong. I'm so glad we have more and more female high jumpers over 2.00m. It gives extra motivation to me."

After Olyslagers pipped her in the Diamond League final in Zurich, Mahuchikh had a training camp in Japan before relocating to Tokyo.

"We managed to improve a couple of technical things. Now I'm ready to defend my title," she said.

Olyslagers, who has won silver at the last two Olympics, said she was trying to enjoy the moment "because I know being in a good shape for a world championships is very rare".

"At times I pushed too hard and something broke, so I hope my body and mind are great for the final."

PEREZ STRIKES WORLD DOUBLE AS BONFIM WINS MEN'S RACE WALK

Spain's Maria Perez struck double gold after winning the 20km race walk at the world championships in Tokyo on Saturday.

Perez, who won the 35km race walk last weekend, clocked a season's best of 1hr 25min 54sec for victory in the shorter event.

It meant the 29-year-old defended both titles after also winning the double in the last worlds in Budapest in 2023.

"I have been in five world championships and this is my fourth medal. I am the happiest woman in the world," said Perez.

"I did not come here today to make history in women's sport. I just came to improve myself and not to focus on the time."

Perez added: "My strategy was to hold on and try to survive. Last time in Japan (at the 2021 Olympics), I left with a bitter sweet taste because I was fourth. I am leaving happy now."

Mexico's Alegna Gonzalez was second in 1:26:06 while Japan's Nanako Fujii set a national record of 1:26:18 for bronze.

China's world record-holder and reigning Olympic champion Yang Jiayu came in sixth behind Ecuador's Paula Milena Torres and Peruvian Kimberly Garcia Leon, double world gold winner in Eugene in 2022.

The men's 20km race walk went the way of Brazil's Caio Bonfim, silver medallist in the 35km event, in a winning time of 1:18:35.

China's Zhaozhao Wang claimed silver in 1:18:43, with Spain's Paul McGrath picking up bronze (1:18:45).