Zhu wins triple jump sliver at World Athletics Indoor Championships

Italy's Andy Diaz Hernandez leapt to a new world lead to take men's triple jump gold, while home favourite Zhu Yaming took silver on the opening day of the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing on Friday.

Hernandez registered 17.80m with his opening attempt, and after fouling the second but seeing no one else come close to threatening his mark, did not take another jump for the rest of the competition. It was a new personal best by 5cm for the Cuban-born jumper, who moves to 23rd all-time.

Zhu finished second with a 17.33m third jump, while Burkina Faso's 2023 outdoor world champion and the defending world indoor champion Hugues Fabrice Zango won bronze with a 17.15m last effort.

Meanwhile, Great Britain's Jeremiah Azu claimed the men's 60m title, beating Lachlan Kennedy to the line by a hundredth of a second. Australian Kennedy, who is the world leader this year, was right behind him while South Africa's Akani Simbine took bronze in 6.54. Chinese veteran Xie Zhenye narrowly missed the podium in 4th in 6.58.

Canadian shot putter Sarah Mitton got to celebrate back-to-back world indoor titles as she held off a strong field including two-time outdoor world champion Chase Jackson, Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Gong Lijiao, and 2022 world indoor champion Auriol Dongmo.

Already leading on 20.36m heading into the final throw, the 28-year-old added 12cm on her last attempt to win gold on 20.48m, well clear of silver medallist Jessica Schilder of the Netherlands on 20.07m. Jackson took bronze a further centimetre back, with Gong fifth and Dongmo eighth.

The day's other gold medal went to Finnish multi-eventer Saga Vanninen in the women's pentathlon. Vanninen scored 4821 points to take the title ahead of Ireland's Kate O'Connor. Taliyah Brooks of the USA took bronze.