Live updates: World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo, Day 3, men’s pole vault

Karalis is under pressure now!

Dominant from Duplantis – he just flew over that bar by such an incredible distance.

So close!

Emmanouil Karalis was so close to getting over that mark, but he just brushed the bar with his chest as he went over.

If he gets his angles right, he will go over that.

Time for the big boys to step up to the plate.

This will be a man-on-man duel for gold.

HE WAS SO CLOSE TO GETTING OVER SIX METRES!

But in the end it will not be that magic mark for Kurtis Marschall.

Nevertheless, he can be insanely proud of himself, a perfect performance from the Australian behind two of the best we’ve ever seen.

They’ll keep going up to the heavens now in a one-on-one duel for gold.

INCREDIBLE RACE FOR NEW ZEALAND!

GEORDIE BEAMISH HAS A GOLD MEDAL FOR NEW ZEALAND!

He is the world indoor champion, so has pedigree. But that is still a major surprise.

Soufiane El Bakkali was the overwhelming favourite and had bided his time at the back with his main rival Mamecha Girma.

El Bakkali surged off the final water jump and powered down the home straight.

But Beamish came so hard off that final barrier and overhauled the devastated Moroccan, who is beating his fists on the ground.

Edmund Serem came home in third place.

The Aussie has one more chance to stay in this competition.

He is currently in third place on countback, so if nobody else clears six metres then he will have his second world bronze medal.

Oh he’s back! He’s back in a big way in this competition!

Another big height clearance from Emmanouil Karalis.

Armand Duplantis is over by an absolute mile.

Sam Kendricks has knocked the bar down though, as has Kurtis Marschall.

That’s just a small error from Marschall – he knocked that off on the way up to the height.

He’s proven that he has got the ability in this meet to clear around six metres – he just needs to get his timing and positioning right.

Oh that’s a disaster for Forster Malleck and Federico Riva!

There was so much pushing in that race.

Even at the end there, with Olympic champion Cole Hocker pushing himself through the congested pack.

He qualifies, so does Reynold Cheruiyot, Adrian Ben, Isaac Nader and Jonah Koech.

Neil Gourley makes it three Brits in the final, beating South African Tshepo Tshite by 0.06 seconds.

Riva and Malleck trot home together after their fall.

That’s a clutch clearance from the Greek!

He stays alive in this dramatic competition.

BRILLIANT FROM MARSCHALL!

He flies over the bar – that was a great clearance – and equals his PB! There’s more room there for improvement too.

SAM KENDRICKS IS OVER! INCREDIBLE!

He was dead and buried if he didn’t clear this at the second attempt, after his pass at 5.90. What a clutch leap.

Karalis has failed for a second time and is on the verge of being eliminated.

Another rough and ready semifinal in the metric mile.

Josh Kerr, the defending champion, led the race throughout but the pack converged on him at the end.

Niels Laros managed to finish just ahead of Kerr, who got a push from Samuel Pihlström at the end.

Jake Wightman, the 2022 champion, looked incredible and flew home in third – two Brits in the top three – it’s like the 1980s all over again.

Timothy Cheruiyot and Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran both qualified too.

Everyone else has failed at the height so far.

Duplantis has barely broken a sweat.

Kurtis Marschall is the latest man to fail at this height.

Things are getting serious in the pole vault.

Oh my, the first crack in the resolve from the affable Greek vaulter, Emmanouil Karalis!

He has failed in his first attempt at 5.95.

He has had the height to clear this easily, so you’d back him to bounce back.

But he lost the Diamond League final to Armand Duplantis on countback and it’s these little errors that could prove so costly.

Sam Kendricks also fails – he’s got one jump left to clear this or he’s out.

Armand Duplantis? Straight over.

This is remarkable and I desperately hope the snappers were all over it.

Menno Vloon, the Dutchman, who failed twice at 5.85 before clearing, somehow managed to get over at 5.90 but I have no idea how.

He seemed to flick himself up off the pole, legs and arms all akimbo, flailing like an octopus in its death throes, but still managed to get over the bar!

Remarkable.

Four men have been eliminated as the bar moves up to 5.90.

Emmanouil Karalis comes in and clears this height by an absolute mile.

He will be looking to fly well in excess of 6m today if he keeps this form up throughout the competition.

Kurtis Marschall is looking pretty good too – he’s clear at 5.90 as well. Nice clearance.

Thibaut Collet clears it too, but his compatriot Renaud Lavillenie, who skipped 5.85, has missed.

American veteran Sam Kendricks has work to do, he knocked the bar down and then passes.

That means he has just two attempts to clear at 5.95.

Oh, Armand Duplantis is just chilling at the moment. He skipped this height.

Poor Lotta Harala.

She knew she needed to have a great start and tried to anticipate the gun.

She got it wrong, badly, and has been disqualified.

The Finnish athlete cuts a very disappointed figure.

When the race resumes, Grace Stark and Ditaji Kambundji qualified by finishing in the top two

Ackera Nugent clipped a barrier late and may struggle to qualify as one of the fastest losers.

Desperately disappointing for Liam Adcock.

He has been knocked out of qualification for the long jump final.

His third round jump of 7.94 is just going to be a few centimetres too short.

That’s hugely disappointing for the New South Welshman after what had been a very, very good year.