Nader rips up the script in 1,500 metres

Cool Moon rises to pole vault challenge

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The beauty of sport is its ability to surprise and Isaac Nader produced one of the biggest ever in international 1,500 metres finals as he won the world title on Wednesday while Katie Moon was a more predictable winner of a third successive pole vault crown.

Portugal had never had a medallist in the 1,500m but Nader's storming run in the home straight was enough for the 24-year-old to deny Jake Wightman of Britain a second title.

“Some people criticised me and said I would never achieve this but here I am — world champion and the first Portuguese athlete to win a global gold in the 1,500m,’ said a beaming Nader.

While Wightman celebrated his silver after an injury-plagued three years since he won the title in 2022, there was misery for reigning champion Josh Kerr after the Briton was left hopping along midway through the race, apparently with an injury.

Even at 34, Moon is pretty much unbeatable in an event that has failed to match the heights of the men’s event in which Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis broke the world record for the 14th time in Tokyo.