Anna Hall Wins World Heptathlon Gold, First American Since Jackie Joyner-Kersee In ’93

[ad_1] by Daniel Johnson September 21, 2025

Corridor hit quantity two all-time heptathlon factors earlier in 2025 when she posted a 7,032-point complete.

Anna Corridor’s efficiency on the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo wasn’t only a beautiful show of throughout athleticism, it was historic, as a result of her 6,888-point efficiency made her the primary American lady to seize a gold medal within the heptathlon because the legendary Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 1993. The title marks Corridor’s first main title after a number of years of shut calls and ill-timed struggles with accidents.

In line with The Athletic, the 24-year-old Corridor was within the lead after 4 occasions by the primary day of competitors. She solely solidified her lead throughout day two as she posted a time of two minutes, 6.68 seconds within the 800 meter race and added private bests within the javelin (48.13m) and shot put (15.80m) whereas tying one of the best high-jump mark (1.89m) and turning within the second quickest and third quickest occasions, respectively, within the 200m and the 100m hurdles.

Corridor, already a prolific performer in one of many competitions that measures arguably one of the best general athlete on the planet, hit quantity two all-time earlier in 2025 when she posted a 7,032 level complete in Gotzis, Austria. This efficiency got here simply shy of that mark, however Corridor was nonetheless elated to deliver a medal house to the USA that her mentor made well-known, as she advised NBC Sports activities.

In line with NBC Sports activities, Joyner-Kersee, who's a two-time world champion and a two-time Olympic gold medalist within the occasion, despatched textual content messages to Corridor earlier than the competitors, after the primary day’s occasions, and after the lengthy bounce was accomplished on Sept. 20. The Olympic legend additionally sat with Corridor’s household close to the end line on the remaining occasion, the 800m.

“It means a lot,” Corridor advised NBC Sports activities reporter Lewis Johnson. Ever since I got here on the circuit and gained my first medal, that’s been one thing I’ve been attempting to do. Jackie and I've talked about it, and we had been like, ‘The USA does make nice heptathletes.’ It means the world to have the ability to deliver the title again house the place it belongs.”She continued, noting her disappointment that accidents throughout the Paris Olympics saved her from acting at her greatest.

“The final two years, I actually struggled with accidents, as I believe all people noticed in Paris,” Corridor defined. “That total time, I simply put my head down and I labored. And we had been engaged on my higher physique, we had been engaged on technical issues. My physique wasn’t able to have that present but, however I’m so glad that I really feel like that work is all paying off now. I got here again this 12 months, and I felt like I actually misplaced my love, virtually, for the game. I used to be simply unhappy on a regular basis. I used to be doing all my exercises, however I didn’t need to be there. It took some time for my spark to come back again.”

It picked the right time to come back again, after her earlier efficiency in Gotzis, Corridor joined her mentor on an inventory of American performances within the occasion that solely consists of Joyner-Kersee and herself. Apart from Corridor’s second-place end all-time, Joyner-Kersee holds six of the highest finishes all-time, together with, after all, the all-time document, a ridiculous 7,291 factors.

Corridor completed 174 factors forward of the silver medalist, Eire’s Kate O’Connor, whose complete produced an Irish nationwide document. Whereas Corridor’s level differential is critical, Joyner-Kersee’s legendary 1988 efficiency on the Seoul Olympic Video games was otherworldly, leading to a staggering 394 level differential. Corridor’s earlier eclipse of the 7,000 level barrier is traditionally important; solely she and Joyner-Kersee can say that they’ve accomplished that.

Additionally of historic significance, for the primary time ever on the World Athletics Championships, a heptathlon medal was shared between Nice Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Corridor’s fellow countrywoman Taliyah Brooks, as they tied with a rating of 6,581pts. That rating is Brooks’ private greatest mark over her profession. Which means that one other of Joyner-Kersee’s accomplishments in observe and subject was matched, this one from 1987 when she and Jane Frederick each medaled. Joyner-Kersee took house the gold, whereas Frederick earned bronze.

Ties are virtually unprecedented within the heptathlon due partially to the intricate nature of awarding factors, that are primarily based on each occasions and distances. There has by no means been a tie within the occasion, courting again to its introduction to the roster of Olympic occasions in 1984.