Britain's 99-Medal Haul at Daegu World Masters Championships
Great Britain won 99 medals at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Daegu, finishing second among European nations behind Germany.
Great Britain concluded the World Masters Athletics Championships in Daegu with 99 medals. The team's final haul comprised 42 gold, 35 silver, and 22 bronze medals.
Despite the strong showing, Britain was narrowly edged out as the top European nation by Germany. The German team finished with 43 golds, 27 silvers, and 31 bronzes. The United States dominated the overall standings.
The final medal table for the top five nations was as follows:
| Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 95 | 64 | 67 |
| Australia | 58 | 66 | 48 |
| Japan | 53 | 53 | 52 |
| Germany | 43 | 27 | 31 |
| Great Britain | 42 | 35 | 22 |
Veteran Champions Lead British Charge
Multiple champions delivered key performances in the final days of the hot and humid championships. M65 100m world record-holder John Wright, nursing a hamstring injury, won the 400m. He later produced a stunning anchor leg in the M65 4x400m relay, running an estimated 55.5 seconds to overtake Japan and win by 0.09 seconds. His split was faster than the outdoor M65 world record.
Sarah Roberts was Britain's most decorated athlete. The W75 competitor added a 1500m gold to her earlier wins at 10km, 800m, and 5000m. She later took silver in the 400m. Anthony Treacher secured his third gold of the meet, winning the M85 400m. Steve Allen claimed his third walking gold with a victory in the M70 5000m track walk.
Hurdles and Field Event Success
Joe Appiah defended his hurdles title in style. The M55 athlete improved his own championship record, clocking 14.28 to win the 100m hurdles. American Brian Bombei also broke the previous record in second place.
Mensah Elliott, competing in the M45 110m hurdles due to a recent age category change, narrowly won. This marked his third title in the event after wins in 2022 and 2024. In field events, Allan Leiper dominated the M65 throws pentathlon, posting the best marks in hammer, shot, and javelin. Dash Newington (W40) and Sue Yeomans (W70) won pole vault golds.
International Highlights and Records
The championships featured several standout global performances. Saudi Arabia's Ismail Al-Sabani, a 45.74 performer, set a championships record in the M35 400m. Athletics Weekly reported this as the fastest one-lap time in World Masters Championships history for any age group.
Japan's Takahiro Sato set a world record in the M50 5000m walk. Germany's Ralf Mordhorst won the M50 throws pentathlon with a world record tally. Ireland's Edel Maguire set a European and championships record in the W65 400m.
The W60 400m final provided drama. Germany's Iris Opitz, the 100m champion, made up a 10-metre deficit on Britain's 800m champion Virginia Mitchell to win narrowly. In the M75 throws pentathlon, Britain's Mark Wyndham-Jones led until the final event, where Poland's Waclaw Krankowski won the weight throw by four metres to take gold.
Britain's relay participation was limited, with teams only formed in a few age groups due to lower travel numbers to Korea. The M60 4x400m team, anchored by 800m and 1500m champion Rob McHarg, won a silver medal behind the USA.
