TOKYO — Canada’s Camryn Rogers is one step closer to defending her title at the world athletics championships.

The 26-year-old from Richmond, B.C., had a top throw — also her first throw — of 77.52 metres in Group B of the qualification round of the women’s hammer throw to top all competitors in Sunday’s (local time) morning session.

The final is set for Monday’s evening session.

“Today felt really good,” Rogers told reporters. “From the moment I stepped out onto the track, I had a very clear idea of what I needed to do and how to do it. So to be able to step in the ring, execute the way Coach Moh (Mohamad Saatara) and I planned to do, and to walk away with a great throw — today was perfect in terms of a qualification round.

“I think we’ve gone through enough now to kind of have an idea of what works and what doesn’t work. Coach Moh and I, we had the same goal of getting one (throw) out and getting out as fast as we can. So to be able to do that, … we’ve done the work, we’re ready.”

Rogers is also the reigning Olympic champion in the event. She has a personal best of 78.88 metres, which she threw to win the Prefontaine Classic on July 5.

Jillian Weir of Kingston, Ont., did not make the final with a top throw of 67.98 metres. The automatic qualifying mark was 74.00 metres or at least place in the top 12.

In the women’s marathon final, 43-year-old Natasha Wodak of Surrey, B.C., ran a season-best time of two hours 36 minutes two seconds to finish 31st.

In Sunday’s evening session, medal hopeful Moh Ahmed of St. Catharines, Ont., dropped out of the men’s 10,000 metres with a couple of laps left. Ahmed was competing after sustaining a calf strain in July.

“I felt good in the warm-up, I felt really good doing strides,” Ahmed said. “I did everything I could, but I just had no rhythm whatsoever. I couldn’t power. I don’t know what happened.

“I really fought. I wanted to drop out at like three laps and eight laps and every single lap that proceeded … with two laps to go, I was like, ‘OK, let’s keep fighting, keep fighting.’ And yeah, then the calf like really seized up on me.”

He was also scheduled to run the 5,000 — his strongest event — in Tokyo.

“I don’t know what the severity of it is, but I don’t know, we’ll see,” Ahmed said. “That was tough and disappointing, but nonetheless, I’m really proud of myself.”

Also Sunday, Toronto’s Gabriela DeBues-Stafford advanced Tuesday’s final of the women’s 1,500 metres after finishing fifth in her semifinal in four minutes 8.29 seconds. DeBues-Stafford finished fifth in the event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but missed two years to injury before returning to action this season.

None of the three Canadians entered in the men’s 100 metres qualified for the final. Jerome Blake of Kelowna, B.C., came the closest after finishing tied for third in his semifinal with a time of 10.03 seconds.

Andre De Grasse of Markham, Ont., who won world championship bronze in the event in 2015 and 2019, ran a season-best time of 10.09 seconds but finished fifth in his semifinal. Ottawa’s Eliezer Adjibi, competing in his first world championships, finished last in his heat at 10.27 seconds.

Audrey Leduc of Gatineau, Que., the only Canadian in the women’s 100 metre semifinals, failed to qualify for the final after finishing last in her heat at 11.34 seconds.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2025.