The 2025 World Indoor Championships were full of shockers. Yet what would be considered the biggest shocker of them all was what happened at the conclusion of the 60m event. Britain’s sprinting sensation, Jeremiah Azu scored the first global title of his career as he beat numerous odds to emerge the champion. But the Brit made sure to do it in fashion as he won the race in a whirlwind 6.49 seconds. However, perhaps what makes this win even bigger is the fact that he won by the thinnest of margins. But why is that so special?

Well, in what was a dramatic photo finish, Azu crossed the line one-hundredth of a second before the silver medal winner. Losing by a whisker was the Australian Lachlan Kennedy, who clocked a time of 6.50s. Akani Simbine from South Africa took the bronze medal with 6.54s. However, the biggest shock came from the US athlete, Ronnie Baker. Coming in as one of the favorites, Baker failed to clinch a top 3 finish, much to the surprise of the crowd. 

However, it was not about Ronnie Baker. The race belonged to Jeremiah Azu. Catching up with the media, an elated Azu stated, “Sounds great honestly of course I believe it but until it happens, it’s just a flaw. My family knew I could do it. So many people around me knew I could do it. But it’s not done until you achieve it. So uh, I’ve got that forever now.” The athlete also stated that his newborn son would be very proud to see his father doing great things on the track. And maybe Azu might just become the ‘cool’ dad. 

Well, Azu’s emergence to the track and field realm did not happen overnight. It took a lot of toil and hard work for him to set himself up for a successful progression in the sport. Qualifying for the Olympics, Azu made his athletic prowess known. Competing in the 4x100m relay, he helped his team win the bronze medal in Paris. 

Continuing his successful run, Azu once again made history at the European Indoor Championship. Taking the 60m realm by storm, the athlete from Great Britain won the gold medal to further mark his dominance. Interestingly, going at this pace, Azu might as well pose some serious threats to the likes of Noah Lyles. After all, Lyles’ 60m personal best of 6.43s is pretty close!

Despite beating Noah Lyles, Ronnie Baker’s 60m mark falls to Azu’s blistering run

Ronnie Baker’s reign as the season’s top 60m sprinter was short-lived. Just weeks after beating the Olympic gold medalist, Baker found himself trailing behind Jeremiah Azu. Clocking a swift 6.49 seconds, Azu stormed past the mark set by Baker. And, in doing so, Azu not only eclipsed Baker’s best time but also bettered the fastest 60m mark of Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles this season.

Azu’s performance didn’t just shake up the rankings. It exposed the razor-thin margins at the top of sprinting. Lyles had earlier set the bar with a 6.52-second win at the NB Grand Prix, only for Baker to edge him out by 0.02 seconds. But now, Azu has raised the stakes even higher. And now the new season leader has left both Baker and Lyles chasing. “It’s all about execution,” Baker had said after his Ostrava win. 

After grabbing the title of World Champion, Jeremiah shared, “I’ve always known that I’m going to be great and this is the beginning to show myself I am a champion”. With Azu now holding the top time, the pressure shifts back to Baker and Lyles. Sprinting’s fine margins have once again reshuffled the hierarchy. And the race for dominance is surely far from over.