World Athletics Championships 2023 day six preview and schedule – Thursday 24 August
Discover the highlights and schedule for Thursday, 24 August 2023, Day 6 of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 in Hungary, featuring Wayde van Niekerk, and Femke Bol in finals action, and Erriyon Knighton, Noah Lyles, Sha'Carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson in 200m semi-finals.
Athletics
South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk will have a shot at a third global title when he lines up in the men’s 400m final on Thursday 24 August, Day 6 of the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The world record holder squeaked through as a time qualifier in the semi-finals but will fancy his chances after reigning Olympic champion Steven Gardiner pulled up injured in his heat.
Van Niekerk and London 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James of Grenada are the only two men in the final line-up to have dipped below 44 seconds over the one-lap sprint.
Britain's Oregon 2022 bronze medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith was one of the standouts in the semi-finals setting a European record of 44.26s and will be among the favourites for a medal.
In the women’s 400m hurdles, a new world champion will be crowned in the absence of world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The American was initially meant to focus on the flat 400m at these championships but withdrew citing a knee injury.
Dutch sensation Femke Bol is the odds-on favourite to claim the crown and upgrade the silver she won at last year’s World Championships. Bol has dominated the one-lap hurdles this season posting the third fastest time in history at the London Diamond League meeting in July with a personal best of 51.45 seconds.
In the men’s long jump, the People’s Republic of China’s Wang Jianan will be looking to defend his title. Chief among the challengers are Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou and former world champion Tajay Gayle of Jamaica. Rising Jamaican star Wayne Pinnock, who landed a world lead of 8.54 metres, could upset the apple cart.
Meanwhile, newly minted 100m champions Sha'Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles of the United States will be in action in the 200m semi-finals for a shot at keeping their sprint-double hopes alive.
Shericka Jackson, the fastest woman alive over the half-lap sprint hopes to successfully defend her world title and make up for the disappointment in the 100m where she finished second behind Richardson.
Erriyon Knighton will be looking to upgrade his 200m bronze from last year while Olympic champion Andre de Grasse is yet to fire at all cylinders.
Day 6 schedule at World Athletics Championships 2023 – 24 August
All times in Central European Summer Time (UTC +2 hours, Eastern time +6 hours, Pacific time +9 hours).
- 07:00 Men 35 Kilometres Race Walk Final
- 07:00 Women 35 Kilometres Race Walk Final
- 19:00 Men 5000 Metres Heats
- 19:30 Men Long Jump Final
- 19:45 Women 200 Metres Semi-Final
- 20:15 Women Hammer Throw Final
- 20:20 Men 200 Metres Semi-Final
- 20:50 Men 800 Metres Semi-Final
- 21:25 Women 100 Metres Hurdles Final
- 21:35 Men 400 Metres Final
- 21:50 Women 400 Metres Hurdles Final
How to watch World Athletics Championships 2023
In the United States, NBC holds the broadcast rights to the World Championships. Coverage will be on NBC's various channels including CNBC and NBC, and streamed on Peacock – check listings for further details.
Track and field fans in Europe can follow and watch the action through Warner Bros. Discovery. The broadcaster signed a deal with World Athletics to air the event live in more than 45 European countries (excluding the Nordic region) on its channels Discovery+, Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2, and the Eurosport App.
Athletics fans in the UK can also watch action on the BBC, while in Australia, all the sessions will be broadcast live on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand. CBC has the rights in Canada, and SuperSport and TVMS in Africa.
Sony Liv app and the website will live stream the championships in many countries in South Asia.
A full list of broadcasters is available here.