GB's Azu sprints to 60m gold for first global title

World Athletics Indoor Championships

Venue: Nanjing, China Date: Friday 21 - Sunday, 23 March

Coverage: Watch on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app

Britain's Jeremiah Azu says "the sky isn't the limit" after he sprinted to 60m gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships to secure the first global title of his career.

Just 13 days after winning the first individual international gold of his career at the European Indoors, Azu established himself as a world champion by equalling that personal best performance of 6.49 seconds.

He crossed the line one hundredth of a second ahead of Australian Lachlan Kennedy, who was initially shown as the winner on the big screen following a dramatic photo finish.

Azu had his hands on his head as his name flashed up in second place, but the 23-year-old was soon sprinting away in ecstatic celebration when his victory was confirmed moments later.

It marked a stunning conclusion to a whirlwind month for Azu, who celebrated the birth of his son just a week before being crowned European champion.

"I knew I could win it. I said at the Europeans I want to take over the world. This is just the start of our journey," an emotional Azu told BBC Sport.

"The plan is to keep on winning. The sky isn't the limit - there is way, way more than that.

"Let's see what the summer brings, I'm excited for it."

Elsewhere on the opening day of action in Nanjing, China, British 1500m runners Georgia Hunter Bell and Neil Gourley progressed to their respective finals, while Amber Anning underlined her gold medal credentials with a statement 400m qualification.

The three-day championships continue on Saturday morning, with Britain's Molly Caudery aiming to defend her women's pole vault final (02:10 GMT) before Anning goes for gold.

Azu on top of the world

Jeremiah Azu was part of Great Britain's bronze medal-winning men's 4x100m relay team at the 2024 Olympics

It has already been a year of significant change for Azu away from the track – one that is bringing out the best of the Welshman on it.

After what he described as a "bittersweet" Olympics, where 4x100m relay bronze accompanied disqualification in the individual event, Azu took the decision to leave his training group in Italy and return to Wales to start a family.

It is a move that has seen him reunite with Helen James, the coach he credits with encouraging him to take up the sport as a teenager.

High on confidence after running a personal best to seal his breakthrough triumph at the Europeans, Azu stated then that he was "coming to take it all".

Beginning his bid for a first individual podium on the global stage, Azu clocked 6.53 secs in the heats and improved to 6.52 in booking his place in a wide-open final, where he once again rose to the occasion by equalling his lifetime best.

"I was a bit emotional before the final with my coach. The last few years have been very difficult for me and this morning I was thinking about it and reflecting," said Azu.

"It's so important to surround yourself with people that believe in you and care about you. If I came last, they would be the same. That is huge for me."

On his decision to move back to Cardiff, Azu added: "It's been huge. Family is everything to me. I sacrificed that for the last two years.

"Being back with my family, having that support team around me, is huge. They allow me to believe in myself and that's something you can't teach. It's so important to success."

Hunter Bell, Gourley & Anning progress

Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Hunter Bell won her heat in four minutes 09.21 seconds to qualify for Sunday's final, but European bronze medallist Revee Walcott-Nolan missed out.

In the men's event, which also concludes on Sunday, British team captain Gourley was first in his heat in 3:36.60 and will meet Norway's gold medal favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the final.

Olympic finalist Anning set the fastest time of the women's 400m heats, clocking 50.79 secs in setting up her shot at a first individual international medal.

Ireland's Kate O'Connor claimed women's pentathlon silver with a final points total of 4,742, 79 behind Finland's champion Saga Vanninen.

The first gold of the championship was won by Italy's Andy Diaz Hernandez, who took the men's triple jump title with a 17.80m leap.

South Korea's Woo Sang-hyeok won men's high jump gold with a clearance over 2.31m, while Canada's Sarah Mitton produced a best throw of 20.48m for women's shot put gold.