Athletics: Rating the NZ performances at the world athletics championships

Zoe Hobbs during the semifinals of the women's 100m at the World Athletics Championships. Photosport

Bigger didn't equate to better for the New Zealand team at the world athletics championships, which finish today in Eugene, Oregon.

Of the record squad of 20 athletes New Zealand took to the pinnacle event, seven qualified for semifinals or finals.

There were highlights — most notably the record-setting feats of sprinters Zoe Hobbs and Eddie Osei-Nketia — but no New Zealand medals for just the second time since the 2003 world championships.

Tom Walsh came closest to the podium, finishing fourth in the shot put. He and fellow former shot put champion Valerie Adams ensured New Zealand featured on the medal table at seven of the previous eight world championships.

Adams, a World Athletics council member, was in Eugene, where she was handing out medals rather than winning them. Among two of the stars who received their golds from Adams were Australian javelin thrower Kelsey-Lee Barber and Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas.

Barber won by almost three metres to become the first woman to successfully defend the javelin, while Rojas won by more than half a metre to clinch her third straight world title.

As impressive as those and other achievements were, they were overshadowed by American Sydney McLaughlin's extraordinary run in the 400m hurdles on Saturday, the highlight of these world championships and one of the great all-time track and field performances.

She won in 50.68s, smashing her own world record by almost three-quarters of a second with a time fast enough to finish seventh in the 400m final half an hour earlier and almost a second faster than the New Zealand 400m record of 51.60s set by Kim Robertson 42 years ago.

Surprise 1500m champion Jake Wightman of Britain probably enjoyed the most memorable medal ceremony, though. He received his gold from World Athletics president and English middle distance legend Sebastian Coe after being announced on to the podium by father Geoff, working as a stadium announcer.

New Zealand's top six performers at the world championships:

1 Zoe Hobbs: Continued her stellar season by breaking the 100m national record — for the fifth time since December — and also the Oceania record when she clocked 11.08s to finish second in her heat. Backed that up with 11.13s in the semifinals to rank 14th overall. The 11s barrier beckons, which would move her into world-class territory.

2 Eddie Osei-Nketia: Broke the 28-year-old 100m national record set by father Gus Nketia when he ran 10.08s in his heat. Clocked 10.29s in his semifinal to finish 22nd overall. Given that achievement, it's perplexing he wasn't selected to run next week at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, where 15 of his world championship teammates are competing.

3 Tom Walsh: Struggling to find his best form but still finished fourth in the shot put final, the nearest New Zealand got to a medal, clearing 22.08m. Was denied a place on the podium when American Josh Awotunde improved his personal best by 29cm to 20.29m to claim the bronze.

4 Maddi Wesche: Again showed a great temperament for the big occasion by smashing her personal best by 40cm to place seventh in the shot put final with 19.50m, 27cm off the podium. That followed her sixth at last year's Tokyo Olympics, where she also produced personal bests in both qualifying and the final.

5 Jacko Gill: Again in Walsh's shadow but produced a creditable 21.40m, 18cm below his personal best, to place seventh, continuing his consistent run of placing seventh, eighth or ninth at the last four world championships and two Olympics. He and Walsh are a good chance to both be on the Birmingham podium.

6 Portia Bing: The former heptathlete clocked 55.72s in her 400m hurdles heat to advance as one of the fastest non-automatic qualifiers. Improved slightly to 55.53m for sixth in her semifinal, finishing 20th overall.