BEIJING—In the women’s 1500 meters, America’s Jennifer Simpson was in medal contention with 600 meters to go when another runner clipped her shoe from behind, taking out of the race the reigning Diamond League champion, defending world silver medalist and 2011 gold medalist in that event.  So it goes for the U.S. track team at the 2015 worlds. On Tuesday, the team failed to medal in any of five finals. Through four days of competition, Team USA, long accustomed to sitting atop the track-and-field medal table, sat in sixth place.  The disappointment was especially keen in the women’s 1500 meters and the men’s 400 meter hurdles. Going into this meet, the question seemed to be how much hardware the U.S. would take home in each of those events. The U.S. squad originally fielded four athletes apiece in those races, the maximum allowed, including veteran medal-winners.  Michael Tinsley, the reigning Olympic silver medalist and winner of the prestigious Diamond League circuit title in the 400 meter hurdles last year, toppled several hurdles in Tuesday’s final, finishing in last place.  Jeff Henderson had come into Beijing with the three best long jumps in the world this season, but fouled twice on Tuesday to finish ninth. In the men’s 800 meters, an event in which an American won silver in the last world championships, the U.S. this year failed to advance anyone to the final.  Americans were longshots in the women’s discus throw, with Whitney Ashley and Gia Lewis-Smallwood each fouling one of their throws and finishing in 9th and 11th places, respectively.  In all, the U.S. had won six medals and only one gold at these world championships, with five days of competition remaining. After Tuesday, Kenya sat atop the medal table with nine, including the addition of two golds on Tuesday in the 800 and the 400 meter hurdles.  In a post on Twitter on Tuesday evening, Michael Johnson, the 1990s-era Olympic gold medalist, wrote “US team need to turn it around quick! Competition management has been atrocious with multiple event favorites failing to advance to final!”  Jill Geer, a spokeswoman for USA Track & Field, said it was clear the Americans hadn’t had their best day but added the team can still turn it around in the coming days. Americans still have medal hopes in sprinters Justin Gatlin and Allyson Felix, who advanced through preliminary and semifinal rounds of the 200 and 400 meters, respectively, on Tuesday night.  Other results on Tuesday were more predictable. Kenyan David Rudisha took the gold in the 800 meters, while Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia won the women’s 1500. Both are the reigning world record holders in those events. Greg Rutherford of Great Britain, the reigning Olympic champion, won gold in the long jump.  Nicholas Bett of Kenya ran a world-leading 47.79 seconds in the 400 meter hurdles, a new world-leading time, to take the win in that event.  As the crowd at the Bird’s Nest here celebrated, to great applause, a long jump bronze by hometown favorite Jianang Wang, Americans reflected on their dismal evening in the belly of the stadium.  “Tonight wasn’t a fair fight, and it’s no fault of mine or whatever, but it’s still unlucky,” said Simpson, 29, who cut up the bottom of her bare foot in losing her shoe. “I didn’t get a fair shot to try to podium, but that’s sports.”  Write to Sara Germano at sara.germano@wsj.com
A lost shoe and clipped hurdles drop America to sixth place at the world track and field championships.