World Athletics Championships 2025: 38 world champions will travel to Tokyo for title defence.

With the track and field’s top athletes having made it to the finals of the World Athletics championships in Budapest, Hungary, two years ago, the Tokyo edition (September 13–21) will be a crucial event for the competition, as they seek to win back their titles.

(Image Credit to the L.A Times via Associated Press: Matthias Schrader/AP)

The level of competition in Tokyo is expected to be very high with 38 gold medalists, while the events that are certain to crown a new champion—due to the confirmed absence of the 2023 world champions—are only three.

The absence of the world record holder in the 5000m and 10,000m, Joshua Cheptegei from Uganda, who won gold in the 10,000m two years ago, Álvaro Martín from Spain, who won the double in both the 20km and 35km race walk, as well as Amane Beriso from Ethiopia, the fastest woman in the marathon will make an appearance in Tokyo. Moreover, Australia’s Nina Kennedy has pulled out of the World Championships due to injury, despite being on the entry lists. Following her absence from the Paris Olympics, she had previously shared the pole vault title with American Katie Moon in Budapest.

The world record holders Armand Duplantis of Sweden (pole vault), Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela (triple jump), Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine (high jump), Karsten Warholm of Norway (400m hurdles), Ryan Crouser of the USA (shot put) and Faith Kipyegon of Kenya (1500m) are the most prominent contenders for crowns. Due to the intense competition in the 100m and 200m events, American sprinter Noah Lyles is expected to make an impressive debut.

Naturally, among the 38 Budapest champions, Miltiadis Tentoglou from Greece, who won two Olympic gold medals, is determined to win this medal, coming off a rather difficult season with minor injuries.

Article written by Ioanna Ntontsef