World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025, Tokyo 25.
Team USA's Melissa Jefferson-Wooden's season can be viewed as nothing less than perfect and she punctuated her campaign with statement wins in the women's 100m and 200m in Tokyo. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics)

25 Moments from the 2025 World Athletics Championships

The pinnacle of a long 2025 track and field season found a triumphant end in Tokyo as new champions were crowned, others boosted their legendary status and some nations hung symbols of pride alongside gold, silver and bronze hardware.

If it were finally time to transfer ownership of the track and field campaign over to fall major marathons and road races, the outstanding display of competition from Japan National Stadium left fans of the sport eager for another glimpse of greatness at the highest level.
2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo
Canada’s Evan Dunfee had the honor of winning the first gold at world championships — and his first title — after dramatic win in the men’s 35km race walk on Day 1 of competition. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics)
World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025
Team USA’s Ryan Crouser battled injuries all year and made his only appearance — in Tokyo — worth it as he won the men’s shot put on Day 1 of action. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics)
Tokyo World Championships 2025
Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir surged late in the women’s marathon on Day 2 and won gold in 2:24:43. Afterward she embraced Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, who finished second in 2:24:45. (Photo by Dan Vernon for World Athletics)
World Athletic Championships Tokyo 2025
Jamaica’s Oblique Seville found glory and gold on Day 2 after an electric upset in the men’s 100m final in a 9.77 personal best as he took down rivals like Team USA’s Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek and his own teammate Kishane Thompson. (Photos by Christel Saneh for World Athletics)
World Athletics Tokyo 2025
Team USA’s Tara-Davis Woodhall’s grabbed the title as the long jump queen with a 7.13m world-leading leap to seal the championship on Day 2. (Photo by Christel Saneh for World Athletics)
World Athletics Championships 2025
Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis needed his final attempt on Day 3 of competition to grab the men’s pole vault gold in a world record 6.30m — his 14th — world as he continues to push the boundaries of the event. (Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics)
World Athletics Championships 2025
Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu kicked off Day 3 with a dramatic win in the men’s marathon in 2:09:48 after outlasting Germany’s Amanal Petros, who leaped at the finish line and triggered a photo finish. (Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics)
Tokyo WCH 2025
Canada’s Camryn Rogers was simply dominant in the women’s hammer throw final, clearing 80.51m for the world lead, Canadian national record and securing the gold with her second attempt on Day 3. (Photo by Dan Vernon for World Athletics)
World Athletics Championships 2025
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon stormed to a monumental win in the women’s 1,500m in 3:52.15 on Day 4 — her FOURTH world title. (Christel Saneh for World Athletics)
WCH 2025 Tokyo
Team USA’s Cordell Tinch surged to a 12.99 win in the men’s 110m hurdles on Day 4 as he powered his way to victory with a final lean. (Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics)
WCH 2025 Tokyo
Kenya’s Faith Cherotich found victory in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase on Day 5 in a course record 8:51.59 at Japan National Stadium. (Photo by Dan Vernon for World Athletics)
In a dramatic finish, that came down to the final attempts, Team USA’s Katie Moon won the women’s pole vault with a 4.90m height after trading blows with teammate Sandi Morris in a battle for the gold on Day 5. (Photo courtesy of World Athletics)
World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025
Team USA’s Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone set an American record in the women’s 400m days earlier in Tokyo and lowered her own mark to 47.78, which was also a meet record and second fastest all-time on her way to gold on Day 6. (Christel Saneh for World Athletics)
World Athletics Championships 2025
Botswana’s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi soared to the gold in the men’s 400m on Day 6 — slicing through the driving rain in a world leading 43.53.
Tokyo WCH 2025
Team USA’s Noah Lyles took gold in a stacked men’s 200m in 19.52 on Day 7 and tied Usain Bolt as the only men to win four world golds in the 200m. (Photo by Dan Vernon for World Athletics)
World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025, Tokyo 25.
The Netherlands’ successfully defended her world title in the women’s 400m hurdles on Day 7 with a world lead 51.52 to take the gold. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics)
World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025, Tokyo 25.
Spain’s María Pérez came to Tokyo to handle business and left with two golds after winning the women’s 20km race on Day in a 1:25:54 season’s best to pair with her 35km title win on the first day of a competition. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics)
Tokyo WCH 2025
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet brought the crowd at Japan National Stadium to a collective roar as she stormed to the gold in the women’s 5,000m in 14:54.36 on Day 8. (Photo by Dan Vernon for World Athletics)
World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025, Tokyo 25.
Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi brought the drama in the mens 800m as he won gold in 1:41.86 — a championship record — and holding on to a narrow lead late down the stretch on Day 8. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics)
World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025, Tokyo 25.
Team USA’s Cole Hocker showed what earned him Olympic gold in Paris last year as he catapulted himself to the win in the men’s 5,000m on Day 9 in 12:58.30. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics)
The final competitive appearance of Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce came on Day 8 in the women’s 4x100m final with Jamaica taking silver. (Photo by Diogo Cardoso for World Athletics)
World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025, Tokyo 25.
Despite the rain, Team USA’s passes were smooth as TeeTee Terry, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Kayla White and Richardson were unstoppable in a 41.75 gold medal stunner on Day 9 in the women’s 4x100m relay. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics)
World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025, Tokyo 25.
In performance that echoed their female counterparts, Team USA’s men were all business in the 4x100m relay on Day 9, taking golf in a 37.29 world lead — with Christian Coleman, Courtney Lindsey, Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles in full control.(Photo by Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics)
Tokyo and Japan National Stadium utilized the packed nine days of competition as a point of redemption after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were staged in an empty venue in 2021 at the height of the pandemic. (Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics)

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