The World Athletics Championships 2025 are ready to begin in Tokyo, Japan, and some of the biggest names in the sport will be battling for global titles over nine exciting days. The event starts on Saturday. For Great Britain, Olympic champions and medal winners from Paris 2024 will look to bring home more success, while international stars like Noah Lyles, Armand Duplantis, and Faith Kipyegon aim to add to their legendary status. With prize money of $8.5 million up for grabs and a $100,000 bonus for world records, the competition promises drama, speed, and unforgettable moments.
Global Superstars to Watch
American sprinter Noah Lyles is chasing his third straight world 100m gold. After winning the Olympic 100m final by just five-thousandths of a second in Paris, he will try to defend three world titles at the World Athletics Championships 2025. His challengers include Kenneth Bednarek, this year’s fastest man, Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville, and Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo.
On the women’s side, Julien Alfred made history at the Paris Olympics by winning St Lucia’s first-ever medal, a gold in the 100m, followed by silver in the 200m. She will again target both sprints in Tokyo during the World Athletics Championships 2025. The event will also see Jamaica’s sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who has 24 global medals, competing in what could be her final championship. Unfortunately, Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas is out with injury.
Sweden’s pole vault star Armand Duplantis recently broke the world record for the 13th time and will be aiming for his fifth global gold. He may also go for a new height above 6.30m, which would earn him the record bonus at the World Athletics Championships 2025. Distance-running great Faith Kipyegon is another favorite, having already won seven global golds. She is expected to dominate the women’s 1500m yet again.
Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen has been dealing with injury issues but is determined to finally win the 1500m world title at the World Athletics Championships 2025 after being beaten in the last two championships by British rivals Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman. Belgian heptathlon star Nafi Thiam will compete against Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson as she seeks her sixth global title.
With Tokyo’s extreme summer heat expected to cross 30°C, endurance events like the marathon and distance races will be extra challenging for the athletes. For fans in the UK, morning sessions will air overnight, while evening sessions in Tokyo will run from late morning to early afternoon British time during the World Athletics Championships 2025.
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Great Britain’s Medal Hopes
Team GB is sending a strong squad full of Olympic medal winners to the World Athletics Championships 2025. The biggest hope is Keely Hodgkinson, the Olympic 800m champion. Despite missing over a year of competition after her gold, the 23-year-old has returned in top form. Just last month, she ran the fastest time of the year in Silesia and followed it up with another win in Lausanne. She is considered the favorite for gold in Tokyo. Joining her in the 800m are Olympic 1500m bronze medalist Georgia Hunter Bell, who switched focus from the 1500m, and Jemma Reekie.
Britain’s defending world champions, Josh Kerr (men’s 1500m) and Katarina Johnson-Thompson (heptathlon), will both try to hold onto their titles at the World Athletics Championships 2025. Matthew Hudson-Smith is another big name, looking to upgrade from his past three global podiums to gold in the men’s 400m.
The British relay teams, which earned five of the country’s 10 medals in Paris, will once again be a major focus at the World Athletics Championships 2025. The women’s 4x100m team features sprint stars Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita, and Amy Hunt, all medal contenders in their individual events as well. On the men’s side, Zharnel Hughes, who won world bronze last year, will compete in both the 100m and 200m, joined by world indoor 60m champion Jeremiah Azu.
In the women’s 400m, rising star Amber Anning, who finished fifth in Paris, will take on American superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who has switched from hurdles to the flat race. In field events, Molly Caudery (pole vault) and Morgan Lake (high jump) are strong medal contenders, with Lake recently clearing the 2m mark for the first time. Max Burgin in the men’s 800m and Emile Cairess in the marathon also have podium chances.
Other names to watch from Britain at the World Athletics Championships 2025 include George Mills (5,000m record holder), Laura Muir (1500m veteran), and Charlie Dobson (400m rising star). With depth across track and field, plus five relay squads, Team GB is aiming to match or even improve on its recent medal tallies.
Britain’s Recent Success and Tokyo’s Challenge
At the Paris Olympics last year, Great Britain delivered its best athletics performance in 40 years, winning 10 medals, five of which came from relays. That followed their joint-best ever World Championships haul of 10 medals in 2023. With stars like Hodgkinson, Kerr, Hudson-Smith, and Johnson-Thompson leading the charge, GB has strong hopes of another successful outing at the World Athletics Championships 2025.
Tokyo, meanwhile, is hosting its first major global sporting event since the postponed 2020 Olympics, which were held without fans due to the pandemic. This time, the Japan National Stadium will welcome thousands of supporters, creating a lively stage for the athletes. The combination of extreme heat, world-class competition, and high stakes makes the World Athletics Championships 2025 one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year.
For nine days, the world’s best runners, jumpers, and throwers will put everything on the line for medals, pride, and history. With a mix of experienced champions and new stars, the World Athletics Championships 2025 promises to be a thrilling chapter in athletics.
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