World Athletics Championships

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World Athletics Championships
StatusActive
GenreWorld championships
Athletics
Date(s)varying
Frequencybiennial
Countryvarying
Inaugurated1983 (1983)
Previous event2023
Next event2025
Organised byWorld Athletics
Websiteworldathletics.org

The World Athletics Championships (until 2019 known as the IAAF World Championships in Athletics) are a biennial athletics competition organized by World Athletics (formerly IAAF, International Association of Athletics Federations). Alongside the Olympic Games, they represent the highest level championships of senior international outdoor athletics competition for track and field athletics globally, including marathon running and race walking. Separate World Championships are held by World Athletics for certain other outdoor events, including cross-country running and half-marathon, as well as indoor and age-group championships.

The World Championships were started in 1976 in response to the International Olympic Committee dropping the men's 50 km walk from the Olympic programme for the 1976 Montreal Olympics, despite its constant presence at the games since 1932. The IAAF chose to host its own world championship event instead, a month and a half after the Olympics.[1][2] It was the first World Championships that the IAAF had hosted separately from the Olympic Games (traditionally the main championship for the sport).

A second limited event was held in 1980, and the inaugural championships in 1983, with all the events, is considered the official start of the competition. Until 1980, the Olympic champions were also considered as reigning World champions.[citation needed]

The championships were sponsored by Qatari Airways, owned by the Qatari government as part of Qatar's soft power policy.[3][4]

At their debut, these championships were then held every four years, until 1991 when they switched to a two-year cycle.[5]

History[edit]

The idea of having an Athletics World Championships was around well before the competition's first event in 1983. In 1913, the IAAF decided that the Olympic Games would serve as the World Championships for athletics. This was considered suitable for over 50 years until in the late 1960s the desire of many IAAF members to have their own World Championships began to grow. In 1976 at the IAAF Council Meeting in Puerto Rico an Athletics World Championships separate from the Olympic Games was approved.

Following bids from both Stuttgart, West Germany and Helsinki, Finland, the IAAF Council awarded the inaugural competition to Helsinki, to take place in 1983 and be held in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium (where the 1952 Summer Olympics had been held).

Two IAAF world championship events preceded the inaugural edition of the World Championships in Athletics in 1983. The 1976 World Championships had just one event – the men's 50 kilometres walk which was dropped from the Olympic programme for the 1976 Summer Olympics and the IAAF responded by setting up their own contest. Four years later, the 1980 World Championships contained only two newly approved women's events, (400 metres hurdles and 3000 metres), neither of which featured on the programme for the 1980 Summer Olympics.[6][7]

Over the years the competition has grown in size. In 1983 1,333 athletes from 153 countries participated.[8] By the 2003 competition, in Paris, it had grown to 1,679 athletes from 198 countries with coverage being transmitted to 179 countries.

There has also been a change in composition over the years, with several new events, all for women, being added. By 2005, the only differences were men's competition in the 50 km walk, and equivalent events in women's 100 m hurdles and heptathlon to men's 110 m hurdles and decathlon.

The following list shows when new events were added for the first time.

Championships[edit]

Edition Year City Country Date Venue Capacity Events Nations Athletes Top of the medal table
1976 Malmö  Sweden 18 Sep Malmö Stadion 30,000 1 20 42  Soviet Union
1980 Sittard  Netherlands 14 – 16 Aug De Baandert 22,000 2 22 42  East Germany
1st 1983 Helsinki  Finland 7 – 14 Aug Olympiastadion 50,000 41 153 1,333  East Germany
2nd 1987 Rome  Italy 28 Aug – 6 Sep Stadio Olimpico 60,000 43 156 1,419  East Germany
3rd 1991 Tokyo  Japan 23 Aug – 1 Sep National Stadium 48,000 43 162 1,491  United States
4th 1993 Stuttgart  Germany 13 – 22 Aug Neckarstadion 70,000 44 187 1,630  United States
5th 1995 Gothenburg  Sweden 5 – 13 Aug Ullevi 42,000 44 190 1,755  United States
6th 1997 Athens  Greece 1 – 10 Aug Olympiako Stadio 75,000 44 197 1,785  United States
7th 1999 Seville  Spain 20 – 29 Aug Estadio de La Cartuja 70,000 46 200 1,750  United States
8th 2001 Edmonton  Canada 3 – 12 Aug Commonwealth Stadium 60,000 46 189 1,602  Russia
9th 2003 Paris  France 23 – 31 Aug Stade de France 78,000 46 198 1,679  United States
10th 2005 Helsinki  Finland 6 – 14 Aug Olympiastadion 45,000 47 191 1,687  United States
11th 2007 Osaka  Japan 24 Aug – 2 Sep Yanmar Stadium Nagai 45,000 47 197 1,800  United States
12th 2009 Berlin  Germany 15 – 23 Aug Olympiastadion 74,000 47 200 1,895  United States
13th 2011 Daegu  South Korea 27 Aug – 4 Sep Daegu Stadium 65,000 47 199 1,742  United States
14th 2013 Moscow  Russia 10 – 18 Aug Luzhniki Stadium 78,000 47 203 1,784  United States
15th 2015 Beijing  China 22 – 30 Aug Beijing National Stadium 80,000 47 205 1,761  Kenya
16th 2017 London  Great Britain 4 – 13 Aug London Stadium 60,000 48 199 1,857  United States
17th 2019 Doha  Qatar 27 Sep – 6 Oct Khalifa International Stadium 48,000 49 206 1,775  United States
18th 2022 Eugene  United States 15 – 24 Jul Hayward Field 25,000 49 180 1,705  United States
19th 2023 Budapest  Hungary 19 – 27 Aug National Athletics Centre 36,000 49 202 2,187  United States
20th 2025 Tokyo  Japan 13 – 21 Sep Japan National Stadium 68,000
21st 2027 Beijing  China

All-time medal table[edit]

Updated after the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 United States195134114443
2 Kenya655848171
3 Russia425248142
4 Jamaica406148149
5 Germany393648123
6 Ethiopia353831104
7United Kingdom Great Britain334048121
8Soviet Union Soviet Union23272878
9 China22262775
10 Cuba22251663
11East Germany East Germany21191656
12 Poland20202565
13 Australia15161445
14 Czech Republic155828
15 France14192356
16 Italy13182051
17 Ukraine12151643
18 Morocco1212933
19 South Africa127827
 Sweden127827
21 Norway126624
22 Spain11191646
23 Canada11181746
24 Belarus10111233
25 Bahamas99826
26 Japan891835
27 Bahrain83314
28 Netherlands791228
29 Finland78823
30 Portugal77923
31 Uganda72413
32 Greece671225
33 Algeria62311
34 New Zealand6118
35 Romania581225
36 Bulgaria53816
37 Qatar52411
38Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia44311
39 Croatia44210
40 Colombia4329
41 Dominican Republic4217
42 Ireland4206
43 Switzerland4059
44 Venezuela4015
Authorised Neutral Athletes Authorised Neutral Athletes[1]38112
45West Germany West Germany36312
46 Trinidad and Tobago35715
47 Mexico34714
48 Lithuania3339
49 Ecuador3216
50 Grenada3126
51 Mozambique3115
52 Denmark3014
53 Brazil26816
54 Estonia26210
55 Belgium22711
56 Slovenia2237
57 Peru2103
 Tajikistan2103
59 Nigeria15511
60 Namibia1416
61 Kazakhstan1359
62 Turkey1304
63 Botswana1214
64 Zambia1203
65 Burkina Faso1113
 India1113
 Tunisia1113
68 Eritrea1102
 Panama1102
70 Saint Kitts and Nevis1045
71 Serbia1034
 Slovakia1034
73 Barbados1023
 Syria1023
75 Senegal1012
 Somalia1012
77 North Korea1001
78 Hungary07815
79 Ivory Coast0415
80 Israel0325
81 Puerto Rico0314
82 Burundi0213
 Djibouti0213
84 Cameroon0202
85 Austria0134
86 Bosnia and Herzegovina0112
 Cyprus0112
 Ghana0112
 Latvia0112
 Philippines0112
 South Korea0112
 Sri Lanka0112
 Suriname0112
 Tanzania0112
95 Bermuda0101
 British Virgin Islands0101
 Egypt0101
 Pakistan0101
 Sudan0101
100 American Samoa0011
 Cayman Islands0011
 Dominica0011
 Haiti0011
 Iran0011
 Saudi Arabia0011
 Zimbabwe0011
Totals (106 entries)8788848802642
Notes

^[1]  ANA is the name under which Russian athletes competed in the 2017 and 2019 Championships. Their medals were not included in the official medal table.[9][10]

All-time placing table[edit]

In the IAAF placing table the total score is obtained from assigning eight points to the first place and so on to one point for the eight placed finalists. Points are shared in situations where a tie occurs. However, the IAAF site shows all points rounded to the nearest integer.

Updated after the 2022 Championships[11]

Rank Country 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 4 5 6 7 8 Medals Points
1  United States 183 125+1= 103+2= 77+5= 90+3= 84+3= 74+2= 80+4= 414 4240.5
2  Germany[a] 63 61 65+2= 78+2= 66+2= 61+2= 53+5= 45+1= 191 2347.5
3  Russia[b] 45 54+6= 47+2= 56+2= 39+3= 43+2= 35+1= 40+1= 154 1771.5
4  Kenya 62 55 44 48 40 28 47 21 161 1744
5  Jamaica 37 56 43+1= 34 31 29 31 24 137 1418.5
6 United Kingdom Great Britain 31 37 43 43+2= 50+1= 34+1= 31+1= 21 111 1381
7  Ethiopia 33 34 28 26 21 18 20 20 95 998
8  China 22 25+1= 25 20 34+1= 21+1= 21 24+1= 73 879
9  France 14 18 21+2= 27 28+2= 31+1= 24+1= 32+1= 55 804.1
10  Poland 20 17+1= 21+4= 23+1= 24 22+2= 27 21+2= 63 794.8
11  Soviet Union 23 25+2= 28 21+1= 17 12 11 17+1= 78 793
12  Cuba 22 23+1= 13+1= 33 10+2= 17+1= 23 19 60 757.5
13  Italy 12 15+1= 19 15 17+2= 24+1= 32+2= 30+2= 47 642.5
14  Spain 7 17+1= 15+1 19 20 24 18 20 41 580
15  Ukraine 11 12+2= 16 19 21 16+1= 21+1= 9 41 561.6
Notes

Multiple winners[edit]

Boldface denotes active athletes and highest medal count among all athletes (including these who not included in these tables) per type.

Men[edit]

All events[edit]

Rank Athlete Country Events From To Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Usain Bolt  Jamaica 100 m / 200 m / 4 × 100 m relay 2007 2017 11 2 1 14
2 LaShawn Merritt  United States 400 m / 4 × 400 m relay 2005 2015 * 8 * 3 * 11 *
3 Carl Lewis  United States 100 m / 200 m / 4 × 100 m relay / Long jump 1983 1993 8 1 1 10
4 Michael Johnson  United States 200 m / 400 m / 4 × 400 m relay 1991 1999 8 8
5 Mo Farah United Kingdom Great Britain 5000 m / 10,000 m 2011 2017 6 2 8
6 Noah Lyles  United States 100 m / 200 m / 4 × 100 m relay 2019 2023 6 1 7
7 Sergey Bubka  Soviet Union
 Ukraine
Pole vault 1983 1997 6 6
8 Jeremy Wariner  United States 400 m / 4 × 400 m relay 2005 2009 5 1 6
9 Kenenisa Bekele  Ethiopia 5000 m / 10,000 m 2003 2009 5 1 6
Lars Riedel  Germany Discus throw 1991 2001 5 1 6

* including one medal in the relay event in which he participated in the heats only

Individual events[edit]

Rank Athlete Country Events From To Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Usain Bolt  Jamaica 100 m / 200 m 2007 2017 7 1 1 9
2 Mo Farah United Kingdom Great Britain 5000 m / 10,000 m 2011 2017 6 2 8
3 Sergey Bubka  Soviet Union
 Ukraine
Pole vault 1983 1997 6 6
Michael Johnson  United States 200 m / 400 m 1991 1999 6 6
5 Carl Lewis  United States 100 m / 200 m / Long jump 1983 1993 5 1 1 7
6 Kenenisa Bekele  Ethiopia 5000 m / 10,000 m 2003 2009 5 1 6
Lars Riedel  Germany Discus throw 1991 2001 5 1 6
8 Paweł Fajdek  Poland Hammer throw 2013 2022 5 5
9 Ezekiel Kemboi  Kenya 3000 m steeplechase 2003 2015 4 3 7
10 Haile Gebrselassie  Ethiopia 5000 m / 10,000 m 1993 2003 4 2 1 7

Women[edit]

All events[edit]

Rank Athlete Country Events From To Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Allyson Felix  United States 200 m / 400 m / 4 × 100 m relay /
4 × 400 m relay / 4 × 400 m mixed relay
2005 2022 ** 14 ** 3 3 ** 20 **
2 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce  Jamaica 100 m / 200 m / 4 × 100 m relay 2007 2023 10 * 5 * 1 * 16 *
3 Gail Devers  United States 100 m / 100 m hurdles / 4 × 100 m relay 1991 2001 5 3 8
4 Sanya Richards-Ross  United States 400 m / 4 × 400 m relay 2003 2015 5 2 7
5 Jessica Beard  United States 4 × 400 m relay / 4 × 400 m mixed relay 2009 2019 *** 5 *** * 1 * **** 6 ****
Tirunesh Dibaba  Ethiopia 5000 m / 10,000 m 2003 2017 5 1 6
Natasha Hastings  United States 4 × 400 m relay 2007 2017 **** 5 **** 1 **** 6 ****
8 Shericka Jackson  Jamaica 100 m / 200 m / 400 m /
4 × 100 m relay / 4 × 400 m relay
2015 2023 4 4 3 11
9 Jearl Miles Clark  United States 400 m / 4 × 400 m relay 1991 2003 4 3 2 9
10 Faith Kipyegon  Kenya 1500 m / 5000 m 2015 2023 4 2 6

* including one medal in the relay event in which she participated in the heats only
** including two medals in the relay events in which she participated in the heats only
*** including three medals in the relay events in which she participated in the heats only
**** including four medals in the relay events in which she participated in the heats only

Individual events[edit]

Rank Athlete Country Events From To Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce  Jamaica 100 m / 200 m 2009 2023 6 1 1 8
2 Tirunesh Dibaba  Ethiopia 5000 m / 10,000 m 2003 2017 5 1 6
3 Gail Devers  United States 100 m / 100 m hurdles 1991 2001 4 2 6
Faith Kipyegon  Kenya 1500 m / 5000 m 2015 2023 4 2 6
5 Allyson Felix  United States 200 m / 400 m 2005 2017 4 1 2 7
6 Valerie Adams (Vili)  New Zealand Shot put 2005 2013 4 1 5
Vivian Cheruiyot  Kenya 5000 m / 10,000 m 2007 2015 4 1 5
Liu Hong  China 20 km walk 2009 2019 4 1 5
9 Jackie Joyner-Kersee  United States Heptathlon / Long jump 1987 1993 4 4
Brittney Reese  United States Long jump 2009 2017 4 4
Yulimar Rojas  Venezuela Triple jump 2017 2023 4 4
Anita Włodarczyk  Poland Hammer throw 2009 2017 4 4

Multiple medalists[edit]

There are 44 athletes (18 men and 26 women) that have won at least 6 medals.[11]

Athletes with most appearances[edit]

There are 71 athletes (37 men and 34 women) that have competed in at least eight editions.[11]

App. Name Country Years contested Events
13 Jesús Ángel García Bragado  Spain 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 19 50 km walk
João Vieira  Portugal 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23 20 km walk / 35 km walk / 50 km walk
11 Susana Feitor  Portugal 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11 10 km walk / 20 km walk
Inês Henriques  Portugal 01, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23 20 km walk / 35 km walk / 50 km walk
Bat-Ochiryn Ser-Od  Mongolia 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23 Marathon
10 Franka Dietzsch  Germany 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09 Discus throw
Nicoleta Grasu  Romania 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13 Discus throw
Virgilijus Alekna  Lithuania 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13 Discus throw
Kim Collins  Saint Kitts and Nevis 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 15 100 m / 200 m / 4x100 m
Mélina Robert-Michon  France 01, 03, 07, 09, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23 Discus throw
Allyson Felix  United States 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22 200 m / 400 m / 4x100 m / 4x400 m / 4x400 m mixed
9 Laverne Eve  Bahamas 87, 91, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07 Javelin throw
Tim Berrett  Canada 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07 20 km walk / 50 km walk
Jackie Edwards  Bahamas 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07 Long jump / Triple jump
Maria Mutola  Mozambique 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07 800 m
Elisângela Adriano  Brazil 91, 93, 97, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11 Shot put / Discus throw
Venelina Veneva-Mateeva  Bulgaria 91, 95, 99, 01, 03, 05, 09, 11, 15 High jump
Danny McFarlane  Jamaica 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09 400 m / 400 m hurdles / 4x400 m
Hatem Ghoula  Tunisia 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 13 20 km walk
Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie  Bahamas 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 07, 09, 11, 13 100 m / 200 m / 4x100 m
Nicola Vizzoni  Italy 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13 Hammer throw
Chris Brown  Bahamas 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15 400 m / 4x400 m
Zhang Wenxiu  China 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17 Hammer throw
Andrés Chocho  Ecuador 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23 20 km walk / 35 km walk / 50 km walk
Gong Lijiao  China 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23 Shot put
Donald Thomas  Bahamas 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23 High jump
8 Merlene Ottey  Jamaica /  Slovenia 83, 87, 91, 93, 95, 97, 03, 07 100 m / 200 m / 4x100 m
Jan Železný  Czechoslovakia /  Czech Republic 87, 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03 Javelin throw
Yelena Nikolayeva  Soviet Union /  Russia 87, 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05 10 km walk / 20 km walk
Fiona May  Great Britain /  Italy 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05 Long jump
Beverly McDonald  Jamaica 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05 100 m / 200 m / 4x100 m
Lars Riedel  Germany 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05 Discus throw
Dragutin Topić  SFR Yugoslavia / IWP * /
 FR Yugoslavia /  Serbia and Montenegro /  Serbia
91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 05, 07, 09 High jump
Iryna Yatchenko  Soviet Union /  Belarus 91, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 07, 09 Discus throw
Eunice Barber  Sierra Leone /  France 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07 Heptathlon / Long jump / 100 m hurdles
Kevin Sullivan  Canada 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07 1500 m
Manuel Martínez  Spain 93, 95, 97, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09 Shot put
Steffi Nerius  Germany 93, 95, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09 Javelin throw
Amy Acuff  United States 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09 High jump
Chandra Sturrup  Bahamas 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09 100 m / 200 m / 4x100 m
Aleksander Tammert  Estonia 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09 Discus throw
María Vasco  Spain 95, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11 10 km walk / 20 km walk
Koji Murofushi  Japan 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 07, 11, 13 Hammer throw
Szymon Ziółkowski  Poland 95, 99, 01, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13 Hammer throw
Marlon Devonish  Great Britain 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11 100 m / 200 m / 4x100 m
Nadine Kleinert  Germany 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11 Shot put
Sergey Makarov  Russia 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11 Javelin throw
Ēriks Rags  Latvia 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11 Javelin throw
Roman Šebrle  Czech Republic 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11 Decathlon
Omar Zepeda  Mexico 97, 01, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 17 20 km walk / 50 km walk
Mario Pestano  Spain 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13 Discus throw
Félix Sánchez  Dominican Republic 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13 400 m hurdles / 4x400 m
Bouabdellah Tahri  France 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13 1500 m / 3000 m steeplechase
Zoltán Kővágó  Hungary 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 15, 17 Discus throw
Ruth Beitia  Spain 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17 High jump / 4x100 m
Gerd Kanter  Estonia 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17 Discus throw
Ezekiel Kemboi  Kenya 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17 3000 m steeplechase
Churandy Martina  Netherlands Antilles /  Netherlands 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 19 100 m / 200 m / 4x100 m
Zuzana Hejnová  Czech Republic 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 400 m hurdles / 4x400 m
Horacio Nava  Mexico 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 20 km walk / 50 km walk
Krisztián Pars  Hungary 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 Hammer throw
Martyn Rooney  Great Britain 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 400 m / 4x400 m / 4x400 m mixed
Levern Spencer  Saint Lucia 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 High jump
Dragana Tomašević  Serbia and Montenegro /  Serbia 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 Discus throw
Renny Quow  Trinidad and Tobago 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 23 400 m / 4x400 m
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce  Jamaica 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 19, 22, 23 100 m / 200 m / 4x100 m
Liu Hong  China 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 19, 22, 23 20 km walk
Bianca Ghelber (Perie)  Romania 07, 09, 11, 13, 17, 19, 22, 23 Hammer throw
Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal  Norway 07, 09, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23 1500 m / 5000 m / 3000 m steeplechase
Andriy Protsenko  Ukraine 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23 High jump
Kimberly Williams  Jamaica 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23 Triple jump

* At the 1993 World Championships in Athletics in Stuttgart, Germany, Dragutin Topić competed as an Individual World Championship Participant (IWP) as Athletic Federation of Yugoslavia was suspended by IAAF due to United Nations sanctions stemming from the Yugoslav wars.

World records[edit]

A total of 36 world records have been set or equalled at the competition: 18 by men, 15 by women, and 3 in the mixed relay.

The first world record to be set at the World Championships was by Jarmila Kratochvílová of Czechoslovakia, who ran 47.99 seconds to win the 1983 women's 400 m final.

A peak of five world records came at the 1993 Championships.

The most recent world record was in the Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay in 2023, when the US team set a time of 3:08.80. World records have become less common as the history of the event has expanded, with no world records set in the 1997, 2001, 2007 or 2013 editions.

American athletes have been the most successful with fifteen world records, followed by Jamaica and Great Britain on four each. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt has broken the most world records at the competition, at four, while American Carl Lewis set three. Jonathan Edwards holds the distinction of breaking the world record twice in one championships: improving upon his own newly-set world record in the 1995 men's triple jump final. The men's 4 × 100 metres relay has yielded the most world records, with five set between 1983 and 2011.

Ben Johnson's time of 9.83 seconds at the 1987 World Championships men's 100 m final was initially considered to be a world record, but this was rescinded in 1989 after Johnson admitted to steroid use between 1981 and 1988.

Also, the 2009 Jamaican men's 4 × 100 metres relay team time of 37.31 seconds was retrospectively recognised to as the world record after the team's time of 37.10 at the 2008 Olympics was rescinded after the disqualification of Nesta Carter (who was not present in the World Championships team).

Sex Event Record Athlete Nation Date Year
Men 4 × 100 metres relay 37.86 Emmit King
Willie Gault
Calvin Smith
Carl Lewis
 United States (USA) 10 August 1983
Women 400 metres 47.99 Jarmila Kratochvílová  Czechoslovakia (TCH) 10 August 1983
Women High jump 2.09 m Stefka Kostadinova  Bulgaria (BUL) 30 August 1987
Men 100 metres 9.86 Carl Lewis  United States (USA) 25 August 1991
Men Long jump 8.95 m Mike Powell  United States (USA) 30 August 1991
Men 4 × 100 metres relay 37.50 Andre Cason
Leroy Burrell
Dennis Mitchell
Carl Lewis
 United States (USA) 1 September 1991
Men 110 metres hurdles 12.91 Colin Jackson United Kingdom Great Britain (GBR) 20 August 1993
Men 4 × 100 metres relay 37.40 Jon Drummond
Andre Cason
Dennis Mitchell
Leroy Burrell
 United States (USA) 21 August 1993
Men 4 × 400 metres relay 2:54.29 Andrew Valmon
Quincy Watts
Butch Reynolds
Michael Johnson
 United States (USA) 22 August 1993
Women 400 metres hurdles 52.74 Sally Gunnell United Kingdom Great Britain (GBR) 19 August 1993
Women Triple jump 15.09 m Anna Biryukova  Russia (RUS) 21 August 1993
Men Triple jump 18.16 m Jonathan Edwards United Kingdom Great Britain (GBR) 7 August 1995
Men Triple jump 18.29 m Jonathan Edwards United Kingdom Great Britain (GBR) 7 August 1995
Women 400 metres hurdles 52.61 Kim Batten  United States (USA) 11 August 1995
Women Triple jump 15.50 m Inessa Kravets  Ukraine (UKR) 10 August 1995
Men 400 metres 43.18 Michael Johnson  United States (USA) 26 August 1999
Women Pole vault 4.60 m Stacy Dragila  United States (USA) 21 August 1999
Men 20 kilometres race walk 1:17:21 Jefferson Pérez  Ecuador (ECU) 23 August 2003
Men 50 kilometres race walk 3:36:03 Robert Korzeniowski  Poland (POL) 27 August 2003
Women Pole vault 5.01 m Yelena Isinbaeva  Russia (RUS) 12 August 2005
Women Javelin throw 71.70 m Osleidys Menéndez  Cuba (CUB) 14 August 2005
Women 20 kilometres race walk 1:25:41 Olimpiada Ivanova  Russia (RUS) 7 August 2005
Men 100 metres 9.58 Usain Bolt  Jamaica (JAM) 16 August 2009
Men 200 metres 19.19 Usain Bolt  Jamaica (JAM) 20 August 2009
Men 4 × 100 metres relay 37.31 Steve Mullings
Michael Frater
Usain Bolt
Asafa Powell
 Jamaica (JAM) 22 August 2009
Women Hammer throw 77.96 m Anita Włodarczyk  Poland (POL) 22 August 2009
Men 4 × 100 metres relay 37.04 Nesta Carter
Michael Frater
Yohan Blake
Usain Bolt
 Jamaica (JAM) 4 September 2011
Men Decathlon 9,045 pts Ashton Eaton  United States (USA) 29 August 2015
Women 50 kilometres race walk 4:05:56 Inês Henriques  Portugal (POR) 13 August 2017
Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay 3:12.42 Tyrell Richard
Jessica Beard
Jasmine Blocker
Obi Igbokwe
 United States (USA) 28 September 2019
Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay 3:09.34 Wilbert London III
Allyson Felix
Courtney Okolo
Michael Cherry
 United States (USA) 29 September 2019
Women 400 metres hurdles 52.16 Dalilah Muhammad  United States (USA) 4 October 2019
Women 400 metres hurdles 50.68 Sydney McLaughlin  United States (USA) 22 July 2022
Women 100 metres hurdles 12.12 Tobi Amusan  Nigeria (NGR) 24 July 2022
Men Pole vault 6.21 m Armand Duplantis  Sweden (SWE) 24 July 2022
Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay 3:08.80 Justin Robinson
Rosey Effiong
Matthew Boling
Alexis Holmes
 United States (USA) 19 August 2023

See also[edit]

Notes and references[edit]

  1. ^ Matthews, Peter (2012). Historical Dictionary of Track and Field (pg. 217). Scarecrow Press (eBook). Retrieved on 8 September 2013.
  2. ^ IAAF Statistics Book Moscow 2013 Archived 9 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine (pg. 179). IAAF/AFTS (2013). Edited by Mark Butler. Retrieved on 9 September 2013.
  3. ^ "A global map of Qatar's sponsorships in sports". www.playthegame.org. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  4. ^ "How Qatar Became a World Leader in Sportswashing". Journal of Democracy. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Two years from now, in 2025, the next heated battle will take place in Tokyo | News | Tokyo 25 | World Athletics Championships". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  6. ^ IAAF World Championships in Athletics. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 8 September 2013.
  7. ^ Archive of Past Events. IAAF. Retrieved on 8 September 2013.
  8. ^ "First World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki a landmark for track & field." Usatf.org. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  9. ^ "IAAF World Championships London 2017 Medal Table". worldathletics.org.
  10. ^ "IAAF World Championships DOHA 2019 Medal Table". worldathletics.org.
  11. ^ a b c "World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 – Statistical Booklet". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 10 August 2023.

External links[edit]