TOKYO — The 2025 World Athletics Championships is an opportunity for the globe’s best track and field stars to shine in the lead up to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Australia is sending its largest athletics contingent to Tokyo — including sprint sensation Gout Gout, distance star Jess Hull, and discus ace Matt Denny — for what promises to be an enthralling nine days of competition.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 World Athletics Championships, information on who is competing, and when, as well as how to watch all of the action in Australia.
The 2025 World Athletics Championships begin on Saturday, September 13 and conclude on Sunday, September 21, with more than 2,000 athletes from 200 nations competing for glory in track, field and road events.
This competition has been held biennially since 1991. The last edition was staged in Budapest in August, 2023.
The 2025 World Athletics Championships will take place in Tokyo, primarily at the Japan National Stadium. Road events, including the marathon and race walk, will be staged on courses around the city.
Tokyo beat out Nairobi, Singapore, and Chorzów to host these championships, the third time the nation has hosted the prestigious athletics event, following Tokyo in 1991 and Osaka in 2007.
The World Athletics Championships ranks alongside the Olympic Games as the highest level of global senior outdoor competition for track, field, marathon, and race walk athletes.
Competition at the World Athletics Championships features 12 track events, eight field events, the marathon, and 20km and 35km race walks for men and women, plus a mixed 4x400m relay. There is also the decathlon for men and heptathlon for women.
Morning sessions, beginning at approximately 8am local time (9am AEST) and running until 12:30pm (1:30pm AEST), are scheduled for September 13-15 and 20-21. Evening sessions will take place every night of the championships, running from approximately 7pm local time (8pm AEST) until 10:30pm (11:30pm AEST).
A comprehensive competition guide and schedule of events can be found HERE.
Where can I watch the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Australia?
The 2025 World Athletics Championships will be broadcast in Australia live and free on both Channel 9 and 9Now as well as SBS OnDemand and SBS Viceland in a confusing double act. Both broadcasters will show every qualification event, heat, and final throughout the championship in Tokyo.
SBS initially held the rights to the event, having struck an agreement with World Athletics at the beginning of the year. However, this deal was non-exclusive, allowing Japanese agency Dentsu to sell the rights to the Nine Network.
Gout Gout will compete for Australia in the men’s 200m. Valery HACHE / AFWho is on the Australian team for the 2025 World Athletics Championships?
A record 87 athletes will represent Australia at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, the nation’s largest team ever assembled for a global championship meet. Among them, emerging sprint superstar Gout Gout, reigning Olympic high jump silver medalist Nicola Olyslagers, middle-distance specialist Jess Hull, and discus star Matt Denny.
“We’ve witnessed a real shift, not just in performance, but in national relevance,” said Australian Athletics general manager of high performance, Andrew Faichney, following the team announcement. “This team reflects that change. They’re world class athletes with the results to match, but just as importantly, they’re carrying the momentum of a sport that has so much belief behind it.”
Here’s the full team that will represent Australia at the 2025 World Athletics Championships:
MEN
100m: Joshua Azzopardi, Rohan Browning
200m: Gout Gout, Calab Law, Aidan Murphy
400m: Reece Holder, Cooper Sherman
800m: Peter Bol, Peyton Craig, Luke Boyes
1500m: Cameron Myers, Jude Thomas, Adam Spencer
5000m: Ky Robinson, Jack Rayner, Seth O’Donnell
3000m Steeplechase: Ed Trippas
High Jump: Yual Reath, Brandon Starc, Roman Anastasios
Pole Vault: Kurtis Marschall
Long Jump: Liam Adcock, Christopher Mitrevski
Triple Jump: Connor Murphy
Discus Throw: Matt Denny
Javelin Throw: Cameron McEntyre
Marathon: Andrew Buchanan, Tim Vincent, Liam Boudin
20km Race Walk: Rhydian Cowley, Declan Tingay, Tim Fraser
35km Race Walk: Rhydian Cowley, Will Thompson, Mitchell Baker
4x100m Relay: Joshua Azzopardi, Jacob Despard, Christopher Ius, Calab Law, Rohan Browning, Connor Bond
4x400m Relay: Reece Holder, Cooper Sherman, Aidan Murphy, Thomas Reynolds, Terrell Thorne, Luke van Ratingen, Augustine Nketia Junior
WOMEN
100m: Bree Rizzo, Torrie Lewis, Ella Connolly
200m: Torrie Lewis, Mia Gross, Kristie Edwards
400m: Ellie Beer
800m: Abbey Caldwell, Claudia Hollingsworth, Jessica Hull
1500m: Sarah Billings, Linden Hall, Jess Hull
5000m: Rose Davies, Linden Hall, Georgia Griffith, Lauren Ryan
10,000m: Lauren Ryan, Isobel Batt-Doyle
100m Hurdles: Liz Clay
400m Hurdles: Sarah Carli, Alanah Yukich
3000m Steeplechase: Cara Feain-Ryan, Amy Cashin
High Jump: Nicola Olyslagers, Eleanor Patterson, Emily Whelan
Long Jump: Samantha Dale, Delta Amidzovski
Triple Jump: Desleigh Owusu
Discus Throw: Taryn Gollshewsky
Hammer Throw: Stephanie Ratcliffe, Lara Roberts
Javelin Throw: Mackenzie Little, Lianna Davidson
Marathon: Vanessa Wilson, Sarah Klein, Tara Palm
20km Race Walk: Rebecca Henderson, Elizabeth McMillen, Alexandra Griffin
35km Race Walk: Olivia Sandery, Rebecca Henderson, Allanah Pitcher
Heptathlon: Camryn Newton-Smith, Tori West
4x100m Relay: Ella Connolly, Kristie Edwards, Torrie Lewis, Bree Rizzo, Georgia Harris, Leah O’Brien
4x400m Relay: Ellie Beer, Alanah Yukich, Mia Gross, Carla Bull, Jemma Pollard, Sarah Carli, Amelia Rowe
Jess Hull competes in the 1500m final at the Wanda Diamond League in Zurich. Tim Clayton/Getty ImagesAre any notable Australian athletes not competing in Tokyo?
Sadly, Australia will be missing three of its top track and field performers in Japan. Reigning Olympic pole vault champion Nina Kennedy, star race walker Jemima Montag, and sprint specialist Lachlan Kennedy will all miss these world championships due to suffering untimely injuries.
Kennedy, who was looking to defend the pole vault world title she jointly won with American Katie Moon in Budapest two years ago, has been plagued by injury all year. She looked to have finally overcome ongoing hamstring troubles, before suffering another leg strain a week out from the meet commencing.
Montag, the dual bronze medalist from Paris last summer, is set to undergo surgery on a troublesome hamstring of her own, while Kennedy, the national record holder over 60m, is dealing with a stress fracture in his back.
Has Australia ever won gold at the World Athletics Championships?
Australia has won 15 gold, 16 silver, and 14 bronze medals across the first 19 editions of the World Athletics Championships to rank 13th on the all-time medal tally. Cathy Freeman, Jana Pittman, Kelsey-Lee Barber, and Sally Pearson are the nation’s only multiple gold medal winners.
Here’s every gold medal Australia has won at the World Athletics Championships:
Nina Kennedy – Women’s pole vault (Budapest, 2023)
Eleanor Patterson – Women’s high jump (Oregon, 2022)
Kelsey-Lee Barber – Women’s javelin (Doha, 2019 & Oregon, 2022)
Sally Pearson – Women’s 100m hurdles (Daegu, 2011 & London, 2017)
Dani Samuels – Women’s discus (Berlin, 2009)
Steve Hooker – Men’s pole vault (Berlin, 2009)
Nathan Deakes – Men’s 50km race walk (Osaka, 2007)
Jana Pittman – Women’s 400m hurdles (Paris, 2003 & Osaka, 2007)
Dmitri Markov – Men’s pole vault (Edmonton, 2001)
Cathy Freeman – Women’s 400m (Athens, 1997 & Seville, 1999)
Robert De Castella – Men’s marathon (Helsinki, 1983)
AloJapan.com