Canada’s world and Olympic champion Camryn Rogers to chase more history in Tokyo
Four best US throwers in history pose strong threat
World record-holder Anita Wlodarczyk making her 12th appearance at a global championships
World and Olympic champion Camryn Rogers has a chance to become the first Canadian to win back-to-back individual world titles when she steps into the hammer cage at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025.
Already a history maker, in 2023 Rogers became the first Canadian woman to win a global throws title, and only the second Canadian woman to win gold at the World Championships. Then at the 2024 Olympics she became the first Canadian woman in 96 years to win gold in track and field.
Rogers has enjoyed a strong 2025 campaign, winning nine of her 10 competitions, topped by her 78.88m national record at the Prefontaine Classic, putting her at fifth on the world all-time list.
She sits second on the world list, though, behind USA’s Brooke Andersen’s world-leading 79.29m. The 2022 world champion is one of just three women in history to have thrown beyond 80 metres. After placing 25th in qualifying at the 2023 World Championships, then missing out on making the US Olympic team in 2024, Anderson is looking to make amends in Tokyo
Andersen’s teammate DeAnna Price, the 2019 world champion and 2023 bronze medallist, won the US title with 78.53m, her best throw for four years. She also sits one place above Andersen on the world all-time list with her North American record of 80.31m.
The US team is completed by Janee’ Kassanavoid, the 2023 world silver medallist and 2022 bronze medallist, and major championships debutante Rachel Richeson who has added four metres to her PB this year with 78.80m.
There is no greater hammer thrower than Poland’s Anita Włodarczyk, a four-time world champion, triple Olympic champion, and world record-holder with 82.98m. Now aged 40, she remains competitive on the global stage. She finished fourth at the 2023 World Championships, and she replicated that finish at this year’s Prefontaine Classic, where she produced her season’s best of 74.70m.
China’s Olympic bronze medallist Zhao Jie recently won the World University Games title, having set a PB of 76.60m earlier in the season. She’s joined by teammate Zhang Jiale, who has smashed the world U20 record this year with 77.24m.
Finnish duo Krista Tervo and Silja Kosonen have exchanged national records this year, throwing 77.14m and 77.07m respectively. They finished fifth and sixth at the Olympic Games last year, so will be keen to make it on to the podium in Tokyo.
Denmark’s Katrine Koch Jacobsen and Romania’s Bianca Florentina, both Olympic finalists last year, are also among the contenders in Tokyo.
Michelle Katami for World Athletics
AloJapan.com