The Tokyo World Championships were held at the Japanese National Stadium from September 13 to 21, 2025, in warm and humid conditions. The exceptional performances were greeted by an impressive crowd, averaging 56-58,000 fans a night and 17-20,000 fans during the day. This was the first global sports event in Japan after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, which did not allow fans into the Japan Olympic Stadium.
We are examining the federations sponsored by Nike (USA, Kenya, Canada, Germany, China, United Kingdom, and Uganda) and providing readers of RunBlogRun with an overview of those nine superb days and nights of track and field in Tokyo. NIKE sponsored the coverage of RunBlogRun in Tokyo 2025, USATF Outdoor 2025, and NIKE Pre Classic 2025. We are grateful for their support of the sport and RunBlogRun.
China Takes Four Medals in Tokyo 2025 (Two Silver, Two Bronze)!
China takes 4 medals in Tokyo!
One of the remarkable stories in global athletics is the growth of the People’s Republic of China in technical events, particularly in jumps, throws, and sprints.
Tokyo 2025 was a less-than-spectacular year for the PRC, but that could also be just an anomaly.
Zhaozhao Wang, CHN, took the silver in the Men’s 20k Race walk, on a challenging course, on a hot, humid day, in 1:18:43, just 8 seconds behind Caio Bonfim, BRA, who took gold in 1:18:35. Paul McGrath, ESP, took the bronze in 1:18:45.
Men’s 20k Race Walk, photo by World Athletics/Tokyo 2025
Jie Zhao took the silver in the Women’s Hammer Throw. Jie Zhao threw 77.60 meters, a PB. To set a PB in a World Champs means that the athlete has had the ‘perfect storm’ in a competition. Cam Rogers of Canada took the gold, with a world-leading 80.51m!
Jiale Zhang, CHN, bronze, Zhao Jie, CHN, silver, W hammer throw, Tokyo 2025, photo by World Athletics
Yuhao Shi, CHN, took the bronze in the long jump. Yuhao Shi has an incredible story. Yuhao was injured five years prior to Tokyo (2020), and it took five years of solid rehab and work to get him to the Tokyo World Champs! Yuhao Shi also achieved a season’s best!
Shi Yuhao takes bronze, LJ, Tokyo 2025, photo by World Athletics
In a brutal long jump, Mattia Furlani, ITA, the youngest ever LJ gold medalist dropped a 8.39m leap to take gold from 2017 champion Tajay Gayle, JAM, who leaped 8.34m. Yuhao Shi, CHN, leaped 8.33m, to his delight.
In a post-event interview, I learned, that during his rehab, adidas China sponsored Yuhao Shi for those hard five years, for which he was very grateful!
Jiale Zhang won the bronze medal in the Women’s Hammer Throw in Tokyo. Jiale threw 77.10 meters for the bronze medal, giving China the silver and bronze.
Jiale Zhang, CHN, bronze, Zhao Jie, CHN, silver, W hammer throw, Tokyo 2025, photo by World Athletics
One ponders how far the PRC has come in track & field. One of the first USA-China meetings was held in May 1975, when China, fielding a team, was just learning about the global sport. Their tremendous improvements, and some of the fine stars that have come from China do not get as much respect as they should from the global audience. This writer, who attended Beijing 2008, and Bejing 2015, can not wait to visit the Bird’s Nest for Beijing 2027!
Just how good will Team China be in 2027?
Stay tuned!
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