World Athletics Championships
The World Athletics Championships are a biennial athletics competition organized by World Athletics (formerly IAAF, International Association of Athletics Federations). 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 separate 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 considered as reigning World Champions. At their debut, these championships were then held every four years, until 1991, when they switched to a two-year cycle since.
| World Athletics Championships | |
|---|---|
| Status | active |
| Genre | World Championships Athletics |
| Date(s) | varying |
| Frequency | biennial |
| Country | varying |
| Inaugurated | 1983 |
| Previous event | 2019 |
| Next event | 2022 |
| Organised by | World Athletics |
| Website | www |
History
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.[3][4]
Over the years the competition has grown in size. In 1983 an estimated 1,300 athletes from 154 countries participated.[5] By the 2003 competition, in Paris, it had grown to 1,907 athletes from 203 countries with coverage being transmitted to 179 different 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.
- 1987, women's 10,000 m and 10 km walk were added.
- 1993, women's triple jump was added.
- 1995, women's 3,000 m was replaced by the 5000 m.
- 1999, women's pole vault and hammer were added and the women's 20 km walk replaced the 10 km walk.
- 2005, women's 3000 m steeplechase was added.
- 2017, women's 50 km walk was added.
- 2019, mixed 4 × 400 m relay was added.
Championships
All-time medal table
Updated after the 2019 World Athletics Championships.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States | 170 | 117 | 94 | 381 |
| 2 |  Kenya | 60 | 50 | 41 | 151 |
| 3 |  Russia | 43 | 52 | 48 | 143 |
| 4 |  Germany | 38 | 36 | 47 | 121 |
| 5 |  Jamaica | 35 | 49 | 43 | 127 |
| 6 |  Great Britain & Northern Ireland | 30 | 36 | 38 | 104 |
| 7 |  Ethiopia | 29 | 30 | 26 | 85 |
| 8 |  Soviet Union | 23 | 27 | 28 | 78 |
| 9 |  Cuba | 22 | 24 | 14 | 60 |
| 10 |  East Germany | 21 | 19 | 16 | 56 |
| 11 |  China | 19 | 25 | 23 | 67 |
| 12 |  Poland | 19 | 15 | 25 | 59 |
| 13 |  Czech Republic | 15 | 5 | 5 | 25 |
| 14 |  France | 13 | 18 | 23 | 54 |
| 15 |  Australia | 12 | 14 | 10 | 36 |
| 16 |  South Africa | 12 | 7 | 8 | 27 |
| 17 |  Italy | 11 | 16 | 17 | 44 |
| 18 |  Ukraine | 11 | 13 | 15 | 39 |
| 19 |  Morocco | 10 | 12 | 8 | 30 |
| 20 |  Belarus | 10 | 11 | 12 | 33 |
| 21 |  Sweden | 9 | 6 | 6 | 21 |
| 22 |  Norway | 9 | 4 | 4 | 17 |
| 23 |  Bahamas | 8 | 9 | 8 | 25 |
| 24 |  Spain | 7 | 18 | 14 | 39 |
| 25 |  Finland | 7 | 8 | 7 | 22 |
| 26 |  Bahrain | 7 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| 27 |  Canada | 6 | 14 | 16 | 36 |
| 28 |  Japan | 6 | 7 | 16 | 29 |
| 29 |  Portugal | 6 | 7 | 9 | 22 |
| 30 |  Algeria | 6 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 31 |  New Zealand | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 32 |  Romania | 5 | 8 | 11 | 24 |
| 33 |  Greece | 5 | 6 | 11 | 22 |
| 34 |  Netherlands | 5 | 5 | 9 | 19 |
| 35 |  Bulgaria | 5 | 3 | 8 | 16 |
| 36 | Czechoslovakia | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 37 |  Croatia | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| 38 |  Qatar | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 39 |  Colombia | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
 Uganda | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 | |
| 41 |  Ireland | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 42 |  Switzerland | 4 | 0 | 4 | 8 |
| – | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Authorised Neutral Athletes[1] | 3 | 8 | 1 | 12 |
| 43 | West Germany | 3 | 6 | 3 | 12 |
| 44 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 3 | 5 | 7 | 15 |
| 45 |  Mexico | 3 | 4 | 7 | 14 |
| 46 |  Lithuania | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 47 |  Ecuador | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
 Mozambique | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| 49 |  Denmark | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 50 |  Estonia | 2 | 6 | 2 | 10 |
| 51 |  Dominican Republic | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 52 |  Tajikistan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 53 |  Grenada | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
 Venezuela | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 55 |  Brazil | 1 | 6 | 6 | 13 |
| 56 |  Namibia | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| 57 |  Turkey | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 58 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Belgium | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 59 |  Zambia | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 60 |  Slovenia | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 61 |  Tunisia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 62 |  Botswana | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
 Eritrea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
 Panama | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 65 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| 66 |  Slovakia | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 67 |  Syria | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 68 |  Senegal | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
 Somalia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 70 |  Barbados | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 North Korea | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 72 |  Hungary | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| 73 |  Nigeria | 0 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 74 |  Ivory Coast | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 75 |  Kazakhstan | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 76 |  Burundi | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
 Djibouti | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
 Israel | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 79 |  Cameroon | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
 Puerto Rico | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 81 |  Austria | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 82 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Cyprus | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
 Ghana | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
 Latvia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
 Sri Lanka | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
 Suriname | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
 Tanzania | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 89 |  Bermuda | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Egypt | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Sudan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 92 |  Serbia | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 93 |  American Samoa | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Burkina Faso | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Cayman Islands | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Dominica | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Haiti | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 India | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Iran | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Saudi Arabia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 South Korea | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Zimbabwe | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (102 nations) | 779 | 787 | 781 | 2347 | |
- 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.[8]
All-time placing table
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 2017 Championships[9]
| Rank | Country |  |  |  | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Medals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 155 | 106+1= | 88+2= | 64+5= | 79+3= | 66+3= | 67 | 65+4= | 352 | 3600 |
| 2 | Germany[a] | 60 | 61 | 60+2= | 74+2= | 64+1= | 59+1= | 51+5= | 42+1= | 183 | 2246.5 |
| 3 | Russia[b] | 46 | 51+5= | 46+3= | 55+2= | 44+3= | 44+2= | 36+1= | 41 | 151 | 1772 |
| 4 | Kenya | 55 | 48 | 37 | 42 | 35 | 23 | 42 | 16 | 140 | 1517 |
| 5 | Great Britain | 28 | 33 | 38 | 37+2= | 45+1= | 30+1= | 27+1= | 21 | 99 | 1229 |
- Notes
- ^[a] including points earned by athletes from East Germany (510 pts) and West Germany (191.5 pts) at the 1976, 1980, 1983 and 1987 Championships.
- ^[b] including points earned by Authorised Neutral Athletes (55.5 pts) at the 2017 Championships.
Multiple medalists
Multiple winners
Boldface denotes active athletes and highest medal count among all athletes (including these who not included in these tables) per type.
All events
| 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 | Great Britain | 5000 m / 10,000 m | 2011 | 2017 | 6 | 2 | – | 8 |
| 6 | Sergey Bubka | Soviet Union Ukraine | Pole vault | 1983 | 1997 | 6 | – | – | 6 |
| 7 | Jeremy Wariner | United States | 400 m / 4 × 400 m relay | 2005 | 2009 | 5 | 1 | – | 6 |
| 8 | Kenenisa Bekele | Ethiopia | 5000 m / 10,000 m | 2003 | 2009 | 5 | – | 1 | 6 |
| Lars Riedel | Germany | Discus throw | 1991 | 2001 | 5 | – | 1 | 6 | |
| 10 | Maurice Greene | United States | 100 m / 200 m / 4 × 100 m relay | 1997 | 2001 | 5 | – | – | 5 |
* including one medal in the relay event in which he participated in the heats only
Individual events
| 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 | 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 | Ezekiel Kemboi | Kenya | 3000 m steeplechase | 2003 | 2015 | 4 | 3 | – | 7 |
| 9 | Haile Gebrselassie | Ethiopia | 5000 m / 10,000 m | 1993 | 2003 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 10 | Hicham El Guerrouj | Morocco | 1500 m / 5000 m | 1995 | 2003 | 4 | 2 | – | 6 |
All events
| 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 | 2019 | 13 * | 3 | 2 | 18 * |
| 2 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | 100 m / 200 m / 4 × 100 m relay | 2007 | 2019 | 9 | 2 * | – | 11 * |
| 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 | Jearl Miles Clark | United States | 400 m / 4 × 400 m relay | 1993 | 2003 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| 9 | 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 |
* including one medal in the relay event 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
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Events | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tirunesh Dibaba | Ethiopia | 5000 m / 10,000 m | 2003 | 2017 | 5 | 1 | – | 6 |
| 2 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | 100 m / 200 m | 2009 | 2019 | 5 | – | – | 5 |
| 3 | Gail Devers | United States | 100 m / 100 m hurdles | 1991 | 2001 | 4 | 2 | – | 6 |
| 4 | Allyson Felix | United States | 200 m / 400 m | 2005 | 2017 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| 5 | 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 | |
| 7 | Jackie Joyner-Kersee | United States | Heptathlon / Long jump | 1987 | 1993 | 4 | – | – | 4 |
| Brittney Reese | United States | Long jump | 2009 | 2017 | 4 | – | – | 4 | |
| Anita Włodarczyk | Poland | Hammer throw | 2009 | 2017 | 4 | – | – | 4 | |
| 10 | Liu Hong | China | 20 km walk | 2009 | 2019 | 3 | 2 | – | 5 |
Athletes with most appearances
There are 61 athletes that have competed in at least eight editions.[9]
| 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 |
| 11 | Susana Feitor | Portugal | 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11 | 10 km walk / 20 km walk |
| João Vieira | Portugal | 99, 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 | 20 km walk / 50 km walk | |
| 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 | |
| 9 | Laverne Eve | Bahamas | 87, 91, 95, 97, 99, 01, 03, 05, 07 | Javelin throw |
| Tim Berrett | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} 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 | |
| Inês Henriques | Portugal | 01, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 | 20 km walk / 50 km walk | |
| Allyson Felix | United States | 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 | 200 m / 400 m / 4x100 m / 4x400 m / 4x400 m Mixed | |
| Bat-Ochiryn Ser-Od |  Mongolia | 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 | Marathon | |
| 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 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} SFR Yugoslavia / IWP * /%253B_Flag_of_Serbia_and_Montenegro_(2003%E2%80%932006).svg.png.webp){kind=small} 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 | |
| Mélina Robert-Michon | France | 01, 03, 07, 09, 13, 15, 17, 19 | Discus throw | |
| Ruth Beitia | Spain | 03, 05, 07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17 | High Jump | |
| 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 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} 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 |
* At the 1993 World Championships in Athletics in Stuttgart, Germany, Dragutin Topić completed as 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
A total of 32 world records have been set or equalled at the competition, 17 by men, 13 by women and 2 – 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 women's 400 m final.
A peak of five world records came at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics. The most recent world record was in the Women's 400 metres hurdles, which Dalilah Muhammad of the United States finished in 52.16 second in 2019. World records have become less common as the history of the event has expanded, with no world records set in the 1997, 2001, 2007 and 2013 editions.
American athletes have been the most successful with thirteen world records set by that nation in total, followed by Jamaica and Great Britain on four each. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt has broken the most world records at the competition, at four, one more than American Carl Lewis. 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 a world record, but this was later rescinded after Johnson admitted to steroid use between 1981 and 1988.
Also, a doping disqualification has led to a performance being retrospectively recognised as a world record: the 2009 Jamaican men's 4 × 100 metres relay team time of 37.31 seconds was taken as the world record after the team's time of 37.10 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics was rescinded due to the disqualification of Nesta Carter (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 | Great Britain & N.I. (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 | Great Britain & N.I. (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 | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 7 August | 1995 |
| Men | Triple jump | 18.29 m | Jonathan Edwards | Great Britain & N.I. (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 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 |
See also
Notes and references
- Matthews, Peter (2012). Historical Dictionary of Track and Field (pg. 217). Scarecrow Press (eBook). Retrieved on 8 September 2013.
- IAAF Statistics Book Moscow 2013 (pg. 179). IAAF/AFTS (2013). Edited by Mark Butler. Retrieved on 9 September 2013.
- IAAF World Championships in Athletics. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 8 September 2013.
- Archive of Past Events. IAAF. Retrieved on 8 September 2013.
- "First World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki a landmark for track & field." Usatf.org. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
- Dates confirmed for World Athletics Championships Oregon 2022
- World Athletics Championships in Oregon moved to July in 2022
- "IAAF: IAAF World Championships London 2017 Medal Table - iaaf.org". iaaf.org.
- "IAAF Statistics Book – IAAF World Championships Doha 2019". iaaf.org. p. 48. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to World Championships in Athletics. |
- Official World Athletics site for World Championships
- Results of past World Championships
- Track and Field Results Almanac
- Top medalists from World Athletics Championships
- IAAF Statistics Book – IAAF World Championships London 2017
- IAAF Statistics Book – IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019
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