Record Number of Nations Claim Medals at World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25
TOKYO – Teh World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 witnessed an unprecedented display of global participation and achievement, with a record 53 countries securing medals - surpassing all previous championships. This marks a important milestone in the sport’s growing international reach and competitiveness.
The championships, which concluded recently, saw athletes from 74 nations finish within the top eight, and a total of 1992 athletes representing 193 countries and the Athlete Refugee Team compete. This broad depiction underscores a shift in the landscape of elite athletics, moving beyond traditional powerhouses and fostering a more inclusive global sporting community.
A total of 20 countries claimed gold medals, with Africa securing 10 golds from 3 nations, Europe taking 12 golds from 8 countries, North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) leading with 22 golds from 5 countries, Oceania earning 3 golds from 2 countries, and South America achieving 2 golds from 2 countries. Silver medals were awarded to athletes from 28 countries, while 34 countries earned bronze.
Beyond the medal count, the championships were punctuated by a flurry of record-breaking performances. Mondo Duplantis of Sweden set a new world record in the men’s pole vault with a leap of 6.30m, also claiming a championship record. A total of nine championship records fell, including remarkable performances from Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA) in the women’s 100m (10.61), Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) in the women’s 400m (47.78), and Faith Cherotich (KEN) in the women’s 3000m steeplechase (8:51.59).
In addition to world and championship records, nine area records were broken, and 62 national records were established. Athletes achieved 22 world-leading performances and an impressive 210 personal bests throughout the competition.
The performance rankings placed Tokyo 2025 at the top with a score of 197279, followed by Eugene 2022 (196796) and Budapest 2023 (196643).
