Final Day Report – World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025
The curtain came down on the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo with a night of drama, records, and history-making moments. Rain poured throughout the evening, but it could not dampen the performances as athletes produced unforgettable highlights: Nicola Olyslagers soared to high jump gold, Noah Lyles anchored the USA to a storming 4x100m relay win, Botswana stunned the world in the men’s 4x400m, and Lilian Odira delivered a shock 800m triumph in the fastest championship race ever. It was a fitting finale to a championship that blended tradition, breakthrough performances, and emotional farewells.
Women's High Jump Final
Nicola Olyslagers from Australia cleared 2.00m in rainy conditions to win her first world outdoor gold medal in the women’s high jump. Olyslagers claimed her second world title this year following her win at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing.
Olyslagers had a clean sheet until her winning height winning on countback ahead of Poland’s Maria Zodzik, who improved her PB to 2.00m on her third attempt.
Nicola Olyslagers: “This was pure joy, even in the rain. I have seen many bars fall off by that small amount, but when it stays on what else could you say but: ‘Thank you God’. High jump is a bit of luck, but tonight was so special. I had so much fun this year.”
Defending champion and world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchik from Ukraine shared the bronze medal with European silver medallist Angelina Topic from Serbia with 1.97m. Both Yulia Levchenko from Ukraine and Eleanor Patterson finished fifth with 1.97m on countback.
Men’s 4x100 relay final:
Four-time world 200 metres champion Noah Lyles anchored the US team to win in the 4x100 relay in a world leading time of 37.29 in heavy rain, setting the fifth fastest time in history. Lyles won his third medal at these championships following gold in the 200 metres and bronze in the 100 metres. The team formed by Christian Coleman, Kenny Bednarek, Courtney Lindsey and Noah Lyles took the USA to 16 gold medals and a total of 26 medals at these championships. Lyles took his tally of world titles to eight in his career. He is aiming to become the first athlete to win five world titles in the 200 metres in two years at the next edition of the World Championships.
The United States’ time of 37.29 was the third fastest winning time in the men’s 4x100m in World Championships history. It was also a Japanese all-comers’ record and stadium record, surpassing the United States’ 37.50 from Tokyo in 1991, a world record at the time.
Noah Lyles: “We all know we are the fastest. We just had to get the baton from start to finish. When Christian passed the baton, I knew it was a done deal. I saw the lead we had and it was kind of a relief as everybody did such a great job. I just had to finish the race. They made it easy for me. I could have not asked for a better relay.”
Canada formed by Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brandon Rodney and André De Grasse won the world silver medal in 37.55 one year after claiming the Olympic title in Paris.
The Netherlands took third place in a national record of 37.81.
Women’s 4x100 relay final:
The US team successfully defended the world title in the women’s 4x100 relay two years after their triumph in Budapest 2023. The quartet formed by Twanisha Terry, Kayla White, Melissa Jefferson Wooden and Sha’Carri Richardson crossed the finish-line in 41.75 four hundredths of a second ahead of Jamaica, who finished second in 41.79. Jefferson Wooden claimed her third world title at these championships.
Jefferson-Wooden (USA) becomes just the second woman after Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) in 2013 to complete the sprint treble at the World Championships.
Melissa Jefferson Wooden: “It was raining really hard but it was raining for all of us. My goal was to be disciplined while running and do the exchange. It’s crazy to be going home with three gold medals. I add my name to the history books: I am right where I want to be.”
Jamaican sprint legend Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce clocked 11.32 on the opening leg to win the 17th world medal of her career in the final race of her career. She won ten world gold medals including five 100m titles in 2009, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2022. The Jamaican team also featured twins Tia and Tina Clayton and Jonielle Smith.
Gina Luckenkemper anchored Germany to bronze medal in 41.87. The British team featuring Dina Asher Smith, 200m world silver medallist Amy Hunt, Desirée Henry and Daryl Neita placed fourth in 42.07 ahead of Spain (42.47), France (42.81) and Canada (42.82).
Men’s 4x400 relay final:
Botswana claimed the gold medal in the men’s 4x400 relay in 2:57.76 holding off the USA by seven hundredths of a second in a thrilling head-to-head battle. Olympic and world 400m hurdles champion Raj Benjamin maintained the lead for most of the final leg, but 400m world champion Collen Kebinatshipi caught the US athlete in the final stages to cross the finish-line first earning Botswana the first world gold medal in the 4x400 relay one year after the Olympic silver in Paris in an African record of 2:54.53. Benjamin held on to win silver in 2:57.83, the same time as South Africa.
Botswana becomes the first African winners of the men’s 4x400m in World Championships history.
Letsile Tebogo: “This gold medal makes up for my individual non medal performances. I am grateful to my teammates and to our coach. We came here to become world champions. It took a lot of courage for me. I am really happy for sharing this medal with these guy. The coach told me I will probably have the fastest split and I knew what I had to do.”
Women’s 4x400 relay:
The US team formed by Isabella Whittaker, Lynna Irby Jackson, Aalyah Butler and Sydney McLaughlin Levrone won the women’s 4x400 relay final setting a championship record of 3:16.61. World 400m champion McLaughlin Levrone ran the anchor leg in 47.82 to break the previous record of 3:16.71 set by a US team at the World Championships in Stuttgart 1993.
The US won their 11th gold medal in the women’s 4x400 relay in the history of the World Championships.
Sydney McLaughlin Levrone. “When you have great teammates as I have, it's amazing. My last lap felt like a victory lap for us. I just wanted to finish strong because you never know who is behind, chasing you. It was just an incredible race.”
Last year’s NCAA champion Nickiha Pryce anchored Jamaica to silver medal in 3:19.25 with a final leg in 48.50. World 400m hurdles champion Femke Bol anchored the Netherlands to the bronze medal in 3:20.18. Bol achieved a full medal collection at these championships winning gold in the 400m hurdles, silver in the mixed 4x400 relay and bronze in the women’s 4x400.
Femke Bol: “We worked hard to be able to do this and we have a great team around us to help us achieve our goals.”
Women’s 800 metres:
Lilian Odira from Kenya came through to win a surprising world gold medal in a championship record of 1:54.62. Georgia Hunter Bell from Great Britain won the silver medal in a PB of 1:54.90 edging her teammate Keely Hodgkinson by one hundredth of a second in a very close finish. For the first time three women have broken 1:55 and five athletes broke the 1:56 barrier in the same race.
Defending champion Mary Moraa led after the first lap with Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson closely behind. Hodgkinson moved past on the inside with 200 metres to go. Moraa started to fade in the home straight. Hodgkinson and Hunter Bell battled in the final 100 metres and it looked like a British double but Odira found an extra gear and surged past Hodgkinson and Hunter Bell in the final metres to break a long-standing championship record set by Czech Jarmila Kratochvilova at the first edition of the World Championships in Helsinki 1983.
Lilian Odira: "This is my first world championships and I am really grateful to be leaving it as the world champion. It has been a long time coming. The 800m is always very tactical. The first lap today was very fast. I knew I had to push on the second one. It was so quick. I was paying attention to what was happening with other runners. I was just following the pace of the race. I managed to have the most powerful finish and I got lucky to be going home with a gold medal."
Hunter Bell edged past Hodgkinson by just one hundredth of a second to win the silver medal in a PB of 1:54.90. Hodgkinson reached the podium adding bronze to her collection which includes her silver medals in Eugene 2022 and Budapest 2023.
Both Hunter Bell and Hodgkinson are coached by Trevor Painter and his wife Jennifer Meadows.
Georgia Hunter Bell: “I am so happy. I ran the fastest time I have ever run. I knew it would be fast from seeing the girls in the field out”.
Hodgkinson was sidelined by two torn harmstrings until five weeks before the World Championships, but she made a successful comeback by winning two back-to-back Diamond League races in Silesia and Lausanne.
World under 20 champion Sarah Moraa, cousin of Mary Moraa, finished fourth setting her PB of 1:55.74. Sage Hurta Klecker improved her lifetime best to 1:55.96 to take fifth place. Audrey Werro from Switzerland, winner at the Diamond League final in Zurich in front of her home fans, finished sixth setting the second fastest time of her career with 1:56.17. Mary Moraa placed seventh in a seasonal best of 1:57.10.
Men’s 5000 metres final:
Olympic 1500 metres champion Cole Hocker won the world gold medal in the 5000 metres in 12:58.30 ahead of Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli, who claimed the world silver medal in 12:58.78. Jimmy Gressier from France finished third in 12:59.33 clinching his second medal at these championships following his win in the 10000 metres. Ky Robinson placed fourth in 12:59.61 ahead of Biniam Mehary (12:59.95). Jakob Ingebrigtsen finished 10th in 13:02.00. Hagos Gebrhiwet crossed the finish-line in 13th place in his 10th appearance at a global championship in 13:07.02.
Cole Hocker: “I wanted to end the championships on my terms, especially after how I prepared all year for this. I was robbed in the 1500m after being disqualified. I knew that I had the opportunity, that I had the legs to take the field. Our last 5 km champion Bernard was someone I grew up watching.”
Hocker was disqualified from the semifinals in the 1500 metres six days ago, but he bounced back from this disappointment to win his first major title in the 5000 metres. Hocker becomes the second US man to win the 5000m world title since 2007, when Bernard Lagat triumphed in Osaka.
US distance runners Grant Fisher and Nico Young tried to stretch the field out after a slow start. Hagos Gebrhiwet led the field through the halfway mark in 6:32.76. Fisher regained the lead and went through the 3000m mark in 7:56.22 ahead of Gebrhiwet and Mehary.
Ingebrigrigtsen moved to the lead as the pace slowed.with less than 2000 metres to go.
Ethiopian 18-year-old rising star Biniam Mehary went to the front with one lap to go. Kimeli and Balew were close behind. Gressier moved into the lead with 200 metres to go.
Mehary was the first to take the initiative, but Hocker launched his kick with 200 metres to go, while he was back in fifth place. Kimeli entered the home straight with a slight lead over Hocker, who launched his kick in the home straight to take a thrilling win.
Men’s decathlon (second day)
Leo Neugebauer from Germany won the world gold medal with a seasonal best 8804 points. Neugebauer becomes the third German winner of the decathlon title at the World Championships after Torsten Voss (GDR) in 1987 and Niklas Kaul in 2019.
Overnight leader Kyle Garland held on to his lead in the men’s decathlon after eight events on day two.
Garland was sixth overall in the 110 metres hurdles in 14.30 to maintain his lead. Ayden Owens, fourth at the World Championships in Eugene 2022, clocked the fastest time with 13.65 to move to second place in the overall standings.
World and European indoor champion Sander Skotheim hit the fifth hurdle, lost the balance and was disqualified for knocking down the sixth hurdle in an illegal way, when he was in contention for the gold medal.
Olympic silver medallist Leo Neugebauer won the discus throw with 56.15m to reclaim second place in the overall standings behind Garland, who threw the discus to 48.06m and ahead of Owens Delerme, who was third after throwing to 46.12m.
Garland cleared 4.80m in the pole vault to keep a lead of 53 points over Neugebauer, who cleared 5.10m. Owens Delerme also cleared 5.10m.
The javelin throw was the decisive competition,. Neugebauer improved his PB by 5.35 metres to throw to 64.34m, moving into the lead ahead of Garland, who threw the javelin to 59.79m.
Neugebauer went into the final 1500 metres event with a 15-point lead over Garland.
Neugebauer crossed the finish-line in 4:31.89 to bring his total tally to 8804 points. Owens Delerme clocked 4:17.91 to move into the silver medal with a national record of 8784 points. Garland took third place with 8703.
Leo Neugebauer: “It still sounds unbelievable. I don’t know what to say. I feel fantastic. Day 1 was tough for everybody. Many people fell out, which is tough in the decathlon. The important thing is to keep going especially on day 2. I was in good mood today.”
Nicklas Kaul from Germany, world champion in Doha 2019 and European gold medallist in Munich 2022, won the javelin to 78.79m to move into fourth place with 8538. Last year’s European champion Johannes Erm from Estonia placed fifth with 8531 points ahead of US specalists Heath Baldwin (8337) and Harrison Williams (8269).
Men’s discus throw:
Reigning world champion Daniel Stahl successfully defended his title to win his third gold medal with 70.47m in a men’s discus throw final relayed by rain. World record holder Mykolas Alekna claimed the silver medal with a second-round throw of 67.84m. Alekna held the lead until the sixth round, when Stahl produced the winning throw. Ståhl's winning throw of 70.47m was the third longest winning throw in World Championships history. Alex Rose wins Samoa's first ever medal in World Championships history with bronze.
Alex Rose placed third with 66.96m winning Samoa’s first ever world medal.
Daniel Stahl: “This was my first rainy championships ever. I tried to focus as much as possible and just stay positive. There were delays, the competition took time. I just tried to reboot my energy: I did it for myself, for my family and my fans”
