August of this year marked a full decade since a Jamaican athlete had won the men&rsquo;s 100m title at the World Athletics Championships.
The Caribbean island may be a tiny nation in terms of land mass and population, but they&rsquo;re a powerhouse in the sprinting world. Sprint legend Usain Bolt won three world 100m titles between 2009 and 2015; Yohan Blake&rsquo;s gold in 2011 made it four in a row for Jamaica.
But following Bolt&rsquo;s last triumph in 2015, the four world 100m titles since then have all been won by US men.
Until this year.
Heading into the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, Jamaican duo Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville both had high hopes. Thompson had earned Olympic silver in 2024 and was the world leader. Seville, meanwhile, had narrowly missed the podium at the last two editions of the World Championships but carried strong momentum into Tokyo after winning at the Diamond League meetings in London and Lausanne.
Even Bolt himself &ndash; speaking in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m_sUbHmWNQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an exclusive World Athletics video feature</a> &ndash; said prior to the 100m final in Tokyo that both men were ready to compete for gold.
&ldquo;Last year was Kishane&rsquo;s first real test, but he&rsquo;s more ready this year,&rdquo; said Bolt. &ldquo;Oblique has been in so many finals and just missed out on medals. Mentally, he&rsquo;s ready.&rdquo;
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7m_sUbHmWNQ" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The video feature follows the Jamaican duo through the rounds of the 100m in Tokyo. Seville was somewhat taken by surprise when his 9.93 run in the first round was only good enough for third place. He responded with a 9.86 victory in the semifinals to book his place in the final.
Thompson, meanwhile, won his heat in 9.95 and then tied with USA&rsquo;s Kenny Bednarek in the semifinals, both clocking 9.85.
&ldquo;Everyone knows my story of being held back because of injury,&rdquo; says Thompson. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a lot of battle experience. It allows me to know how much more capable I am.&rdquo;
In the final, though, Seville strode clear of the field to win by the relatively comfortable margin of 0.05, clocking a lifetime best of 9.77 to end the Jamaican drought.
&ldquo;I learned from my mistake last year,&rdquo; he said in reference to his performance in the Olympic final where he finished eighth. &ldquo;This year I said, &lsquo;okay, this is my year and I&rsquo;m going to take this moment, and no one is going to take it away from me&rsquo;.&rdquo;
He was right.
Interview and video production by Marta Gorczyńska for World Athletics

World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025

Heading into the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, Jamaican duo Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville both had high hopes

Jamaica to the world – Oblique Seville and Kishane Thompson

An award for the best athletics photograph of the year will once again be presented as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025.
Any professional photographer who has attended an athletics event in 2025 can take part in the World Athletics Photograph of the Year.
Photographers are requested to <a href="https://eu.research.net/r/waphotoawards2025%20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">submit one photograph via the online form</a> and include a caption, the date the photograph was taken, the image's technical information and a short photographer bio (no more than 50 words). Entries should be no larger than 5MB and must be received by 11:59pm Monaco time on 31 October.
A panel will judge the photos and will select the top 10 entries. From that shortlist, the panel will then select the top three images. The finalists will be revealed on 13 November and the winner will be announced via World Athletics social media platforms at the end of November.
&bull; <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/68ed2973542847e09f6dc1e5.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full contest rules</a>
<h3>The panellists are:</h3>
Christel El Saneh El Saneh is the digital creative manager at World Athletics, managing photography and visual content across digital platforms. She joined World Athletics in 2021 and covered the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games as a photographer. The long jumper has spent most of her life in athletics and her journey has included forming part of the IOC Young Leader&nbsp;and Young Reporters programmes.
Pascal Rondeau Rondeau started his sports photography career in London for the prestigious Allsport photography agency. He then led the photo department of L&rsquo;Equipe newspaper in Paris. Over the past 30 years, he has covered eight Summer Olympic Games and a range of other major sports events. He was appointed Venue Photo Manager at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Photo Chief at Paris 2024.&nbsp;
Sally Pearson During her highly successful career, Pearson won two world 100m hurdles titles, in Daegu in 2011 and in London in 2017, as well as Olympic gold in 2012, Olympic silver in 2008 and world silver in 2013. At the time, her 12.28 in Daegu placed her fourth on the world all-time list. Indoors, she secured the world 60m hurdles title in 2012 and silver in 2014. She more recently attended the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 as a World Athletics ambassador.
Christian Taylor The recently retired US athlete was the most consistent triple jumper of his generation. He won his first world title at the age of 21, then went on to win three more. He earned Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016, while his triple jump PB of 18.21m ranks him second on the world all-time list. A multi-talented athlete, Taylor also excelled at the long jump and 400m. Like Pearson, he was a World Athletics ambassador for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
World Athletics
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An award for the best athletics photograph of the year will once again be presented as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025

Best photographs of 2025 to be recognised as part of World Athletics Awards

World champion Peres Jepchirchir will take on course record-holder Amane Beriso, while another former winner Sisay Lemma will headline the men&rsquo;s field for the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich &ndash; a World Athletics Platinum Label event &ndash; on 7 December.&nbsp;
Kenya&rsquo;s Jepchirchir triumphed in Tokyo last month to add the world title to the Olympic crown she claimed in Japan in 2021. She has won three other major marathons since then &ndash; in New York, Boston and London, where she set her PB of 2:16:16 in 2024. She also has experience of winning in Valencia, in 2020 when she clocked her second-fastest marathon time of 2:17:16.
In a clash of world gold medallists, she will go up against Ethiopia&rsquo;s 2023 world champion, Beriso. That world title win in Budapest was Beriso&rsquo;s most recent marathon victory and it followed her Valencia success in 2022, when she ran the course record of 2:14:58, which remains her PB. She went on to secure second place in the 2023 Boston Marathon and third in last year&rsquo;s Tokyo Marathon, while she was fifth at both the Paris Olympics and this year&rsquo;s Boston Marathon.
They will be joined by another 2:16 marathon runner: Joyciline Jepkosgei. She ran 2:16:24 when finishing third in a London Marathon won by her Kenyan compatriot Jepchirchir in 2024 and was also runner-up in the UK capital this year. She won the London Marathon in 2021 and the New York Marathon in 2019, and she was second in Valencia in 2020.
USA&rsquo;s Keira D&rsquo;Amato, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Fikrte Wereta and Great Britain&rsquo;s Charlotte Purdue are also among the entries, as is Germany&rsquo;s Gesa Krause who will make her marathon debut three months after finishing seventh in the 3000m steeplechase at the World Championships.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Lemma heads the men&rsquo;s field thanks to the course record and PB of 2:01:48 he set to win in 2023. That time places him fourth on the world all-time list and he will be looking to rebound after being unable to finish while defending his Boston Marathon crown in April.
He will face four other sub-2:05 athletes in his compatriot Hailemaryam Kiros, Kenya&rsquo;s Hillary Kipkoech and the German duo of Samuel Fitwi and Amanal Petros.
Like Jepchirchir, Petros made the podium at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 as he secured silver after a sprint finish battle with champion Alphonce Simbu. Petros ran his PB of 2:04:58 in Berlin in 2023 and was eighth in this year&rsquo;s London Marathon.
Kiros won the Sydney Marathon in August, while Kipkoech and Fitwi both return to the scene of their respective 2:04:45 and 2:04:56 PBs from last year, when they finished just ahead of Lemma.
<h3>Elite field</h3>
Women Amane Beriso (ETH) 2:14:58 Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) 2:16:16 Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) 2:16:24 Keira D&rsquo;Amato (USA) 2:19:12 Fikrte Wereta (ETH) 2:21:32 Charlotte Purdue (GBR) 2:22:17 Glenrose Xaba (RSA) 2:22:22 Jessica Stenson (AUS) 2:22:56 Isobel Batt-Doyle (AUS) 2:22:59 Genevieve Gregson (AUS) 2:23:08 Mekdes Woldu (FRA) 2:23:13 Emma Bates (USA) 2:23:18 Rose Harvey (GBR) 2:23:21 Lindsay Flanagan (USA) 2:23:31 Giovanna Epis (ITA) 2:23:46 Meline Rollin (FRA) 2:24:12 Fabienne Schlump (SUI) 2:24:30 Gesa Krause (GER) debut
Men Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:01:48 Hailemaryam Kiros (ETH) 2:04:35 Hillary Kipkoech (KEN) 2:04:45 Samuel Fitwi (GER) 2:04:56 Amanal Petros (GER) 2:04:58 Yohei Ikeda (JPN) 2:05:12 Enock Onchari (KEN) 2:05:20 Edward Cheserek (KEN) 2:05:24 Benard Biwott (KEN) 2:05:25 Suguru Osako (JPN) 2:05:29 Nico Navarro (FRA) 2:05:53 Andy Buchanan (AUS) 2:06:22 Clayton Young (USA) 2:08:00 Vinicent Nyageo (KEN) debut Patrick Mosin (KEN) debut
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World champion Peres Jepchirchir will take on course record-holder Amane Beriso, while another former winner Sisay Lemma will headline the men’s field for the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich

Beriso, Jepchirchir and Lemma lead Valencia Marathon line-up

As part of the World Athletics Awards 2025, World Athletics is pleased to confirm the nominees for Women&rsquo;s Track Athlete of the Year and Men&rsquo;s Track Athlete of the Year.
There are five nominees for these two categories, and a vote will take place to identify the two finalists for each.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/world-athlete-of-the-year-how-it-works" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athlete of the Year &ndash; how it works</a>
The nominations reflect some of the standout performances achieved during another memorable year for the sport, which peaked with the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. 
<h3>Nominees for 2025 Women&rsquo;s Track Athlete of the Year (in alphabetical order):</h3>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/netherlands/femke-bol-14707010" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Femke Bol, Netherlands</a> &bull; World and Diamond League 400m hurdles champion &bull; Undefeated in the 400m hurdles, with the top three performances of the year
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/beatrice-chebet-14749924" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beatrice Chebet, Kenya</a> &bull;&nbsp;World 5000m and 10,000m champion &bull; World 5000m record
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/melissa-jefferson-wooden-14756997" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, USA</a> &bull; World 100m, 200m and 4x100m champion &bull; Undefeated in the 100m, with the top five performances of the year
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/faith-kipyegon-14413305" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Faith Kipyegon, Kenya</a> &bull; World 1500m champion and 5000m silver &bull; World 1500m record
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-14624749" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, USA</a> &bull; World 400m and 4x400m champion&nbsp; &bull; Undefeated in 400m and 400m hurdles, with second-fastest 400m of all time 
<h3>Nominees for 2025 Men&rsquo;s Track Athlete of the Year (in alphabetical order):</h3>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/rai-benjamin-14574865" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rai Benjamin, USA</a> &bull; World 400m hurdles champion &bull; Two of the top three 400m hurdles performances of the year
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/france/jimmy-gressier-14694062" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jimmy Gressier, France</a> &bull; World 10,000m champion and 5000m bronze medallist &bull; Diamond League 3000m champion
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/noah-lyles-14536762" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Noah Lyles, USA</a> &bull; World 200m and 4x100m champion and 100m bronze medallist &bull; Unbeaten in the 200m, including the Diamond League title
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/cordell-tinch-14719972" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cordell Tinch, USA</a> &bull; World and Diamond League 110m hurdles champion &bull; Four of the top six performances of the year
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/emmanuel-wanyonyi-14974928" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Kenya</a> &bull; World and Diamond League 800m champion &bull;&nbsp;Four of the top six performances of the year 
The vote to determine the Track Athlete of the Year finalists is now open on World Athletics social media platforms &ndash;&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/WorldAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a>. It will close on 19 October.
The nominees for the Field Athlete of the Year awards will be announced on 20 October and the nominees for the Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year awards will be announced on 27 October.
The overall women's and men's World Athlete of the Year award winners will be selected from among the track, field and out of stadium category winners.
World Athletics
&nbsp;

World Athletics is pleased to confirm the nominees for Women’s Track Athlete of the Year and Men’s Track Athlete of the Year

Nominees announced for Track Athlete of the Year 2025

Uganda&rsquo;s Jacob Kiplimo and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Hawi Feysa produced two of the fastest marathons in history at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, winning the World Athletics Platinum Label road race in 2:02:23 and 2:14:56, respectively, on Sunday (12).
Kiplimo triumphed by 91 seconds ahead of Kenya&rsquo;s Amos Kipruto, while Kenya&rsquo;s Alex Masai was third (2:04:37) and USA&rsquo;s Conner Mantz broke the North American record with 2:04:43 to finish fourth.
Feysa was even more dominant after a perfectly paced race. She won the women&rsquo;s title by more than two minutes ahead of her compatriot Megertu Alemu (2:17:18), while Tanzania&rsquo;s Magdalena Shauri was third (2:18:03) and Kenya&rsquo;s Loice Chemnung was fourth in 2:18:23 from her first completed marathon.
Feysa, racing her fifth marathon, was always to the fore in the women&rsquo;s race. She settled herself alongside Shauri and they ran together behind the lead pacemaker. Bedatu Hirpa moved up to join them and they reached 5km in 16:06, a few seconds ahead of Alemu and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ejgayehu Taye, making her marathon debut.
Feysa and Shauri broke away by the 10km mark, which they hit in 32:08, with Taye and Alemu six seconds back. They increased that gap, and their pace, over the next 5km, the leaders Feysa and Shauri reaching 15km in 48:00 &ndash; right on 2:15:00 schedule.
The top two maintained their momentum and clocked 1:07:30 at halfway before hitting 25km in 1:19:59, Alemu keeping them in sight but Taye getting dropped.
Running a well-judged race, Feysa sped up slightly and passed 30km in 1:35:54, dropping Shauri. Alemu moved into second place and was five seconds off the leader at that stage, as Shauri followed a further 13 seconds back.
From there, Feysa continued to increase her advantage, leading by 15 seconds at 35km and by more than a minute with three miles left to run.
She kicked again in the closing stages to dip under 2:15 with a negative split &ndash; running 2:14:56 for the quickest time of the year and a performance that makes her the fifth-fastest women&rsquo;s marathon runner in history.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68ebd77d9801fd156b8c6d9f.jpg" alt="Hawi Feysa celebrates her Chicago Marathon win" />
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Hawi Feysa celebrates her Chicago Marathon win (&copy; Getty Images)
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She adds this win to her 2024 Frankfurt Marathon victory and her third-place finish in Tokyo in March.
Alemu followed her Valencia Marathon win in December and her third place in Chicago in 2023 with a runner-up finish this time, while Shauri improved her national record to join them on the podium. Behind Chemnung in fourth was Kenya&rsquo;s Mary Ngugi-Cooper in a PB of 2:19:25 for fifth and USA&rsquo;s Natosha Rogers in a PB of 2:23:28 for sixth.
"I felt pretty confident," said Feysa. "The race conditions were good. The course was good, and my coach gave me a lot of good preparation heading into this race."
World half marathon record-holder Kiplimo formed part of a group that was on world record schedule for the first half of the&nbsp;men&rsquo;s race. He was joined by defending champion John Korir and his Kenyan compatriots Timothy Kiplagat, Philemon Kiplimo and Amos Kipruto as they reached 5km in 13:58, 10km in 28:25, 15km in 42:41 and 20km in 57:06.
The final two pacemakers stepped aside as the halfway point was hit in 1:00:16 and Korir took control. Only Kiplimo could go with him and they matched each other, stride for stride, picking up the pace to run a 14:06 5km split and reach 25km in 1:11:12 &ndash; 10 seconds ahead of Kipruto.
Kiplimo made his move around the 18-mile mark, quickly creating a gap on Korir. Kiplimo remained on world record pace, running the fastest ever 30km with a split of 1:25:31. Korir and Kipruto also remained on sub-2:01 pace, respectively running 12 and 28 seconds behind the leader at that point.
Kiplimo&rsquo;s pace dipped slightly but he was still on 2:00:30 pace through 35km and by that stage his closest challenger was Kipruto, more than a minute back, as Korir appeared to have dropped out of the race.
Kiplimo drifted outside world record schedule but his win never looked in doubt and he reached 40km in 1:55:10 &ndash; 90 seconds ahead of Kipruto. They maintained that through to the finish line, Kiplimo winning in a national record of 2:02:23 to move to seventh on the world all-time list in his second marathon after his 2:03:37 debut in London in April.
The 2022 London Marathon champion Kipruto, who finished third in Chicago last year, was second this time in 2:03:54, while Masai&rsquo;s 2:04:37 for third place was a PB by more than three minutes.
Mantz improved the North American record of 2:05:36 set by Canada&rsquo;s Cameron Levins in 2023, clocking 2:04:43 to improve his own PB by more than three minutes.&nbsp;
"I didn&rsquo;t know that I was inside the world record," said Kiplimo. "For me, I was just doing my best to finish well. I&rsquo;m happy about my results."
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Hawi Feysa (ETH) 2:14:56 2&nbsp;Megertu Alemu (ETH) 2:17:18 3 Magdalena Shauri (TAN) 2:18:03 4 Loice Chemnung (KEN) 2:18:23 5&nbsp;Mary Ngugi-Cooper (KEN) 2:19:25 6 Natosha Rogers (USA) 2:23:28 7&nbsp;Dakotah Popehn (USA) 2:24:21 8 Florencia Borelli (ARG) 2:24:23
Men 1 Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) 2:02:23 2 Amos Kipruto (KEN) 2:03:54 3&nbsp;Alex Masai (KEN) 2:04:37 4 Conner Mantz (USA) 2:04:43 5 Huseydin Mohamed Esa (ETH) 2:04:50 6 Seifu Tura (ETH) 2:05:17 7 Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 2:05:31 8 Philemon Kiplimo (KEN) 2:06:14
&nbsp;

Jacob Kiplimo and Hawi Feysa produced two of the fastest marathons in history at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, winning in 2:02:23 and 2:14:56, respectively

Feysa and Kiplimo claim Chicago Marathon crowns

The standout athletes of the year will again be celebrated at the World Athletics Awards 2025. Like last year, there will be three separate awards for women and three for men, recognising the athletes of the year for track, field and out-of-stadium events. There will also be men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s awards for an overall World Athlete of the Year.
A panel of international experts has compiled a long list of nominees for each of the three main award categories. Voting will take place to determine the two finalists in each category.
The World Athletics Council&rsquo;s vote will count for 50% of the result, while the World Athletics Family&rsquo;s votes and social media votes will each count for 25% of the result.
The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast their votes by email, while the social vote will be open on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a>. Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted; a 'like' on Facebook and Instagram or a repost on X will count as one vote.
Once the finalists have been established, a fan vote will open &ndash; <a href="https://worldathletics.org/worldathletics-plus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for all registered users of World Athletics+</a> &ndash; to help determine the overall World Athletes of the Year.
The 2025 World Athletics Awards also includes the Rising Star awards, Coaching Achievement Award, Woman of the Year, Photograph of the Year, Member Federation Award and President&rsquo;s Award.
<h2>Key dates</h2>
13-19 October &ndash; vote open for track athletes of the year 20-26 October &ndash; vote open for field athletes of the year 27 October-2 November &ndash; vote open for out-of-stadium athletes of the year 3 November &ndash; finalists announced for each category 3 November &ndash; fan vote opens 9 November &ndash; fan vote closes
Fans can <a href="https://worldathletics.org/worldathletics-plus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sign up to World Athletics+</a> to pre-register for the fan vote.
World Athletics

The standout athletes of the year will again be celebrated at the World Athletics Awards 2025

World Athlete of the Year – how it works

A football match never really ends after 90 minutes; there&rsquo;s always added time. At Manchester United, they called it &lsquo;Fergie Time&rsquo;, in honour of the many last-minute goals scored in those decisive moments under the leadership of legendary manager Alex Ferguson.
In France, they may now speak of 'Jimmy Time'.
At the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, Jimmy Gressier seized his chance in the 10,000m. The Frenchman unleashed a breath-taking finishing sprint to claim his first world title. &ldquo;If we ran the same race tomorrow, I could just as well finish sixth or seventh,&rdquo; he said.
The French runner has earned the greatest title of his career, even though he would have preferred to be a football world champion. But he won&rsquo;t complain, he joked with journalists in the mixed zone. He now joins the select circle of French world champions: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m joining Zizou (Zinedine Zidane), for example, who won the World Cup,&rdquo; he added with a smile.
He also becomes only the ninth French athlete in history to win gold at the World Championships, following in the footsteps of icons such as Marie-Jos&eacute; Perec (1991 and 1995 over 400m) and Kevin Mayer (decathlon in 2017 and 2022).
&ldquo;I realise it without fully realising it,&rdquo; Gressier said of his achievement. &ldquo;For me, emotions are sometimes hard to express. Honestly, I cry more watching &lsquo;The Voice&rsquo; and hearing kids sing than when I become world champion, because in the moment I&rsquo;m still in action.&rdquo;
<h2>Football as redemption</h2>
Gressier, who was carrying a tendon injury during the Paris Olympic Games, arrived in Tokyo with fire in his belly, physically and mentally ready, despite some lingering pain in his heel. His experience and maturity, he says, carried him through to the title &ndash; along with the words of another French distance runner who won world and European medals, Bouabdellah Tahri.
&ldquo;I really like Bob Tahri&rsquo;s phrase, the rule of the three Ts: talent, travail, temps (talent, work, time in English).&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/e6a209d1-f566-40c1-bf27-3ae0f0e6f312.jpg" alt="Jimmy Gressier winning the European U23 cross country title" />
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Jimmy Gressier winning the European U23 cross country title (&copy; Getty Images)
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Earlier in his career, Gressier won three U23 titles at the European Cross Country Championships, but in recent years he had been criticised for his inconsistency on the track. He made something of a breakthrough this year, though.
During the indoor season, he set a European indoor 5000m record of 12:54.92 and an outright French 3000m record of 7:30.18. He then set a European 5km record of 12:57 on the roads and won the European half marathon title in Leuven in a PB of 59:45.
Outdoors on the track, he set a French 5000m record of 12:51.59 in Paris and went on to win the Diamond League 3000m title in Zurich &ndash; a well-timed confidence boost in what was his final race before heading to the World Championships in Tokyo, where he went on to win the 10,000m before earning bronze in the 5000m.
His 10,000m triumph was a victory with a touch of redemption, with football playing its part. Gressier &ndash; who was born in the same neighbourhood as Franck Ribery, the former Bayern Munich and French international player &ndash; proudly acknowledges his footballing roots.
&ldquo;Football helped me become a world champion,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;You can see it in the last stretch, in the final 60 meters. It&rsquo;s no coincidence: it&rsquo;s the same repeated effort I learned in football. When a ball was played deep, I would accelerate sharply to score.&rdquo;
And that&rsquo;s exactly what he reproduced on the track in the Japanese capital.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68c6bdcda73dfded21cc4061.jpg" alt="Jimmy Gressier wins the 10,000m at the World Championships Tokyo 25" />
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Jimmy Gressier wins the 10,000m at the World Championships Tokyo 25 (&copy; Getty Images)
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At Tokyo&rsquo;s National Stadium, the 56,000 spectators had their eyes mainly on the 100m final, but it was Gressier who delivered one of the evening&rsquo;s biggest surprises. The Frenchman became only the third European winner of the men&rsquo;s 10,000m at the World Championships after Italy&rsquo;s Alberto Cova (1983) and Britain&rsquo;s Mo Farah (2013, 2015 and 2017).
He was joined on the 10,000m podium by Sweden&rsquo;s bronze medallist Andreas Almgren, marking the first time since 1987 that two European men had made it on to the podium. That feat was matched in the 5000m as Gressier was joined on the podium by Belgium&rsquo;s Isaac Kimeli, who claimed silver.
&ldquo;Back when Farah won his world titles, my coach told me in training that I could keep up with the best in the world,&rdquo; recalls Gressier. &ldquo;Now it&rsquo;s the Europeans who are making a mark.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I still have a lot of dreams where I&rsquo;m playing football again,&rdquo; he smiled. From now on, though, those dreams should shine in gold.
Pierre Pillet for World Athletics Produced as part of the World Athletics Media Academy project

At the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, Jimmy Gressier seized his chance in the 10,000m

How Gressier turned footballing ambitions into athletics goals

USA&rsquo;s Brittany Brown won the sprint double at the Athlos NYC meeting at the Icahn Stadium in New York City on Friday (10) on an evening when some of the leading women in the sport took centre stage.
The Olympic bronze medallist won a close 100m contest in 10.99 (1.4m/s) from US compatriot Jacious Sears (11.01). An hour later, Brown produced a convincing victory in the 200m with a PB of 21.89 (1.9m/s) ahead of Anavia Battle (22.21).
World and Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall was another standout performer, sailing out to 7.13m to win the long jump. Double Olympic medallist Jasmine Moore was second with 6.64m.
For Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, the 800m was a chance of redemption after the Briton was beaten into bronze at last month&rsquo;s World Championships. She won by almost two seconds in a meeting record of 1:56.53 ahead of compatriot Georgia Hunter Bell, the world silver medallist, who clocked 1:58.33.
Middle-distance legend Faith Kipyegon took on Ethiopia&rsquo;s Gudaf Tsegay in the mile. Tsegay went out hard and covered the first lap in 1:00.52 before settling down into a steadier pace. Kipyegon broke away in the second half, though, and went on to win in 4:17.78. Tsegay was second in 4:19.75.
Elsewhere, Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino beat Salwa Eid Naser in the 400m, 50.07 to 50.94, and Olympic champion Masai Russell took the 100m hurdles in a wind-assisted 12.52 (2.3m/s).

USA’s Brittany Brown won the sprint double at the Athlos NYC meeting at the Icahn Stadium in New York City on Friday (10) on an evening when some of the leading women in the sport took centre stage.

Brown, Davis-Woodhall and Hodgkinson shine at Athlos

Event tickets are on sale for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Tallahassee 26 (WXC Tallahassee 26), happening on Saturday 10 January 2026 at Apalachee Regional Park. Fans are encouraged to secure their tickets early for a chance to witness the world&rsquo;s elite distance runners compete for championship titles.
Tickets start at $10, with free admission for children 12 years and under, making it an accessible experience for families and fans of all ages. For families, the event will feature a Fan Zone area, complete with food trucks, music, interactive games and activities designed to keep fans engaged and excited throughout the day.
This championship is set to elevate the sport of cross country like never experienced before. The organising committee has prioritised the fan experience, creating multiple viewing areas throughout the course with large screens tracking athletes in real time, ensuring spectators won&rsquo;t miss a moment of the action.
For those looking to join the excitement, registration is now open for the World&rsquo;s Fun Run: Florida Edition, a community event held immediately following the championship races. Participants can choose between a 2km or 4km distance, earn a commemorative medal, and take on the same Florida-inspired obstacles faced by the world&rsquo;s top competitors.
Registration is $25 per person, with a portion of the proceeds donated to support Leon County Schools&rsquo; Track and cross-country programmes. As part of the event&rsquo;s commitment to youth athletics, all Leon County students ages 12 and under can participate for free in the Kids Athletics 2km race.
WXC Tallahassee 26 will welcome hundreds of elite athletes from more than 60 countries to one of the nation&rsquo;s most celebrated cross-country courses. The Apalachee Regional Park course features rolling hills, forests and unique challenges like sand, water, mud, a rollercoaster element and obstacles inspired by wildlife.
Over the past 13 years, Apalachee Regional Park has hosted more than 75 national, state and local championships, earning a reputation as a world-class venue designed by runners for runners.
After more than three decades, the World Athletics Cross Country Championships returns to the United States, placing Tallahassee on a global stage as a premier destination for sport and culture. The event will be broadcast to more than 70 nations worldwide, showcasing the city&rsquo;s scenic landscapes, vibrant culture, and legendary hospitality.
<h3>Event details</h3>
<ul>
<li>Date: 10 January 2026</li>
<li>Location: Apalachee Regional Park, Tallahassee, Florida, USA</li>
<li>Spectator tickets &amp; Fun Run registration:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.VisitTallahassee.com/WXC26" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.VisitTallahassee.com/WXC26&nbsp;</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

46th World Athletics Cross Country Championships

Event tickets are on sale for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Tallahassee 26

Tickets on sale to witness the world's best runners compete at the WXC Tallahassee 26

Anna Hall and Sander Skotheim have been confirmed as the winners of the 2025 World Athletics Combined Events Tour, which rewards their season-long consistency in the heptathlon and decathlon, respectively.
The Combined Events Tour takes each athlete&rsquo;s best three marks across the series and converts them into result scores (also used as the basis of the world rankings system). Winners of the Combined Events Tour, which features both indoor and outdoor meetings, receive a US$30,000 prize.
The top eight at the end of the season are:
Heptathlon 1 Anna Hall (USA) 3781 2 Taliyah Brooks (USA) 3514 3 Martha Araujo (COL) 3485 4 Michelle Atherley (USA) 3420 5 Beatrice Juskeviciute (LTU) 3366 6 Allie Jones (USA) 3340 7 Vanessa Grimm (GER) 3336 8 Paulina Ligarska (POL) 3329 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-combined-events-tour/standings/2025/women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full standings</a>
Decathlon 1 Sander Skotheim (NOR) 3754 2 Kyle Garland (USA) 3719 3 Ayden Owens-Delerme (PUR) 3650 4 Simon Ehammer (SUI) 3633 5 Heath Baldwin (USA) 3560 6 Jente Hauttekeete (BEL) 3473 7 Kendrick Thompson (BAH) 3445 8 Vilem Strasky (CZE) 3437 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-combined-events-tour/standings/2025/men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full standings</a>
Hall produced the three best heptathlon performances in the world this year. She won at the Hypo Meeting in Gotzis with 7032, elevating her to equal second on the world all-time list. She followed that with a 6899 victory at the US Championships and then capped the best season of her career by winning the world title in Tokyo with 6888.
It meant she topped the end-of-season Combined Events Tour standings with a score of 3781, the highest tally ever achieved in the tour&rsquo;s current format.
Hall&rsquo;s US compatriot Taliyah Brooks finished second in the tour for the second year in a row. Brooks started her year by earning her first global medal, taking bronze at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing. She then finished second in Talence and at the US Championships, setting a PB of 6526 at the latter. She improved on that to take bronze at the World Championships with 6581.
Colombia&rsquo;s Martha Araujo was another consistent performer throughout the season. She finished third in Gotzis with a South American record of 6475, then won the Decastar meeting in Talence with 6451 before placing 10th at the World Championships.
Skotheim enjoyed an incredible indoor season, starting with a European indoor heptathlon record of 6484 in Tallinn. He won the European indoor title five weeks later with another continental record, 6558, and then claimed world indoor gold in Nanjing with 6475. He continued that momentum outdoors, winning in Gotzis with a world-leading Norwegian record of 8909.
USA&rsquo;s Kyle Garland finished second in this year&rsquo;s Combined Events Tour, after producing three of the top six performances in the world. He finished second to Skotheim in Gotzis with 8626, then won the US title with a lifetime best of 8869. He ended his season by taking the bronze medal at the World Championships in Tokyo.
Puerto Rico&rsquo;s Ayden Owens-Delerme claimed third place in the 2025 tour. He opened his outdoor campaign with a seventh-place finish in Gotzis with 8486, then followed it with an 8478 victory in Talence. He capped his season by taking silver at the World Championships, improving his own national record to 8784.
World Athletics

Anna Hall and Sander Skotheim have been confirmed as the winners of the 2025 World Athletics Combined Events Tour

Hall and Skotheim win World Athletics Combined Events Tour

After dominating the 2025 sprint season, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden embarked on her World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 journey with three golden goals in mind.&nbsp;
The US 24-year-old secured titles in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m, etching her name in history.
&ldquo;Coming off of Paris last year, I was very content and happy with how my season went because I had overcome so much to be able to still make the Olympic team and medal, as well,&rdquo; reflects Jefferson-Wooden, the Olympic 100m bronze medallist, in an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aOjf3inFSQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exclusive World Athletics video feature</a>.
&ldquo;Coming into 2025, my husband and I went on a weekend getaway. He asked me: &lsquo;Are you okay? Are you ready for this year? What do you want out of this year?&rsquo;
&ldquo;We got a book &ndash; it&rsquo;s our guide to the world, in a sense. He said: &lsquo;Whatever you&rsquo;re feeling, whatever you want to accomplish and achieve, put it in this book, and then one day we&rsquo;re going to be able to go back and look at it and see how far we have come.&rsquo;
&ldquo;And now, I&rsquo;m sitting here today as a three-time world champion.&rdquo;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3aOjf3inFSQ?si=WdzDI8GPeirEZ9Si" width="100%" height="475" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The 19-minute video feature follows Jefferson-Wooden&rsquo;s journey in Tokyo &ndash; sharing the story of her triumphs on the track and joining her behind the scenes in the call room, in training and in preparation.
After winning the 100m title in Tokyo in a championship record of 10.61 &ndash; making her the fourth-fastest women&rsquo;s sprinter in history &ndash; Jefferson-Wooden completed the sprint double by winning the 200m in 21.68 five days later. She then added a third gold medal to her haul by forming part of the victorious US 4x100m team on the final day of the championships.
&ldquo;At the beginning of the year, I told my coaches that I wanted to take the 200m more seriously,&rdquo; says Jefferson-Wooden. &ldquo;They both kind of looked at each other, like: &lsquo;Did y&rsquo;all hear what she just said? Is she serious?&rsquo;
&ldquo;It went from: &lsquo;I think I can make the team&rsquo; to &lsquo;I think I can win US Trials&rsquo;. And it went from: &lsquo;I think I can win US Trials&rsquo; to &lsquo;I think I can medal at the World Champs&rsquo; and then &lsquo;I think I can win the whole thing&rsquo;.&rdquo;
Family members &ndash; including her parents Johanna and Melvin &ndash; were there to witness it all.
&ldquo;To have my family waiting at the finish line, that meant the world to me,&rdquo; says&nbsp;Jefferson-Wooden. &ldquo;They are so proud of me. For them to be able to come all the way to Tokyo and celebrate with me and be in the moment with me, just meant a lot. They sacrificed so much for me, and I feel like it&rsquo;s only right that I go out there and perform and be the best Melissa that I can be, so I can make them proud.&rdquo;
Turns out, being the best Melissa she could be meant becoming a triple world champion.
&ldquo;I felt blessed, because I was there to witness it,&rdquo; says her father. &ldquo;In 2018, I had a bone marrow transplant and she was my donor. That allowed me to be alive to witness the whole thing.&rdquo;
The significance was not lost on Jefferson-Wooden. &ldquo;If I have an opportunity to help someone, do it. That&rsquo;s what life is about,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re in positions where you can help someone along the way &ndash; that means much more to me that anything that I decide to do on the track.
&ldquo;When I think of little me, like how would she feel, I think she would be over the moon. She would have no regrets, no doubts, no nothing.&rdquo;
Interview and video production by Marta Gorczyńska for World Athletics
&nbsp;

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden etched her name in sprinting history by becoming a treble gold medallist in Tokyo

The triple crown - Melissa Jefferson-Wooden

John Korir and Megertu Alemu will lead the Bank of America Chicago Marathon elite fields when they return to the World Athletics Platinum Label road race on Sunday (12).
Kenya's Korir, whose 2:02:44 victory last year was the second fastest time in the race&rsquo;s history, showed his Chicago triumph was no fluke with a convincing win at the Boston Marathon earlier this year. The Kenyan hopes to run sub-2:01, a feat only accomplished officially by the late Kelvin Kiptum when he set the world record of 2:00:35 in Chicago in 2023.
&ldquo;I am confident that I will be able to retain my title at the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon this October,&rdquo; said Korir, the eighth fastest man in history. &ldquo;My training is going well, and I am focused on achieving another personal best.&rdquo;
Korir will be joined by five other men who have broken 2:04. Kenya&rsquo;s Timothy Kiplagat, second at last year&rsquo;s Tokyo Marathon, is the second-fastest man in the field with a personal best of 2:02:55. Fellow Kenyans Amos Kipruto, who was third in Chicago last year, and Cybrian Kotut, who finished third in Boston, will all be vying for the podium, as will two-time Olympic marathon medallist Bashir Abdi of Belgium.
Uganda&rsquo;s Jacob Kiplimo, the world record-holder in the half marathon, will be contesting his second marathon to date after a runner-up finish in London in 2:03:37 earlier this year.
Two-time New York champion Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya makes his Chicago debut after missing his PB by just 10 seconds when running 2:04:33 to win the Rotterdam Marathon in April.
Conner Mantz leads the US contingent. After running 2:05:08 earlier this year in Boston, where the course isn&rsquo;t record eligible, Mantz will take aim at the US (2:05:38) and North American (2:05:36) records. Canada&rsquo;s Rory Linkletter will also be targeting the latter mark. USA&rsquo;s 2017 Chicago champion Galen Rupp is also in the field.
A new champion will be crowned in the women&rsquo;s race, but several athletes will be returning to Chicago looking to improve on their previous outings.
Ethiopia's Valencia Marathon champion Alemu is one of those. She finished third in Chicago in 2023, her second Marathon Majors podium finish that year, following her runner-up placing in London. She went on to place fourth in London last year, clocking a PB of 2:16:34, then came close to that in Valencia with her 2:16:49 triumph.
She&rsquo;ll be joined by fellow Ethiopian Hawi Feysa, the Frankfurt Marathon champion who finished third in Tokyo earlier this year in a PB of 2:17:00.
Other contenders include their Ethiopian compatriots Bedatu Hirpa, Haven Hailu Desse and marathon debutante Ejgayehu Taye, the 2023 world 10,000m bronze medallist.
Joining the four sub-2:20 runners&nbsp;Alemu,&nbsp;Feysa,&nbsp;Hirpa and&nbsp;Desse are Kenya's&nbsp;Mary Ngugi-Cooper, who has a PB of&nbsp;2:20:22 from 2022, plus Great Britain's Calli Hauger-Thackery and USA's Natosha Rogers.
<h3>Leading entries</h3>
Women Megertu Alemu (ETH) 2:16:34 Hawi Feysa (ETH) 2:17:00 Bedatu Hirpa (ETH) 2:18:27 Haven Hailu Desse (ETH) 2:19:17 Mary Ngugi-Cooper (KEN) 2:20:22 Calli Hauger-Thackery (GBR) 2:21:24 Natosha Rogers (USA) 2:23:51 Florencia Borelli (ARG) 2:24:18 Gabi Rooker (USA) 2:24:29 Dakotah Popehn (USA) 2:24:40 Melody Julien (FRA) 2:25:01 Makenna Myler (USA) 2:26:14 Marta Galimany (ESP) 2:26:14 Aubrey Frentheway (USA) 2:27:14 Maggie Montoya (USA) 2:27:50 Loice Chemnung (KEN) debut Ejgayehu Taye (ETH) debut Emily Venters (USA) debut
Men John Korir (KEN) 2:02:44 Timothy Kiplagat (KEN) 2:02:55 Amos Kipruto (KEN) 2:03:13 CyBrian Kotut (KEN) 2:03:22 Bashir Abdi (BEL) 2:03:36 Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) 2:03:37 Philemon Kiplimo (KEN) 2:04:01 Geoffrey Kamworwor (KEN) 2:04:23 Seifu Tura (ETH) 2:04:29 Huseydin Mohamed Esa (ETH) 2:04:39 Daniel Ebenyo (KEN) 2:06:04 Galen Rupp (USA) 2:06:07 Hiroto Inoue (JPN) 2:06:14 Zouhair Talbi (MAR) 2:06:39 Conner Mantz (USA) 2:07:47 Rory Linkletter (CAN) 2:08:01 Alex Masai (KEN) 2:08:03 CJ Albertson (USA) 2:08:17 Jia Erenjia (CHN) 2:08:32 Haftu Knight (USA) 2:09:38 Andrew Colley (USA) 2:09:46
&nbsp;

John Korir and Megertu Alemu will lead the Bank of America Chicago Marathon elite fields when they return to the World Athletics Platinum Label road race on Sunday

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