In a sport where the best athletes battle for glory at a championship every year, it takes something special to stand out from the pack. The World Athletics Championship is that event, the biennial showpiece that brings together the best athletes in the world to decide who really is the greatest in their respective disciplines.
With sprints from the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 100m to the lung-busting 400m, this championship has all the ingredients of a classic. The defending world champion over the shorter sprint is Noah Lyles, but he hasn’t won a 100m final this season and faces a talented group of challengers, including Olympic champion Julien Alfred and Shericka Jackson.
Athletes competing in this year’s championship will have the chance to set new world, area, and national records during the week-long competition. As the sport’s premier meeting, it also offers a unique opportunity for athletes to impress fans and bolster their career profile.
The inaugural World Athletics Championship took place in 1983. The first edition was held in Helsinki, Finland and was a memorable affair, with Carl Lewis winning a triple gold, UK athlete Mary Decker completing a 1500m-3000m double, and Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon clinching the women’s 5000m-10,000m double. Other memorable moments included the great showman Gianmarco Tambieri feeding off the roar of a home crowd to win his set of major high jump golds, and British javelin thrower Tiina Lillak snatching silver for her country in an amazing finale in the final.