As the countdown to the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 continues, we shine a spotlight on some of the podium sweeps that have lit up past editions of the global showpiece.
This five-part series continues with a look back at Jamaica's dominance in the women&rsquo;s 100m in Oregon in 2022.
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Following a Jamaican sweep of the women&rsquo;s 100m podium at the Olympics in Tokyo one year prior, the same trio headed to the World Championships in Oregon looking to repeat that feat.
At the Tokyo Games in 2021, Elaine Thompson-Herah won gold ahead of fellow Jamaicans Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson. Thompson-Herah was a convincing winner, setting an Olympic record of 10.61 with Fraser-Pryce just holding off Jackson, 10.74 to 10.76.
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While the trio was elated, the empty stadium &ndash; due to the pandemic &ndash; meant the sweep was only quietly celebrated in Tokyo. But the World Championships in Oregon gave athletes an opportunity to celebrate in front of a packed-out stadium. And for the Jamaican contingent, it was a chance to upset their US rivals on home turf.
The outcome in Oregon was another Jamaican sweep, but in a different order.
All three women had progressed comfortably throughout the rounds, earning lanes three, four and six for the final. Fraser-Pryce, aged 35, got a strong start and could not be caught, earning her 10th World Championships medal. She won in a championship record of 10.67 with Jackson (10.73) and Thompson-Herah (10.81) following her across the line.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s good to be able to be from a small island and to know you have such an impact on the women and girls in your community,&rdquo; said Fraser-Pryce, who won her first Olympic title in 2008, the same year that Bolt earned his first Olympic gold.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/687d0167250e4beb6640d734.jpg" alt="Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (left) wins the 2022 world 100m title" />
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Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (left) wins the 2022 world 100m title (&copy; Getty Images)
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&ldquo;So many people believe that when women turn 35, it somehow diminishes our gift,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;m still able to line up and compete, and that is very special.&rdquo;
Jackson, who went on to win the 200m in Oregon with Fraser-Pryce taking silver, joked after the race: &ldquo;I guess our new colours are one, two, three.&rdquo;
Hannah Borenstein for World Athletics

World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025

Following a Jamaican sweep of the women’s 100m podium at the Olympics in Tokyo one year prior, the same trio headed to the World Championships in Oregon looking to repeat that feat.

Sensational sweeps: Jamaica in the women's 100m at the 2022 World Championships

Championship records were broken in 12 disciplines at the European U23 Championships, which concluded on Sunday (20) after four days of action in the Norwegian city of Bergen.
Home star Henriette J&aelig;ger took almost a second off a championship record that had stood for 20 years in the women&rsquo;s 400m. The world indoor bronze medallist produced a dominant run to win in 49.74, just 0.12 shy of the Norwegian record she set in Oslo last month. 2022 world U20 champion Yemi Mary John of Great Britain was second in 50.50, also inside the previous championship record.
J&aelig;ger almost claimed another title just three hours later, but she was beaten into the runner-up spot in the 200m by Britain&rsquo;s Success Eduan, who won by 0.04 in 22.74.
Two-time European U20 champion Audrey Werro earned her first continental title at the U23 level in convincing style, taking the women&rsquo;s 800m in 1:57.42 to smash the championship record by 1.52 seconds. Spain&rsquo;s Rocio Arroyo took silver in 1:59.18.
Germany&rsquo;s Owe Fischer-Breiholz powered to victory in the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles in 48.01. Turkey&rsquo;s Ismail Nezir took silver (48.33) and Slovenia&rsquo;s Matic Ian Gucek claimed bronze (48.34) as all three medallists finished inside Karsten Warholm&rsquo;s previous championship record (48.37).
The championship record was also revised in the women&rsquo;s event as Britain&rsquo;s Emily Newnham won by more than a second in 54.09 from Germany&rsquo;s Vanessa Balde (55.36).
Another one-lap championship record fell with Jonas Phijffers of the Netherlands winning the men&rsquo;s 400m in 44.82.
Records were broken in all four of the relay disciplines. France won the men&rsquo;s 4x100m in 38.43, while Spain continued their recent relay success by taking the men&rsquo;s 4x400m in 3:02.02. Great Britain won both of the women&rsquo;s relays, clocking 42.92 in the 4x100m and 3:26.52 in the 4x400m.
World indoor champion Saga Vanninen successfully defended her heptathlon title, adding almost 200 points to her PB and smashing the championship record with 6563. It also broke the Finnish record that had stood since 1991. Britain&rsquo;s Abigail Pawlett was second with a PB of 6320.
The top four athletes in the men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase all finished inside the previous championship record. Poland&rsquo;s Maciej Megier held off Stefan Nillessen, winner of the 1500m earlier in the championships, to take gold in 8:20.17.
<h2>Laros doubles, Germany sweeps throws medals</h2>
While Nillessen narrowly missed out on double gold, compatriot Niels Laros ensured there was a Dutch double.
The world and Olympic 1500m finalist, who turned 20 earlier this year, showed his versatility by winning the 5000m (13:44.74) and 800m (1:44.36).
In a sensational first round of the men&rsquo;s 800m, Italy&rsquo;s Francesco Pernici smashed the championship record &ndash; the oldest men&rsquo;s track mark on the books &ndash; with 1:44.06, closely followed by Britan&rsquo;s Henry Jonas (1:44.10) and Laros, who clocked a PB of 1:44.19. In total, seven men in the first round bettered the previous championship record (1:45.21). But Laros was a clear winner when it mattered the most, winning the final by 0.61 from Britain&rsquo;s Justin Davies.
Germany achieved two podium sweeps, both in the throws. Steven Richter won the men&rsquo;s discus title with 64.67m ahead of Mika Sosna (63.42m) and Marius Karges (62.20m). On the first day of the championships, Nina Chioma Ndubuisi took the women&rsquo;s shot put title with 17.73m from German teammates Jolina Lange (17.04m) and Helena Kopp (16.90m).
Elsewhere in the throws, Serbia&rsquo;s Adriana Vilagos was victorious in the women&rsquo;s javelin with 62.41m, while Aileen Kuhn contributed to Germany topping the medals table thanks to her 72.53m hammer victory.

Championship records were broken in 12 disciplines at the European U23 Championships, which concluded on Sunday (20) after four days of action in the Norwegian city of Bergen.

Records tumble at European U23 Championships in Bergen

A Wanda Diamond League record from discus world record-holder Mykolas Alekna, an Ethiopian mile record from Gudaf Tsegay and a world-leading 200m run from Julien Alfred were among the many highlights at the London Athletics Meet on Saturday (19).
All three athletes not only broke meeting records, but also improved on the UK all-comers&rsquo; marks in their respective disciplines.
Alekna took an early lead with 66.97m, but 2022 world champion Kristjan Ceh bettered it in round two with 68.37m. Alekna responded with one of the best throws of his life &ndash; and the best throw ever produced at a Wanda Diamond League meeting &ndash; and sent his discus out to 71.70m.
Ceh, who had won nine consecutive competitions prior to this meeting, improved to 68.83m in the final round but had to settle for second place. British record-holder Lawrence Okoye was third with 67.24m.
World 10,000m champion Gudaf Tsegay achieved her first Diamond League win of the season, producing a dominant run to win the women&rsquo;s mile with the second-fastest time in history.
After a swift opening lap of 59.93, Tsegay settled into a steadier pace and went through 800m in 2:03.45. At the bell, Australia&rsquo;s Jessica Hull had closed the gap on the Ethiopian, but Tsegay had saved something for the end and kicked to victory in a national record of 4:11.88. Hull was second in 4:13.68, an Oceanian record.
Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred smashed her own national record and world lead to win the 200m in convincing fashion. The St Lucian was in the lead as she came off the bend, then continued to open up a significant leading margin, crossing the line in a meeting record of 21.71.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/687bbbfb6f54a9b3785369b3.jpg" alt="Julien Alfred wins the 200m in London" />
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Julien Alfred wins the 200m in London (&copy; Getty Images)
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Alfred&rsquo;s training partner, 2019 world champion Dina Asher-Smith, finished strongly to take second in a season&rsquo;s best of 22.25, just ahead of compatriot Amy Hunt, who set a PB of 22.31 in third.
Earlier in the afternoon, Asher-Smith and Hunt had teamed up to win the women&rsquo;s 4x100m in a world-leading 41.69.
There were also meeting records from Kenyan middle-distance runners Phanuel Koech and Emmanuel Wanyonyi.
Eighteen-year-old Koech, who has burst on to the international scene this year, ran like a seasoned professional in the men&rsquo;s 1500m, making his way into the lead on the last lap to win in a UK all-comers&rsquo; record of 3:28.82. World champion Josh Kerr was second in a season&rsquo;s best of 3:29.37.
For a brief moment it looked as though Olympic champion Wanyonyi would be beaten in the men&rsquo;s 800m. He had led for most of the way, but world champion Marco Arop took command on the final bend. The Canadian then faded slightly while Wanyonyi responded with a final burst to take the win in a meeting record of 1:42.00. Arop was second with a season&rsquo;s best of 1:42.22 while Max Burgin was third in a PB of 1:42.37, elevating him to third on the British all-time list.
<h2>Bol wins again</h2>
World champion Femke Bol made it three wins in a row in London. The soaking wet track ruled out any chance of an improvement on the Diamond League record she set last year, but the manner of her victory was still highly impressive.
She won by more than a second in 52.10 from USA&rsquo;s Jasmine Jones (53.18) and Jamaica&rsquo;s Andrenette Knight (53.79).
While the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles and 200m went to the form book, there were surprise victories in the men&rsquo;s sprint events.
Oblique Seville exploded into an early lead in the men&rsquo;s 100m and maintained it to the end, winning comfortably in 9.86. Olympic champion Noah Lyles, contesting his first 100m of the year, was second in 10.00 ahead of world bronze medallist Zharnel Hughes (10.02).
In the men&rsquo;s 400m, Olympic silver medallist Matt Hudson-Smith and world leader Zakithi Nene were locked in battle down the home straight, but Diamond League champion Charlie Dobson came striding through in the closing stages to win in a PB of 44.14. Hudson-Smith held on for second (44.27), just ahead of Nene (44.29).
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Medina Eisa won the women&rsquo;s 5000m in what was one of the deepest races of all time at the distance. She clocked 14:30.57 to finish ahead of compatriot Fantaye Belayneh (14:30.90) with Australia&rsquo;s Rose Davies setting an Oceanian record of 14:31.45 in third. A record number of 13 women finished inside 14:40, including Britain&rsquo;s Innes Fitzgerald, who set a European U20 record of 14:39.56 in 12th.
Elsewhere on the track, Olympic bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell came through in the closing stages to win the women&rsquo;s 800m in a season&rsquo;s best of 1:56.74. USA&rsquo;s Addison Wiley was second in 1:57.43.
<h2>Olympic champions beaten in the jumps</h2>
There were several close contests in the jumping events, many of which resulted in surprise victories.
New Zealand&rsquo;s Olivia McTaggart won the women&rsquo;s pole vault on countback, beating world champion Katie Moon, European champion Angelica Moser and USA&rsquo;s Emily Grove, all four clearing 4.73m.
Morgan Lake was the only woman to get over 1.96m in the high jump, earning a shock win over Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who finished fourth with 1.93m.
Both long jump contests were won by just one centimetre. Two-time world champion Malaika Mihambo uncorked a leap of 6.93m in the fifth round to take the lead. Larissa Iapichino responded with 6.92m in the final round but it wasn&rsquo;t quite enough to reclaim the lead.
In the men&rsquo;s event, Jamaica&rsquo;s Wayne Pinnock beat Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou, 8.20m to 8.19m.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

London Athletics Meet

A Wanda Diamond League record from discus world record-holder Mykolas Alekna, an Ethiopian mile record from Gudaf Tsegay and a world-leading 200m run from Julien Alfred were among the many highlights at the London Athletics Meet on Saturday (19).

Alekna, Alfred and Tsegay take down meeting records in London

This feature is the third in a five-part series sharing the stories of refugee athletes Farida Abaroge, Seyd Taha Ghafari, Omar Hassan, Emmanuel Kiruhura Ntagunga and Seyfu Jamaal Tahir as they seek selection to the Athlete Refugee Team (ART) at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
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From a relatively young age, <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/seyfu-jamaal-14916781" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seyfu Jamaal Tahir</a> didn&rsquo;t feel safe in Ethiopia. Aged just 16, he fled his home country in search of a better life with his journey first taking him through Sudan and Libya, during which he spent 18 days in the Sahara Desert with hardly any water to drink.
He eventually made it to Tripoli in Libya, from which he crossed the Mediterranean Sea to make it to Italy. He then travelled north through to France and eventually on to the UK where he was able to start a new life.
Six months after settling in London, Jamaal, who used to run shorter distances as a schoolboy, started running for fitness. He soon discovered parkruns, and he finished second in his first ever attempt, clocking 17:11 for 5km. He returned one month later and won. By the end of that year, his PB was down to 15:48.
"One of the local runners offered to find an athletics club for me, and so I joined London Heathside,&rdquo; says Jamaal. &ldquo;They taught me how to speak English, they helped me, gave me shoes, everything.
&ldquo;I now have an agent, Ayo Dada. He has supported a lot of athletes, and he was the one who helped me get on the Athlete Refugee Team. He supports me a lot, he finds races, and gives me a lot of confidence.
&ldquo;There are a lot of refugee athletes in the UK,&rdquo; he adds. &ldquo;It feels good to be part of a team.&rdquo;
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View the full video feature on <a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Watch</a>.
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Video features on Farida Abaroge and Seyfu Jamaal Tahir will be published on <a style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" href="https://worldathletics.org/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Watch</a> during the next few weeks. The features on Omar Hassan and Seyd Taha Ghafari are already available.
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Interview and video production by Christel Saneh for World Athletics
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From a relatively young age, Seyfu Jamaal Tahir didn’t feel safe in Ethiopia. 

Athlete Refugee Team Stories: Seyfu Jamaal Tahir

The bidding process for the 2028 and 2030 editions of the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships is now open.
Member federations and host institution stakeholders interested in hosting or receiving more information about staging this event should consult the bid guide and then complete and return the bid pre-qualification form, both available via the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/documents/member-federation-resource-centre#collapsebidding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Library</a>.
The bidding process is set out in the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/hosting/calendar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bidding calendar</a>. The pre-qualification form submission deadline for both editions is 1 September 2025.
Walking is the most popular form of physical activity in the world, and the World Race Walking Team Championships can help to promote healthy, safe and sustainable host cities and communities.
The World Race Walking Team Championships brings together the world&rsquo;s best race walkers to compete for their nations on the big stage. Held over one day, all the races take place on a flat 1-2km looped course with around 450 athletes from 55 countries.
The World Race Walking Team Championships in 2028 and 2030 will now feature the new marathon and half marathon races, along with the pre-existing U20 10km races, and the 2028 edition will be a qualifier for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The next edition of the World Race Walking Team Championships will be held in Brasilia, Brazil, on 12 April 2026.
World Athletics

The bidding process for the 2028 and 2030 editions of the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships is now open

Bidding process for 2028 and 2030 World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships opens

Win a VIP trip to World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25

Win a VIP trip to Tokyo

Having provided some of the standout moments at the past two editions of the London Athletics Meet, world champions Noah Lyles and Femke Bol return to the Wanda Diamond League meeting in the British capital on Saturday (19) looking to work their magic once more.
For the third year in a row, Lyles will take on Botswana&rsquo;s Letsile Tebogo, the world athlete of the year. Just 0.03 separated them when they clashed over 200m in London two years ago, Lyles winning in 19.47. When they raced in London last year, both men emerged with 100m PBs, Lyles once again winning, 9.81 to Tebogo&rsquo;s 9.88.
After a slightly delayed start to his Diamond League campaign, Lyles returned to action in Monaco last week and beat Tebogo over 200m, 19.88 to 19.97. The Olympic 100m champion will be keen to keep his London streak alive, but Tebogo will be fired up after their recent Monaco showdown.
On Saturday they will line up over 100m in a race that also includes South Africa&rsquo;s Akani Simbine, who finished in between Lyles and Tebogo in London last year. World indoor champion Jeremiah Azu, world 100m bronze medallist Zharnel Hughes and Jamaican duo Oblique Seville and Ackeem Blake are also part of the high-quality line-up.
Bol is another athlete who has fond memories of this meeting. The Dutch 400m hurdler broke 52 seconds for the first time when winning in London in 2023, clocking a Diamond League record of 51.45. She improved on that when winning in London last year with 51.30.
Fresh from clocking a world-leading 51.95 in Monaco, Bol will take on a field that includes USA&rsquo;s Jasmine Jones and Jamaica&rsquo;s Andrenette Knight.
Having broken 10.80 in her past three Diamond League races over 100m, Olympic champion Julien Alfred moves up to the 200m in London, where she&rsquo;ll be hoping to improve on her world-leading mark of 21.88. She&rsquo;ll face 2019 world champion Dina Asher-Smith, Olympic finalist Daryll Neita, Spanish record-holder Jael Bestue and Ireland&rsquo;s Rhasidat Adeleke.
In the men&rsquo;s 400m, world leader Zakithi Nene takes on Matthew Hudson-Smith and Muzala Samukonga, the Olympic silver and bronze medallists respectively.
<h2>Clash of the discus giants</h2>
In the men&rsquo;s discus, world record-holder Mykolas Alekna takes on the three men who, between them, have claimed every global title on offer from 2019 onwards.
Alekna, who won in Eugene at the start of the month, will take on two-time world champion Daniel Stahl, Olympic champion Roje Stona and 2022 world champion Kristjan Ceh, who has won his past nine competitions.
The men&rsquo;s long jump is of a similarly high quality as the field includes all of the medallists from the 2024 Olympics, 2023 World Championships and 2025 World Indoor Championships.
World leader Miltiadis Tentoglou, winner of multiple major titles, takes on world indoor champion Mattia Furlani, Australia&rsquo;s Liam Adcock, Swiss decathlete Simon Ehammer and leading Jamaican trio Tajay Gayle, Carey McLeod and Wayne Pinnock.
The women&rsquo;s event, meanwhile, brings together two-time world champion Malaika Mihambo, world indoor champion Claire Bryant, European indoor champion Larissa Iapichino, 2023 European indoor champion Jazmin Sawyers and world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
Elsewhere in the jumps, Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh takes on 2022 world champion Eleanor Patterson in the women&rsquo;s high jump, while world champion Katie Moon faces 2024 world indoor champion Molly Caudery in the women&rsquo;s pole vault.
<h2>World Championships 800m podium rematch</h2>
The three men who claimed the 800m medals at the 2023 World Championships will reunite over two laps in London.
Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who recently clocked a world-leading 1:41.44 in Monaco, will face world champion Marco Arop of Canada and world bronze medallist Ben Pattison. The field also includes Spanish record-holder Mohamed Attaoui and 2019 world champion Donavan Brazier.
Kenyan teenager Phanuel Koech has been one of the revelations of this season, having set a world U20 1500m record of 3:27.72 in Paris in what was just his second race over the distance, then following it with a 3:29.05 victory in Ostrava.
But the majority of the home crowd will be cheering on the likes of world champion Josh Kerr, British 3000m and 5000m record-holder George Mills and 2022 world champion Jake Wightman. Australia&rsquo;s Cameron Myers and Portugal&rsquo;s Isaac Nader will also fancy their chances, given their recent good form.
Two-time world champion Gudaf Tsegay returns to the scene of her 4:16.14 PB and headlines a women&rsquo;s mile field that also includes Olympic silver medallist Jessica Hull and Ethiopian youngster Birke Haylom.
A closely matched women&rsquo;s 800m field, meanwhile, features Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell, USA&rsquo;s Addison Wiley, 2019 world champion Halimah Nakaayi and Olympic finalist Shafiqua Maloney.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Having provided some of the standout moments at the past two editions of the London Athletics Meet, world champions Noah Lyles and Femke Bol return to the Wanda Diamond League meeting in the British capital on Saturday (19) looking to work their magic once more.

Lyles and Bol seek third successive London victories

<a href="#FR">fran&ccedil;ais</a>
Ten candidates have been announced for the six available seats on the&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/structure/commissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Athletes&rsquo; Commission</a> ahead of the elections at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 in September.
All athletes accredited for the World Championships in Tokyo will have the right to vote in the elections, which will take place before and during competition time &ndash; from 8-20 September.
This year&rsquo;s elections introduce an innovation in how voting will take place. For the first time, athletes can vote either in person or online. In addition, the extended voting period aims to give athletes who arrive later or depart earlier maximum opportunity to cast their votes.
As in previous years, World Athletics will offer relay batons to the athletes who vote in the elections.
To be eligible for election, athletes must have competed in at least one of the past two editions of the World Championships, or in the most recent Olympic Games, or be a competitor at this year&rsquo;s World Championships.
The six seats available for election in 2025 include the Deputy Chair position, which will be voted on by the Athletes&rsquo; Commission following the elections and once the membership is finalised.
The 10 candidates, in alphabetical order, are:
&nbsp;
<h4 style="text-align: left;"><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6877604b907790ab36080a34.jpg" alt="Mo&rsquo;ath Alkhawaldeh" align="left" /> <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jordan/moath-alkhawaldeh-14695995" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mo&rsquo;ath Alkhawaldeh</a></h4>
Jordan
&nbsp;
<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68775fa8274a50290270456c.jpg" alt="Andreas Almgren" align="left" /> <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/sweden/andreas-almgren-14460738" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andreas Almgren</a></h4>
Sweden
&nbsp;
<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6877602d907790ab36080a2e.jpg" alt="Lia Apostolovski" align="left" /> <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/slovenia/lia-apostolovski-14740139" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lia Apostolovski</a></h4>
Slovenia
&nbsp;
<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68776010907790ab36080a2b.jpg" alt="Joan Chelimo" align="left" /> <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/joan-chelimo-melly-14426302" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joan Chelimo</a></h4>
Romania
&nbsp;
<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6877603c907790ab36080a31.jpg" alt="Lisanne de Witte" align="left" /> <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/netherlands/lisanne-de-witte-14361462" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lisanne de Witte</a></h4>
Netherlands
&nbsp;
<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6877605b907790ab36080a37.jpg" alt="Ramil Guliyev" align="left" /> <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/turkey/ramil-guliyev-14178065" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ramil Guliyev</a></h4>
Turkiye
&nbsp;
<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68776072907790ab36080a3a.jpg" alt="Thea LaFond" align="left" /><a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/commonwealth-of-dominica/thea-lafond-14416826" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thea LaFond</a></h4>
Dominica
&nbsp;
<h4 style="text-align: left;"><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68775fb9274a50290270456f.jpg" alt="Anna Ryzhykova" align="left" /> <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ukraine/anna-ryzhykova-14304336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anna Ryzhykova</a></h4>
Ukraine
&nbsp;
<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68775ffc907790ab36080a28.jpg" alt="Hassan Taftian" align="left" /> <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/islamic-republic-of-iran/hassan-taftian-14421587" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hassan Taftian</a></h4>
Iran
&nbsp;
<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68775fca274a502902704572.jpg" alt="Gia Trevisan" align="left" /> <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/italy/giancarla-trevisan-14437220" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gia Trevisan</a></h4>
Italy
&nbsp;
The list of candidates and their profiles can be found in the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/documents/elections-appointments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Library</a>. The official campaign period will start on 25 August, allowing candidates to promote their own campaigns.&nbsp;
Results of the elections will be announced on the last day of the World Championships, 21 September.
The importance of athletes to decision-making within World Athletics was recognised and embedded into the World Athletics structures with the governance and integrity reforms approved in December 2016.
Since 2019, the Chairperson and one other member of the Athletes&rsquo; Commission &ndash; one man and one woman &ndash; have been full voting members of the World Athletics Council.
World Athletics
<hr />
<h1><a name="FR"></a>Les candidats aux &eacute;lections 2025 de la Commission des athl&egrave;tes d&eacute;voil&eacute;s</h1>
Dix candidats sont en lice pour les six si&egrave;ges &agrave; pourvoir au sein de la <a href="https://worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/structure/commissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commission des athl&egrave;tes de World&nbsp;Athletics</a>. Les &eacute;lections auront lieu lors des Championnats du monde de World&nbsp;Athletics Tokyo&nbsp;25, en septembre.
Tous les athl&egrave;tes accr&eacute;dit&eacute;s aux Championnats du monde de World Athletics Tokyo&nbsp;25 auront le droit de voter. Les &eacute;lections se d&eacute;rouleront avant et pendant la comp&eacute;tition, entre le 8 et le 20&nbsp;septembre&nbsp;2025.
Le d&eacute;roulement des &eacute;lections de cette ann&eacute;e inclut une nouvelle modalit&eacute;&nbsp;: pour la premi&egrave;re fois, les athl&egrave;tes accr&eacute;dit&eacute;s pourront voter soit en personne, soit en ligne. Par ailleurs, la p&eacute;riode de vote a &eacute;t&eacute; prolong&eacute;e afin de permettre au plus grand nombre d&rsquo;athl&egrave;tes de voter, y compris ceux arrivant tard ou repartant t&ocirc;t.
Comme les ann&eacute;es pr&eacute;c&eacute;dentes, World&nbsp;Athletics remettra un t&eacute;moin de relais &agrave; chaque athl&egrave;te ayant vot&eacute;.
Pour pouvoir se porter candidat &agrave; l&rsquo;&eacute;lection, un athl&egrave;te doit avoir pris part &agrave; l&rsquo;une des deux derni&egrave;res &eacute;ditions des Championnats du monde de World&nbsp;Athletics, ou aux Jeux olympiques les plus r&eacute;cents, ou concourir aux Championnats du monde de cette ann&eacute;e.
Les six si&egrave;ges &agrave; pourvoir par voie d&rsquo;&eacute;lections en 2025 incluent celui de vice-pr&eacute;sident de la commission. Ce poste fera l&rsquo;objet d&rsquo;un vote par les membres de la commission, une fois sa composition d&eacute;finitivement arr&ecirc;t&eacute;e &agrave; l&rsquo;issue des &eacute;lections.
Voici, par ordre alphab&eacute;tique, la liste des dix candidats&nbsp;:
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<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6877604b907790ab36080a34.jpg" alt="Mo&rsquo;ath Alkhawaldeh" align="left" /><a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jordan/moath-alkhawaldeh-14695995" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mo&rsquo;ath Alkhawaldeh</a></h4>
Jordanie
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<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68775fa8274a50290270456c.jpg" alt="Andreas Almgren" align="left" /><a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/sweden/andreas-almgren-14460738" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andreas Almgren</a></h4>
Su&egrave;de
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<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6877602d907790ab36080a2e.jpg" alt="Lia Apostolovski" align="left" /><a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/slovenia/lia-apostolovski-14740139" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lia Apostolovski</a></h4>
Slov&eacute;nie
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<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68776010907790ab36080a2b.jpg" alt="Joan Chelimo" align="left" /><a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/joan-chelimo-melly-14426302" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joan Chelimo</a></h4>
Roumanie
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<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6877603c907790ab36080a31.jpg" alt="Lisanne de Witte" align="left" /><a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/netherlands/lisanne-de-witte-14361462" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lisanne de Witte</a></h4>
Pays-Bas
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<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6877605b907790ab36080a37.jpg" alt="Ramil Guliyev" align="left" /><a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/turkey/ramil-guliyev-14178065" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ramil Guliyev</a></h4>
T&uuml;rkiye
&nbsp;
<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68776072907790ab36080a3a.jpg" alt="Thea LaFond" align="left" /><a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/commonwealth-of-dominica/thea-lafond-14416826" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thea LaFond</a></h4>
Dominique
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<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68775fb9274a50290270456f.jpg" alt="Anna Ryzhykova" align="left" /><a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ukraine/anna-ryzhykova-14304336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anna Ryzhykova</a></h4>
Ukraine&nbsp;
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<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68775ffc907790ab36080a28.jpg" alt="Hassan Taftian" align="left" /><a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/islamic-republic-of-iran/hassan-taftian-14421587" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hassan Taftian</a></h4>
Iran
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<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68775fca274a502902704572.jpg" alt="Gia Trevisan" align="left" /><a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/italy/giancarla-trevisan-14437220" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gia Trevisan</a></h4>
Italie
&nbsp;
La liste des candidats, accompagn&eacute;e de leurs profils, est disponible sur le site de World&nbsp;Athletics &agrave; la rubrique &laquo;&thinsp;Library&thinsp;&raquo; (<a href="https://worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/documents/elections-appointments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cliquer ici</a>). &Agrave; compter du 25&nbsp;ao&ucirc;t, date d&rsquo;ouverture de la campagne officielle, les candidats pourront promouvoir leur candidature.
Les r&eacute;sultats des &eacute;lections seront annonc&eacute;s le dernier jour des Championnats du monde, le 21&nbsp;septembre&nbsp;2025.
Les r&eacute;formes de gouvernance et d&rsquo;int&eacute;grit&eacute; de World&nbsp;Athletics, approuv&eacute;es en d&eacute;cembre&nbsp;2016, ont reconnu l&rsquo;importance de faire entendre la voix des athl&egrave;tes dans le processus d&eacute;cisionnel et l&rsquo;ont pleinement int&eacute;gr&eacute;e dans les structures de l&rsquo;organisation.
Depuis&nbsp;2019, le pr&eacute;sident de la Commission des athl&egrave;tes ainsi qu&rsquo;un autre membre, une femme et un homme, si&egrave;gent en tant que membres votants &agrave; part enti&egrave;re au sein du Conseil de World&nbsp;Athletics.
World Athletics

Ten candidates have been announced for the six available seats

Candidates announced for 2025 Athletes' Commission elections

<h3>&bull; Air quality map of city marathon identifies pollution hotspots, helping improve conditions for runners</h3>
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As part of the final phase of the Running for Clean Air project, the conditions at this year&rsquo;s Lagos City Marathon were assessed and analysed, providing insights to race organisers, runners, and city officials pinpoint as to where air quality needs urgent attention &ndash; and why.
A bike equipped with an air quality sensor followed the leading runners in the women&rsquo;s race at the Lagos Marathon in February. The 42km route cut through bustling markets, a busy bus terminal, across a 12km bridge, and into newer parts of the city, crossing the finish line within three hours.
The data collected produced striking heat maps showing pollution levels across the course. Green marked clean air, while red highlighted heavily polluted zones.
The World Athletics Health &amp; Science Department <a href="https://iaafmedia.s3.amazonaws.com/misc/Environmental%20report%20FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compiled all the findings from the Lagos City Marathon dynamic monitoring into a report</a>.
<div><img style="max-width: 400px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/687655a4876b2cce3b35e1e4.jpg" alt="Lagos heat map" />
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An excerpt from the heat map. The red area near the top shows a highly polluted area close to a bus terminal, where many commercial vehicles cause higher traffic pollution.
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<h2>Drawing on the project&rsquo;s findings</h2>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletics-better-world/air-quality/running-for-clean-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Running for Clean Air</a> is a World Athletics project, funded by the <a href="https://www.cleanairfund.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clean Air Fund</a>. It uses marathons as platforms to raise awareness and gather data on urban air pollution. By blending live monitoring with public outreach, the project encourages healthier cities and safer spaces for physical activity.
Launched in 2023, the project culminated with the Lagos Marathon but continues to make an impact. World Athletics has gifted the air-monitoring device to the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, ensuring the data keeps flowing.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/687667dba16715fc48b46f0c.jpeg" alt="A bike equipped with an air quality sensor at the Lagos Marathon" />
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A bike equipped with an air quality sensor at the Lagos Marathon
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&ldquo;We recognise that the Running for Clean Air mission aligns with our ambition and we want to appreciate this by taking on the commitment and use the data from the sensor for further environmental and public-health informed policy decision and intervention,&rdquo; said Babatunde Ajayi, General Manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency.
<h2>Community in action</h2>
During the six months, when Running for Clean Air was active in Nigeria&rsquo;s largest city, it was obvious that such a commitment from the government would be appreciated and supported by the local running communities. Led by a group of 10 project ambassadors, several fitness drives, runs, workshops, and speeches were organised. Their energy and grassroots support demonstrated how much the community values the air they breathe and how empowered they can be with the right tools and information.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WQq4WkzvYlU" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Lagos followed in the footsteps of <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletics-better-world/news/running-clean-air-warsaw-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Warsaw</a>, the first city to pilot the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletics-better-world/air-quality/running-for-clean-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">project</a>. It is hoped that other cities and race organisers will be inspired to join the clean air movement.

Air quality map of city marathon identifies pollution hotspots, helping improve conditions for runners

Running for Clean Air project concludes with striking findings in Lagos

As the countdown to the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 continues, we shine a spotlight on some of the podium sweeps that have lit up past editions of the global showpiece.
This five-part series continues with a look back at Kenya&rsquo;s dominance in the men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase in Athens in 1997.
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When it comes to single-nation dominance of an athletics discipline, few countries have managed to achieve the kind of stranglehold on an event like Kenya has with the steeplechase.
Between 1968 and 2016 (and not counting the years when they boycotted the Games), Kenya won every Olympic title in the men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase, achieving full podium sweeps in 1992 and 2004.
The east African nation has been similarly dominant at the World Championships. Kenyan athletes won the men&rsquo;s steeplechase at every edition between 1991 and 2019 &ndash; apart from 2003 and 2005 when gold went to Qatar&rsquo;s Saif Saaeed Shaheen, who was born and raised in Kenya.
Kenya has achieved three steeplechase podium sweeps at the World Championships, the first of which came in Athens in 1997.
That was a big year for both Kenya and Greece. Athens was a candidate city to host the 2004 Olympic Games, so local organisers naturally wanted to make a good impression with the World Championships in Athens. With crowd sizes growing from 45,000 to 70,000 throughout the championships, the event proved that Greece could generate a strong international athletics fan base.
The men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase was poised to be an interesting battle among three Kenyans who all held the world record in that event at some point that same year. Moses Kiptanui came in with the most accolades, having won the world titles in 1991, 1993 and 1995. He had also held the world record since 1992, and in 1995 he became the first man to break the eight-minute barrier. As the defending champion and world record-holder going into the championships, and having won all of his races that season, most eyes were on him.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/687649314f2570bbed3b8de8.jpg" alt="Wilson Boit Kipketer wins the 1997 world steeplechase title" />
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Wilson Boit Kipketer wins the 1997 world steeplechase title (&copy; Getty Images)
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The race got off to an aggressive start, with all competitors aiming to secure a good position at the front of the pack leading into the first water jump. Kiptanui, along with teammates Wilson Boit Kipketer and Bernard Barmasai, dictated the steady pace, while Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Saad Shaddad Al-Asmari and Morocco&rsquo;s Hicham Bouaouiche remained within striking distance.
Shortly before the final lap, Al-Asmari took the lead on the inside from Kiptanui. Coming to the bell, Kiptanui regained the lead by a slight margin, and the two Kenyans and the Saud Arabian followed closely for 200 metres. The Kenyan trio then dropped Al-Asmari with half a lap to go, and Kipketer, stuck behind both Barmasai and Kiptanui, attacked the water jump with fervour and used the momentum to storm past Kiptanui and take the victory. He closed his last lap in 57.5 and finished first in 8:05.84. Kiptanui and Barmasai ended in the same time of 8:06.04, and were given second and third places respectively.
Exactly one week after the World Championships final, Kipketer broke the world record in Zurich with 7:59.08, once again beating Barmasai and Kiptanui. In the aftermath of that race, former world record-holder Kiptanui said: &ldquo;When so many Kenyans start together in a race in this stadium, the only possibility is to expect a world record.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/687647dc4f2570bbed3b8de5.jpg" alt="Wilson Boit Kipketer, Bernard Barmasai and Moses Kiptanui at the 1997 World Championships" />
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Wilson Boit Kipketer, Bernard Barmasai and Moses Kiptanui at the 1997 World Championships (&copy; Getty Images)
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He wasn&rsquo;t wrong. Just 11 days later, Barmasai enjoyed his moment in the spotlight and a place in the history books, smashing the world record in Cologne with 7:55.72. Kiptanui finished second in 7:56.16, also well inside Kipketer&rsquo;s world record.
Athens would end up winning out, too. In September of that year, following a successful World Championships, the Greek capital won the bid to host the Olympics in 2004. And at those Games, Kenya would sweep the podium in the event again, this time led by Ezekiel Kemboi, who would later be coached by Kiptanui.
Hannah Borenstein for World Athletics

The 1997 World Athletics Championships marked the first of three Kenyan steeplechase sweeps

Sensational sweeps: Kenya in the men's steeplechase at the 1997 World Championships

Quincy Wilson improved his own world U18 400m best to 44.10, while T'Mars McCallum stormed to a 200m world lead of 19.73 at the Ed Murphey Classic, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event, in Memphis on Saturday (12).
Wilson, who turned 17 in January, took a tenth of a second off the world U18 best of 44.20 he set in Gainesville a year ago to win the race ahead of his US compatriot and fellow Olympic 4x400m gold medallist Bryce Deadmon (44.39). Jamaica&rsquo;s Delano Kennedy was third in 45.00.
Wilson&rsquo;s 44.10 is the joint fourth-fastest 400m in the world so far this season.
USA&rsquo;s McCallum ran 19.83 in Jacksonville in May and, like Wilson, the 21-year-old improved his previous best by a tenth of a second, clocking 19.73 (1.8m/s) for the fastest 200m in the world so far this year.
The performance saw him regain the world lead from Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, who clocked 19.76 in Eugene earlier this month.
McCallum also won the pre-programme 100m in Memphis 90 minutes earlier in a wind-assisted 9.87 (2.1m/s).
McKenzie Long won the women&rsquo;s 200m in 21.93 (1.2m/s) &ndash; the third-fastest performance of her career and again a tenth of a second off her PB set last year &ndash; to move to second on this season&rsquo;s top list. Favour Ofili was runner-up in 22.00.
Britton Wilson took the 400m in 50.54 and Alaysha Johnson the 100m hurdles in a wind-aided 12.27 (2.1m/s).
Shafiqua Maloney won the 800m in 1:58.13 ahead of Ajee&rsquo; Wilson (1:59.53). Carey McLeod soared 8.24m to top the long jump and world champion Laulauga Tausaga threw 62.38m to win the discus.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-continental-tour/calendar-results/7224867/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>
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Quincy Wilson improved his own world U18 400m best to 44.10, while T'Mars McCallum stormed to a 200m world lead of 19.73 at the Ed Murphey Classic

Wilson sets world U18 400m best, McCallum runs 200m world lead in Memphis

It was believed to be an unattainable height &ndash; a barrier that seemed physically impossible to reach.
Forty years ago today, Sergey Bubka defied the odds, and gravity, becoming the first pole vaulter ever to clear six metres. The 22-year-old pole vault prodigy soared to the world record at the Paris International Track and Field Meet, shattering his previous mark of 5.94m, set in Rome in August 1984.
Bubka slightly grazed the crossbar with his chest, but it remained in place. Thus the Ukrainian athlete, at the time competing for the former Soviet Union, notched his fifth career outdoor world record and second in the French capital. He received a standing ovation from the 5000 spectators in attendance at Jean Bouin Stadium.
&ldquo;Six metres was mission impossible, no one believed this could happen &ndash; it was like 21st Century,&rdquo; Bubka said, recalling the accomplishment during an interview to mark the 35th anniversary of the feat in 2020. &ldquo;The older generation 100% didn&rsquo;t believe someone could jump six metres in that period.
&ldquo;I missed my first two attempts and last attempt I cleared six metres and remember putting my finger up to show that I was the first,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This was a surprise for everyone including me. I didn&rsquo;t think I could do it that day in Paris.
&ldquo;It was a historical moment and very exciting competition. It was the evening before Bastille Day and it was big news in France &ndash; they said it was like Gagarin being the first man to go into space.&rdquo;
Ironically, Bubka wasn&rsquo;t even intending to compete at the Paris meet and only decided to take part the morning of. He had flown into the French capital from Moscow that morning and only planned to transit to another meet in Nice a few days later.
&ldquo;Suddenly, the head of the delegation said we have an opportunity for you to compete &ndash; it was just a small group of five to seven athletes,&rdquo; Bubka explained. &ldquo;I phoned to my coach (Vitaly Petrov) and asked his permission and advice and he said, &lsquo;no problem you can compete&rsquo;.
&ldquo;We arrived to Paris and went to the hotel around 11 in the morning &ndash; we didn&rsquo;t have time for anything and after a half hour to change clothes, we went to the competition at Jean Bois Stade.
&ldquo;I warmed up and thought that I have a competition in Nice in two days so I don&rsquo;t want to take too many jumps,&rdquo; he recounted. &ldquo;I cleared 5.70m and Philippe Collet also cleared 5.70, but I took the lead and won the competition with 5.70m. I thought why do I need to jump 5.90m like I usually do, let&rsquo;s try six metres.&rdquo; 
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The handwritten scoresheet of the&nbsp;Paris International Track and Field Meet, showing&nbsp;Sergey Bubka's six-metre vault, forms part of the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA) timeline tunnel gallery (1984-1999).
<h3><a href="https://worldathletics.org/heritage/mowa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit MOWA</a> </h3>
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 The six-metre vault was textbook &ndash; the fearless competitor nailed his plant and accelerated with perfect posture through the take-off phase, achieving the ideal reverse C position. Driving hard, his left leg acting as a pendulum, Bubka inverted at the right moment and rocketed skyward. He timed his turn to near perfection, gave a mighty push off the AMF Pacer pole and jack knifed over the crossbar. Despite a small brush of the bar, he flew over with room to spare.
&ldquo;It was a very good vault &ndash; very good running, very good rhythmics and good technique,&rdquo; Bubka recalled. &ldquo;I was in good shape when I came to France.&rdquo;
<h2>Lucky 13 &amp; the six-metre club</h2>
Interestingly, the astonishing leap in Paris was the second time Bubka had broken the world record on the 13th, having previously done so in London in July 1984. Bubka went on to break two more world records &ndash; one indoors, one outdoors &ndash; both on the 13th.
&ldquo;In my case, 13 was quite a lucky number &ndash; in Donetsk I lived on the 13th floor for many years and I did six metres on the 13th of July,&rdquo; Bubka said.
The 13 July 1985 six-metre jump was undoubtedly a breakthrough in Bubka&rsquo;s legendary two-decade pole vaulting career. He proceeded to win five additional world titles and Olympic gold in Seoul 1988. His biggest achievement prior to the historic six metre leap was winning the 1983 world title in Helsinki with a leap of 5.70m.&nbsp;
In total, Bubka broke 35 world records, his last coming indoors in his hometown of Donetsk, Ukraine, in February 1993, almost eight years after breaking the six-metre barrier.
To this day, just 28 other pole vaulters have joined Bubka in the exclusive six-metre club.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a little bit of a surprise to me that there are not many, but I believe we will see more as this young generation is very beautiful, great pole vaulters,&rdquo; he said in 2020, when the figure was 23.
<h2>Bubka on Duplantis</h2>
Bubka is certainly impressed by the prowess and untapped potential of Armand &ldquo;Mondo&rdquo; Duplantis, who has taken the pole vault world by storm, much like the Ukrainian legend did 40 years ago. Duplantis, 25, has so far improved the world record 12 times, most recently clearing 6.28m on home soil in Stockholm in June.
&ldquo;It is great for athletics that we have such a great guy, such a talent from such a devoted sporting family,&rdquo; Bubka said.
&ldquo;We need personalities who will lead and drive athletics to another level. I like Mondo and I wish him all the best because he has a really unique talent.&rdquo;
For Bubka, who has gone on to hold several leadership positions including World Athletics Senior Vice President, 13 July 1985 remains one of the most memorable days of his illustrious career, a game-changer for the event and beyond.
&ldquo;This was a new era for pole vault which opened new horizons, which gave belief for higher results over six metres,&rdquo; Bubka said. &ldquo;&ldquo;It was a historical day for athletics and human achievement, capability and possibilities for human beings.
&ldquo;This was something special and I&rsquo;m very proud and thankful for that.&rdquo;
Brian Pinelli for World Athletics&nbsp;
--
This feature was updated on 13 July 2025 to mark the 40th anniversary of Bubka&rsquo;s feat.

It was believed to be an unattainable height – a barrier that seemed physically impossible to reach.

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