The 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo are set to be a spectacular showcase of talent, with over 2,200 athletes from across the globe competing for glory. Among them, a host of African stars are poised to make their mark on the world stage. The event, scheduled from September 13 to 21, will feature some of the most celebrated names in track and field, including Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, and South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso.
Faith Kipyegon, the reigning world champion in the 1500m and 5000m, is one of the most decorated athletes in Kenyan history. With three Olympic gold medals and four world titles to her name, Kipyegon is aiming to defend her titles and make history by becoming the first athlete to win gold in both distance events at more than one World Championships. Despite a recent setback in her attempt to break the four-minute mile barrier, Kipyegon shattered her own 1500m world record earlier this year, proving her dominance in the sport.
Prudence Sekgodiso, the 23-year-old South African middle-distance runner, is on a mission to break one of the oldest world records in athletics. After becoming the World Indoor champion in Nanjing earlier this year, Sekgodiso has set her sights on surpassing Caster Semenya’s national record of 1:54.25 and Czech runner Jarmila Kratochvilova’s long-standing world record of 1:53.28. ‘I just have to believe and know what I want and train hard for it,’ Sekgodiso told the BBC World Service. ‘It’s doable, but it’s a long-term goal for me.’
Letsile Tebogo, the 22-year-old Botswanan sprinter, made history at the Paris Olympics by winning the 200m gold medal. Despite a mixed season marred by a recurring hamstring injury, Tebogo remains optimistic about his chances in Tokyo. ‘I feel there is still a lot more in the tank that people need to see,’ he said. Tebogo, who claimed silver in the 200m and bronze in the 100m at the last World Championships in Budapest, will compete in both events again, aiming to showcase his true potential.
Other notable African athletes include Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet, who completed the Olympic double in the 5000m and 10,000m in Paris last year, and Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele, who clocked the fastest marathon time this year in Tokyo. With such a stellar lineup, the 2025 World Athletics Championships promise to be an unforgettable event, showcasing the best of African talent on the global stage.