The World Athletics Championship is the highest level of senior international outdoor track and field competition in the sport of athletics. It is organised by the IAAF, formerly the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) and held every two years since its inception in 1983, a month and a half after the Olympic Games. The top three athletes in each event receive gold, silver and bronze medals respectively. It is a major sporting event and the third most popular in the world behind the Olympic Games and football’s World Cup. The IAAF created the World Championships in response to the International Olympic Committee dropping the men’s 50 km walk from the Olympic programme for the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

The 2023 edition in Tokyo was an exciting one with a number of multi-medallists and a host of new personal bests. USA’s Melissa Jefferson-Wooden became only the second female sprinter after Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to win a sprint treble and then formed part of the US women’s 4x100m team that took a historic world title. Noah Lyles won the male title in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m, and Faith Kipyegon earned a 1500m and 5000m double.

The final day in the Japan National Stadium produced plenty of excitement, with a new world record in the women’s 400m hurdles and an incredible dramatic finish in the men’s 3000m steeplechase as Geordie Beamish ran down Soufiane El Bakkali to secure his first ever global medal. El Bakkali had looked unbeatable with 800m remaining, but Beamish unleashed his trademark devastating kick to pass the Moroccan and win in a remarkable 1-2 finish.