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World Championships.

Track and field's world championships, first held in Helsinki in 1983. Every two years since 1991. Where shown, the winner is the nation that topped the medal table.

FIRST · 1983 FINNEXT · 2027 BEIJING, CHINA20 EDITIONS2 CHAMPIONSMIXED
EDITIONS COMPLETED
1983 → 2025
20
MOST TITLES
United States · 6 titles
USA
NEXT EDITION
Beijing, China · Sep 2027
2027
A sprinter in the starting blocks on a blue track
Photo: Envato Elements
QUICK ANSWERS

World Championships: the short version.

Which nation topped the medal table at the last World Athletics Championships?
United States topped the medal table in 2025 in Tokyo, Japan.
When and where is the next World Athletics Championships?
The next World Athletics Championships is in Beijing, China, starting Sep 2027.
How many times has the World Athletics Championships been held?
20 times, from 1983 to 2025.
01 · TIMELINE

Drag the scrubber. Travel 44 years.

Each node opens that edition's full report.

EDITION
2025
HOST
Tokyo, Japan
TOP NATION
United States
THE STORY
The United States won 16 golds. Mondo Duplantis cleared 6.30m in the pole vault.
FULL REPORT →
1983
1987
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2022
2023
2025
United States
2027
◀ DRAG · ARROW KEYS · OR TAP ▶
03 · THE RECORD

Every edition.

Host cities, headline moments and, where shown, the nation that topped the medal table.

YEARHOSTTOP NATIONHEADLINE
2027Beijing, ChinaUPCOMING—
2025Tokyo, JapanUnited StatesThe United States won 16 golds. Mondo Duplantis cleared 6.30m in the pole vault.
2023Budapest, HungaryUnited States—
2022Eugene, United StatesUnited StatesThe first championships in the United States. Sydney McLaughlin ran 50.68 in the 400m hurdles.
2019Doha, QatarUnited StatesThe first championships in the Middle East.
2017London, EnglandUnited StatesUsain Bolt's last championships.
2015Beijing, ChinaKenyaKenya topped the medal table for the first time.
2013Moscow, Russia——
2011Daegu, South Korea—Bolt was disqualified for a false start in the 100m final.
2009Berlin, GermanyUnited StatesUsain Bolt ran 9.58 and 19.19, both still world records.
2007Osaka, Japan—Tyson Gay won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m.
2005Helsinki, Finland—A return to the first host city.
2003Paris, France——
2001Edmonton, Canada—The first championships in North America.
1999Seville, Spain—Michael Johnson ran 43.18 for a 400m world record.
1997Athens, Greece——
1995Gothenburg, Sweden—Jonathan Edwards set the triple jump world record of 18.29m.
1993Stuttgart, Germany—Colin Jackson ran 12.91 for a 110m hurdles world record.
1991Tokyo, Japan—Mike Powell jumped 8.95m, still the long jump world record.
1987Rome, Italy—Ben Johnson ran 9.83 in the 100m. The result was later annulled.
04 · STATS

The numbers, drawn.

Pick a metric. Titles are counted by the name the team competed under.

TIMES TOP OF THE TABLE
USA
6
KEN
1
06 · TRIVIA

Hover or tap to flip.

Facts we'd bet on at the pub. Test yourself.

07 · WHAT'S NEXT

Future editions.

ATHLETICS325 DAYS
Athletics World Championships 2027
Beijing, China
SEP 2027