Is this a new era of Australian Athletics? If public and media interest since the Paris Games are anything to go by, it certainly seems so. Bruce McAvaney thinks it is. Australia’s broadcasters appear to agree, and have invested in the TV rights for the upcoming world championships to capitalise on the interest. So, whether you are a rusted on follower of all things athletics or new to the scene, lured by a certain Ipswich teenager, here is everything you need to know about following world championships from Australia, which start on Saturday.
Where is the World Athletics Championships 2025?
The biennial event will be held in Tokyo, Japan, for the second time since its inception in 1991. More than 2,000 athletes from about 200 countries will descend on Japan National Stadium in Shinjuku City from 13 to 21 September to take part in athletics’ most prestigious event outside the Olympics.
How can I watch the event live in Australia?
Unusually, two free-to-air channels will screen all nine days of competition, with Nine and SBS securing the rights. The championships will be available on 9Now, rather than Nine’s main channel, and on SBS On Demand.
Increased Australian coverage of the event is expected across the board, with more that twice the number of accredited journalists compared with the 2023 edition in Hungary.
Guardian Australia’s Jack Snape is on the ground in Tokyo with fellow sports reporter Sean Ingle to cover off every local and international angle from the championships.
Unlike the Paris Olympics, the time difference with Tokyo puts the main events at primetime in Australia. The morning sessions start at 9am AEST (8am local) and the evening sessions start at 7pm AEST (6pm local).
Which athletes are representing Australia?
Australia is sending a record 88 athletes to the championships in Tokyo. Gout Gout will make his senior national debut, after impressing in his first European outings in Ostrava and Monaco recently. But notable late withdrawals include Nina Kennedy, Lachlan Kennedy and Jemima Montag.
Gout Gout will make his national team debut in Tokyo when he races in the men’s 200m heats. Photograph: Petr David Josek/AP
Who are Australia’s best medal chances?
In-form high jumper Nicola Olyslagers, fresh from claiming the Diamond League crown, looms as a genuine gold medal contender, while Olympic bronze medallist Matt Denny will be hoping to better his result in Paris. Middle distance queen Jess Hull is knocking on the door of the dominant African runners in the 1500m and Kurtis Marschall – bronze medallist at the last world championships – will again make a bid to reach the podium in the pole vault. Other athletes who have been tipped for top-10 finishes are Liam Adcock, Olivia Sandery, Eleanor Patterson, Linden Hall, Peter Bol, Rhydian Cowley and Mackenzie Little, along with both the men’s and women’s 4x100m relay teams. But these championships will likely come too soon for Gout to claim a medal.
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What events should I look out for?
The competition starts with the men’s and women’s 35km race walk on Saturday and finishes with the 4x100m relays nine days later. Other notable events to watch out for include:
Saturday: day one
9am: men’s and women’s 35km walk final (Rhydian Cowley, Will Thompson, Mitchell Baker; Olivia Sandery, Allanah Pitcher, Bec Henderson)
Sunday: day two
11.13pm: women’s 100m final (Bree Rizzo, Torrie Lewis, Ella Connelly)
11.20pm: men’s 100m final (Rohan Browning, Josh Azzopardi)
Monday: day three
9.10pm: men’s pole vault final (Kurtis Marschall)
Tuesday: day four
9.35pm: men’s high jump final (Yual Reath, Brandon Starc, Roman Anastasios)
11.05pm: women’s 1500m final (Sarah Billings, Jess Hull, Linden Hall)
Wednesday: day five
9.15pm: men’s 200m heats (Gout Gout, Caleb Law, Aiden Murphy)
9.50pm: men’s long jump final (Liam Adcock, Chris Mitrevski)
Thursday: day six
10.02pm: men’s 200m semi-finals (Gout Gout, Caleb Law, Aiden Murphy)
Friday: day seven
11.06pm: men’s 200m final (Gout Gout, Caleb Law, Aiden Murphy)
11.22pm: women’s 200m final (Torrie Lewis, Mia Gross, Kristie Edwards)
Saturday: day eight
10.45am: men’s 20km walk final (Rhydian Cowley, Declan Tingay, Tim Fraser)
10.05pm: women’s javelin final (Mackenzie Little, Lianna Davidson)
10.50pm: men’s 800m final (Peter Bol, Peyton Craig, Luke Boyes)
11.05pm: women’s 5000m final (Rose Davies, Linden Hall, Georgia Griffith)
Sunday: day nine
8.30pm: women’s high jump final (Eleanor Patterson, Nicola Olyslagers, Emily Whelan)
8.35pm: women’s 800m final (Abbey Caldwell, Claudia Hollingsworth, Jess Hull)
9pm: men’s discuss final (Matt Denny)
10.10pm: women’s 4x100m relay
10.20pm: men’s 4x100m relay
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