The World Athletics Championships are a biennial athletics competition organized by World Athletics. Alongside the Olympic Games, they represent the highest level championships of senior international outdoor athletics competition for track and field athletics globally, including marathon running and race walking. Separate World Championships are held by World Athletics for certain other outdoor events, including cross-country running and half-marathon, as well as indoor and age-group championships.
The 1st World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between 7 and 14 August 1983.
Yvonne Carole Grace Murray-Mooney, is a Scottish former middle-distance and long-distance track and road-running athlete. She won a bronze medal in the 3000 metres at the 1988 Olympic Games, and gold medals at this distance at the 1987 European Indoor Championships, the 1993 World Indoor Championships and the 1990 European Championships. She also won a gold medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. Her 3000 metres best of 8:29.02 was set in the Olympic Final of 1988.
Natalya Voronova is a retired Russian sprint athlete who competed in the 100 and 200 metres for the Soviet Union and later Russia. A three time Olympian, she won an Olympic bronze medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay in 1988. She also won the 1992 World Cup 100 metres title, and a gold medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay at the 1993 World Championships.
Robert Emmiyan is a retired long jumper who represented the USSR and Armenia. He is the fourth best long jumper in history and the best long jumper not of African descent. His personal best jump of 8.86 metres, which he achieved in Tsaghkadzor in May 1987, is the current European record.
Larisa Korotkevich is a retired female discus thrower from Russia. Her personal best throw is 71.30 m, achieved on 29 May 1992 in Sochi. This mark ranks her 16th on the all-time discus rankings and, as of 2014, no woman has surpassed that mark since it was set.
Yuriy Makarovich Sergiyenko is a Ukrainian former track and field athlete who competed in the high jump. He competed internationally for the Soviet Union, the Unified Team, and finally Ukraine. His personal best of 2.34 m was set indoors in 1985 and he equalled that mark in 1993.
Lyubov Kremlyova is a Russian former middle- and long-distance runner who competed internationally both for the Soviet Union and Russia. She had her greatest success indoors, winning medals at the 1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships and 1992 European Athletics Indoor Championships. She was stripped of a second World Indoor medal in 1995 after a positive test for steroids.
Irina Slyusar is a Ukrainian former track and field sprinter. She represented the Soviet Union at the World Championships in Athletics in 1987 and 1991 – she was a relay bronze medallist on her debut, but was disqualified for doping on her second appearance. She was twice Soviet national champion in the 100 metres.
Sergey Valentinovich Smirnov was a Russian track and field athlete who competed in the shot put. He was a medallist at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 1987 and at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in 1986 and 1987. Smirnov represented the Soviet Union at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics.
The United States has competed at every edition of the World Athletics Championships since its inception in 1983. It has been the most successful nation at the global competition for track and field. By the end of the 2017 World Championships, its athletes had won a total of 385 medals, 168 of them gold – more than double that of the next most successful nation Kenya, as well as more than the combined total of the Soviet Union and post-Soviet states. It has been the top nation in the championships medal table at every edition bar 1983 and 1987, 2001 (Russia) and 2015 (Kenya). It also ranks number one on points in the national placing tables. As one of the foremost nations in the sport internationally, its delegations for the championships are among the largest. It also won the first title of "World Team Champions" inaugurated for the Oregon 2022.
Russia competed at every edition of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics 1993 to the 2017 World Championships, from which its athletes have been banned from competing as Russian. In order for Russian nationals to compete at the World Athletics Championship, they must be approved as authorised neutral athletes by the IAAF. Prior to 1993, Russian athletes competed for the Soviet Union. Russia has the second-highest medal total among nations at the competition (153), after the United States. At 47 gold medals, it holds the third-highest total after the United States and Kenya. It has had the most success in women's events and in field events. As a major nation in the sport of athletics, it typically sent a delegation numbering over 100 athletes.
Turkmenistan competed at the 2019 World Championships in Athletics in Doha, Qatar, from 27 September-6 October 2019, with their sole athlete, Irina Velihanova, competing in the women's 100m hurdles event.
Albania has competed at the IAAF World Athletics Championships on fifteen occasions, and did not send a delegation for the 1987 edition. Its competing country code is ALB. The country has not won any medals at the competition and as of 2017 no Albanian athlete has reached the top eight of an event. Its best performance is by Mirela Manjani, who placed twelfth in the 1995 women's javelin throw final. Manjani later won two gold medals competing for Greece.
Anguilla has competed at the IAAF World Athletics Championships on seventeen occasions, attending every edition since the 1983 World Championships in Athletics. Its competing country code is AIA. The territory has not won any medals at the competition. Its best performance is by Shara Proctor, who placed fifth in the women's long jump at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. Proctor later won a World Championships silver medal while competing for Great Britain.
Andorra has competed at the IAAF World Athletics Championships on thirteen occasions, all editions from the 1991 World Championships in Athletics onwards. Its competing country code is AND. The country has not won any medals at the competition and as of 2017 no Andorran athlete has reached the top eight of an event. Its best performance is by Antoni Bernadó, who placed 26th in the 2005 men's marathon.
Angola has competed at the IAAF World Athletics Championships on fourteen occasions, and did not send a delegation for the 2009 and 2017 editions. Its competing country code is ANG. The country has not won any medals at the competition and as of 2017 no Angolan athlete has reached the top eight of an event. Its best performance is by João N'Tyamba, who placed thirteenth in the 1999 men's 10,000 metres final.
Aruba has competed at the World Athletics Championships on eleven occasions. It did not send a delegation for the 1983 championships or the editions from 2001 to 2009. Its competing country code is ARU. The country has not won any medals at the competition and as of 2019 no Aruban athlete has reached the top eight of an event. Its best performance is by Cornelia Melis, who placed 21st in the 1991 women's marathon.
Bermuda has competed at the IAAF World Athletics Championships on thirteen occasions, and did not send a delegation from 2003 to 2007. Its competing country code is BER. The country has won one silver medal at the competition, through Brian Wellman's performance at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics men's triple jump. Bermudan athletes have placed in the top eight of an event on six occasions.
The Cook Islands has competed at the IAAF World Athletics Championships on fifteen occasions, and did not send a delegation for the 1999 World Championships in Athletics. Its competing country code is COK. The country has not won any medals at the competition and as of 2017 no Cook Islands athlete has progressed beyond the first round of an event. Its best performance is by Tereapii Tapoki, who placed twentieth in women's discus throw qualifying in 2005.
