Athletics is a group of sporting events that involves competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross-country running, and racewalking.
The Czech Republic will compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 22 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. Decathlete Roman Šebrle and javelin thrower Barbora Špotáková enter the competition as the reigning champions and current world record holders.
Belarus will compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 26 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. Among the stronger members of the team are reigning Olympic hammer throw champion Aksana Miankova and 2008 Olympic silver medallists Andrei Krauchanka and Natallia Mikhnevich.
Canada competed at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 31 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. The team includes the 2007 World Championships silver medallists Perdita Felicien and Gary Reed.
The Netherlands competed at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 15 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. The team included 2006 European champion Bram Som and two-time European Indoor medallist Gregory Sedoc.
Estonia competed at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 19 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. The team includes reigning Olympic discus throw champion Gerd Kanter and European Indoor champions Mikk Pahapill and Ksenija Balta.
Finland competed at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, 15–23 August 2009. A team of 20 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. The selected athletes had achieved at least one of the competition's qualifying standards. The team failed to win any medals; defending world champion javelin thrower Tero Pitkämäki managed only a fifth-place finish.
Belgium will compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 23 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. The team features a women's 4 x 100 metres relay, which won medals at the 2007 World Championships, and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Morocco will compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 21 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. The squad includes two-time marathon champion Jaouad Gharib, and twice 800 metres silver medallist Hasna Benhassi.
Spain will compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 51 athletes, 36 men and 16 women, was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. Included in the squad are 2007 World Championships race walk medallists Paquillo Fernández and María Vasco. Marta Domínguez, a 3000 metres steeplechase specialist, enters the competition as the world leader in her event.
Japan will compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 57 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. Koji Murofushi, Yuki Yamazaki, and the athletes from the Marathon team are considered the country's best medal chances.
Ireland competed at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15 to 23 August 2009. A team of 14 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. The team included European medallists Derval O'Rourke and David Gillick, and 2008 Olympic finalists Eileen O'Keeffe, Rob Heffernan and Roisin McGettigan.
Germany will compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August as the host nation. A team of 92 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition, but current women's Marathon world leader Irina Mikitenko and hurdler Thomas Goller withdrew from the Championships. Mikitenko was replaced by the current European Champion Ulrike Maisch. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. Six out of the seven medallists for Germany from the last Championships are competing, including the gold medallists Betty Heidler and Franka Dietzsch. Women's high jump world leader Ariane Friedrich and European record holders Christina Obergföll and Sebastian Bayer are among Germany's other aspiring medallists.
Cuba will compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 35 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. Triple jumper Yargelis Savigne enters the competition as the reigning World Champion, while Olympic champion and world record holder Dayron Robles aims to gain his first World Championship medal. Decathlete Leonel Suárez is the world leader in his event in the run up to the competition. The three entrants for the men's triple jump are also among the strongest athletes in their event this year.
Kenya will compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 43 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. The Kenyan team, characteristically strong in the middle- and long-distance running events, includes reigning world champions Alfred Yego and Janeth Jepkosgei, and reigning Olympic champions Pamela Jelimo, Nancy Jebet Lagat, and Brimin Kipruto.
Poland competed at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15 to 23 August. A team of over 40 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. The squad includes both Polish athletes who were 2008 Olympics medalists: Tomasz Majewski, and Piotr Małachowski. Anna Rogowska and Szymon Ziółkowski also participated in the Championships. In the women's hammer throw, Anita Włodarczyk of Poland won gold medal with a distance of 77,96m, which is a new world record.
Greece competed with 21 athletes at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, 15–23 August 2009 in Berlin, Germany. The team won no medals.
Turkey competes at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15 to 23 August in Berlin. A team of 12 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition.
Sweden will compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 23 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards.
Syria competed at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 2 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition.
