The CHill Zone of T&F: Conway's View From the Finish Line

Five to Watch in ’25

Jan 21st, 2025
7:30 am PST

As fireworks around the world signaled the beginning of 2025, the road to the Tokyo World Championships also began. Starting this year, the annual competitive calendar will end with the World Championships as the final competition of the year, scheduled to begin on September 13th in 2025. Between now and then much will happen. Indoor competition culminating in indoor championships for the NCAA and World Athletics. Followed by Relay meets, various Invitationals, the Diamond League, national championships, and assorted other competitions on the way to Tokyo. Along the way we’ll have the privilege of watching the world’s best athletes run, jump, and throw as they compete to become the world’s best at what they do. Following are five athletes that I believe beat watching on the road to Tokyo. Athletes that each have a story that makes their journeys unique.

Letsile Tebogo – Tebogo has been on a very steady path to stardom. He won two U20 100m titles and set the U20 WR of 9.91 in the process. His transition to “senior” competition was seamless, winning silver (100) and bronze (200) in his first World Championships in 2023. Then winning gold in the 200 in Paris last year. In the process he’s run 9.86, 19.46, 44.21, set a WR of 30.69 (300) and split 43.04! Quietly becoming the most versatile sprinter on the planet, and peaking my curiosity as to what he chooses to do this year. As a junior he dominated the 100m. He won his first senior gold medal in the 200m. However his 300m WR and relay splits (multiple under 44) say that he may be best over 200m or even 400m. So I’m ready to watch his journey towards Tokyo, because I’m certain that it will be both varied in events and therefore exciting to watch. Mostly I want to see just how fast he runs.

Abby Steiner – While Tebogo has had no hiccups in his career, Abby has had a few. She was injured in college, yet returned to become the best collegian ever over 200m, setting records both indoors (22.05) and outdoors (21.80). Culminating in NCAA titles in 2022, before winning the US title in 21.77, then winning two gold medals at Worlds in the 4×1 and 4×4. Then came another hiccup, a foot injury that slowed her to a 4th place finish at Nationals in ’23. Off season surgery on the foot, rehab, and a 5th place finish at the Olympic Trials. Followed by surgery on both feet to end 2024. Note that in spite of these issues, Abby ran 22.07 in ’23, and 22.03 last year – making her 8th globally in ’23 and 6th last year! So, in spite of the injuries and surgeries, she’s yet to drop out of the world’s top 10! It’s that fact, and Abby’s tenacious attitude and competitive nature, that lead me to believe that she’ll once again run under 22 seconds this year and earn a place in the Tokyo final. If that happens, she’ll be a medal threat. A journey that will be fun to watch.

Shelby Houlihan – Shelby’s road to 2025 hit a huge, hiccup when she failed a drug test in 2021 and was given a four year ban from the sport. Personally I was shocked as I saw her as the future of US middle distance running. Having set the AR in the 1500m at 3:54.99 at the World Championships in Doha in 2019. She’s served her four years and is ready to return and compete. Now there are those against her return. People that feel that anyone banned should never be allowed back in the sport. To that I could rattle off a long list of individuals that have served bans that many forget served them, including many “beloved” individuals. Some bans long, some short. Some record setters and record holders. Regardless of individuals personal feelings, once a ban in served, and the athlete has fulfilled the terms of the ban, which includes extensive testing to ensure their “cleanliness”, they are eligible to once again compete. So say the rules of the sport. Shelby has done so, and I’m looking forward to seeing her compete. At the end of the day, the sport is about competition, and is at its best, when the best compete. When she’s fit, Shelby is a fierce competitor that adds to this sport. Her journey in 2025 should be exciting to watch.

Juan Miguel Echevarria – Heading into the Tokyo Olympics, Echevarria looked ready to take over the long jump, with a legal best of 8.86m by the age of 21. A favorite heading into Tokyo, he was injured in the LJ final, still finishing 2nd, though he equalled the winning mark of 8.41m. Since then he’s been rehabbing, attempting to get back to competitive form. He left Cuba and went to Spain. Now 26 years old, he’s training with former World champion Ivan Pedroso, who is also coaching lady years Olympic triple jump champion, Jordan Diaz. Echevarria is scheduled to return to competition later this month and if healthy again is a game changer. That’s huge for an event where most major meets lately have been won around 8.50m.

Patrizia van Der Weken – Once upon a time European women dominated sprinting. Germany and the Soviet Union set all the records and won all the medals. That ended in the 90’s and since then seeing Europeans compete for medals has been rare. The last competitive euro in the 100m being Daphne Schippers in the ’10s. I think Ms van Der Weken could be next. The 5’8″ sprinter from Luxembourg, is technically solid from start to finish. She’s very focused and doesn’t seem to rattle, especially around the finish line. The kind of sprinter that makes finals and threatens the podium. She currently has bests of 7.07 (60m) and 11.00 (100m). Marks that I expect her to better in ’25.  The sport needs competitive European representation in the women’s short sprints. Personally I enjoy seeing more than just a US v Jamaican rivalry on the track. I think van Der Weken has the potential to enter that level of competition between now and LA ’28. A journey that could begin in earnest this year.

I wish good luck to these and others as the season begins. I’m going to try to periodically highlight top athletes as we head towards another World Championships.

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