Every major competition has stories, beginning with, who did, who didn’t, and why not. Tokyo will be no different. When the smoke settles there are certain to be several stories that will flood the internet. This has been an incredibly long season, and build up to the World Championships. Long enough for stories to develop along the way. Here are some to watch before things get started.
Let’s begin with this year’s wunderkind, Cooper Lutkenhaus. The sixteen year old that finally took down the American high school 800m record, that had stood for twenty nine years. Not just breaking it however, obliterating it. Going from 1:46.45, to a mind numbing 1:42.27 at the World Championships Trials, while talking second place and booking his ticket to Tokyo! What happens there is anybody’s guess.
So let’s talk about the men’s 800m, because it is full of stories. Yes there is Lutkenhaus and the potential of what he will do. Maybe make the final, maybe medal. The man he was second to in Eugene has his own tale that’s been building. The former AR holder and 2019 World champion, Donovan Brazier was the American hope in the event until he became injured in 2021. He’s been battling back since, finally returning to form this year. He heads to Worlds with a new PB to face the deepest group of half milers the world has ever seen. Led by Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the second fastest 800m runner in history. This event was electric last year, and could be even better in Tokyo.
The beauty of track and field lies in the competition. The 800m could have eight men in contention heading into the final stretch. The women’s 100m on the other hand has been dominated by two women this year that appear to be headed on a collision course in Tokyo – Olympic champion Julien Alfred and American champion Melissa Jefferson Wooden. Melissa and “Juju” have been winning everything in both the 100m and 200m. They went head to head in the 100m earlier in the season with Melissa winning by a step. They enter Tokyo as the =5 (Melissa 10.65) and =9 (Juju 10.71) fastest women in history. The final of the women’s 100m will be one of the most anticipated races of the meet.
Such is the excitement and allure of the 100m, the race to determine the fastest humans on the planet. The men’s version will be just as exciting bringing back the first two finishers in Paris, Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson. Two men that were separated by only .005 sec in the Olympic Games! While they will face off in Lausanne prior to Tokyo, it’s championship running that ultimately determines who’s best – winning in the crucible of the most intense competition! While to “biggest” rivalry in this race will be between Noah and Kishane, there appears to be another rivalry brewing within the men’s 100m. This one between Noah and Kenny Bednarek. At the US World Championships Trials, Noah and Kenny went head to head in the 200m. This after Kenny won the 100m in Noah’s absence – Noah had a bye to Worlds and chose to only compete in the 200m. Running Kenny down in the stretch of the 200m, Noah stared at him as he passed him for the win. An act that apparently angered Kenny who proceeded to shove Noah after the finish line, causing an exchange of words. We will see if this anger is carried forward to Japan.
Hopefully not, as it could potential affect another story brewing, that being the men’s 4×1. An event once dominated for decades by the US, but recently bouts of success, mixed with complete failure. Wins in 2019 and 2023, flanked by losses in 2021, 2022, and 2024. The one caveat being that when Noah is on the track in the anchor position, we win. Similar to Jamaica during Bolt, I mention this because, the south within the story is the difficulties of the Jamaican men post Bolt. It’s been so difficult for Jamaica that they did not qualify for Worlds at the World Relays qualifying meet. Twice failing to get the baton to the finish line. They finally qualified just before the cut off period in a European competition. Tokyo will find the world’s two top sprint powers trying to get the baton around the track. Stay tuned.
Let’s look at a few individuals before I close this out. Starting with Sha’Carri Richardson, who has seemingly become an annual story. This year she was injured early and has been fighting back, trying to reach
form. She’s also been fighting with her boyfriend (Christian Coleman) including publicly in the Seattle airport on their way to Eugene. Resulting in arrest and an overnight stay for Sha’Carri. All I will say, is that Sha’Carri is the defending 100m champion and one of the most talented athletes in the sport. The story should be about her being in the conversation with Melissa and Juju, and not another story about things she must overcome to get there. Hopefully post Tokyo we are discussing the former.
The women’s sprints are laden with stories. The most important being, what will we see from the Jamaican women. Their “studs” – Elaine Thompson Herah, Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, and Shericka Jackson – didn’t make it to a final in Paris. We’ve not seen Elaine at all this year, while Shelly and Shericka have been sub par. To the point where, with both on the 4×1 at Worlds Relays in conjunction with the Clayton twins, they struggled to get third. They’ve not looked any better since, and I’m wondering if they will have any impact in Tokyo. We could be watching the changing of the guard in real time.
I’ve mentioned some women, it’s time for a couple of men. First Grant Holloway. He’s had a rough year, not winning a final yet in four attempts. This following his Olympic win where he got the gold medal that had eluded him in 2021. As the defending champion he has a bye to Tokyo. The question is, can he pull it together and win again? Another defending champion without a win in 2025 is Ryan Crouser, who watched his top rival go from first to fourth at our World Championships Trials. This in the final two rounds after leading the competition thru four. Crouser had yet to win, because he had yet to throw. Should he appear in Japan it will be his first, and only competition of the year. The very definition of, pressure.
Ok, I refuse to close on a negative note, so here are two more races that best watching.
First, the women’s 400m. It’s been very competitive for several seasons now, and got very interesting when Sydney McLaughlin Levrone decided to compete in the event at Worlds. Her entry brings a lot of attention to a race that already had the 3rd (Naser, 48.14), 4th (48.17), 8th (Pryce, 48.57) and 15th (Bukowieka, 48.90) fastest women in history competing. Sydney joins them as the 12th fastest at 48.74. This used the potential to be the deepest race in 400m history.
Finally I must mention the men’s 400H. At the last championship in Tokyo, the Olympics, this was the highlight event of the meet as Karsten Warholm won in an incredible WR of 45.94. The top three men from that race, and the fastest in history are headed back for a redo – Warholm, Rai Benjamin, and Alison dos Santos. For the past several seasons, they’ve been rewriting the standards for the race. This year’s edition promises to be another exciting race.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, this is going to be one for the ages. Definitely just see TV!