Sekgodiso is on a high after becoming the indoor world champion in Nanjing this year – and now she's aiming to break the oldest world record in athletics.

The 23-year-old first wants to beat Caster Semenya's national record of 1 minute and 54,25 seconds, which is the fourth-fastest official time in history. But she also has her sights set on Czech runner Jarmila Kratochvilova's time of 1:53,28, a record that has remained unbeaten since 1983.

Tebogo's victory in the 200 meters at the Paris Olympics made history for his country and cemented the 22-year-old athlete as a global star.
American rival Noah Lyles finished third in the race after testing positive for Covid-19, which likely weakened him.

Noah Lyles gained revenge in last month's Diamond League final, coming from behind to overtake Tebogo before the finish line. The Botswanan athlete, meanwhile, has had an uneven season, battling a recurring hamstring injury, but believes he can improve despite being beaten by Lyles by 0,02 seconds in Zurich.

The 31-year-old is the golden girl of Kenyan athletics, a three-time Olympic gold medalist in the 1500 meters and a four-time world champion.
Kipyegon may have failed in his attempt to break the four-minute barrier in the mile earlier this year, but days later he broke his own world record in the 1500 meters.

She is defending her world titles at that distance and in the 5.000 meters and will be looking to make history, as no athlete has won gold in both distances at more than one World Championships.

The 25-year-old completed the Olympic double in the 5.000 meters and 10.000 meters in Paris last year and also holds both world records.
She became the first woman to break the 14-minute mark over the shortest distance in Eugene, USA, in July.

But Chebet has never reached the top of the podium at the World Championships, with a silver in the 5.000 meters in Oregon (USA) in 2022 and then a bronze in the same event in Budapest (Hungary) two years ago.

She will face stiff competition in both events, with Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay being the former 5.000m world record holder and reigning 10.000m world champion.

The 32-year-old athlete has been fighting to repeat his gold medal win in Budapest, Hungary, two years ago, when he triumphed with a jump of 17,64 meters.

Zango became his country's first Olympic medalist at the postponed 2020 Tokyo Games, winning bronze, but finished fifth at the Paris Games last year.

However, he won a bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, earlier this year. Will he achieve one last major result, with speculation swirling that he will attempt to retire after this World Championship?

The current world and Olympic champion in his sport, the man who broke Kenya's dominance in steeplechase racing now reigns supreme.
The 29-year-old athlete holds the world's fastest time this year, at 8 minutes and 0,7 seconds.

That's almost three and a half seconds slower than his personal best, but after victories in Eugene and Budapest, a hat-trick of world titles is now in El Bakkali's sights.

Germany's Frederik Ruppert is the only man to come within a second of the Moroccan's best time this season, but Ethiopia's world record holder Lamecha Girma, who suffered a nasty crash in the Olympic final in Paris, is also expected to challenge him.

Two Kenyans are seeking titles in the 800-meter race. The 21-year-old, from humble beginnings, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, is the reigning men's Olympic champion and has the world's fastest time this year, at 1:41.44.

Her compatriot Mary Moraa has struggled this season, but the 25-year-old hopes to reverse the streak of bad luck with a successful defense of her world title, won in Budapest.

In the marathon, Ethiopian Amane Beriso Shankule is the current women's champion, but the 33-year-old athlete only managed to finish fifth at the Paris Olympic Games. Let's see what she can do at this world championship.

Uganda's 25-year-old Victor Kiplangat faces the challenge of retaining his 26,2-mile world title after making just one appearance this year, at April's Boston Marathon where he finished 13th, where he will face 23-year-old Ethiopian Tadese Takele who has the fastest time this year at two hours, three minutes and 23 seconds, achieved in March.

The 2025 World Athletics Championships promise to be a showcase of African talent, with veterans and emerging athletes competing for medals and Africa's affirmation as a global power in the sport.

The coming days in Tokyo will reveal whether names like Kipyegon, Chebet, Tebogo, or El Bakkali cement their legends or whether new figures will surprise the world. Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain: Africa will continue to write decisive chapters in the history of world athletics.