logo
The Local Organising Committee of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 (LOC) held the primary meeting of the logo design selection committee on 21 February 2024 as the first step in the selection of the logo design for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 (WVH Tokyo 25) to be held in September 2025.
The logo being the symbol of the Championships, the LOC was accepting public submissions for the logo design to encourage people to take part in WCH Tokyo 25.
During the application period from 30 November 2023 to 15 January 2024, 368 logo design entries were received. After excluding works that do not meet the requirements of the entry requirements, the designs were narrowed down to 16 logos in the preliminary selection process. The committee has been tasked with assessing and ranking the selected designs by vote at its meetings.
The logo design selection committee is comprised of seven members: professional designers chairperson Masahiko Kimura, Kaori Akiyama and Henry Ho; track and field athletes Shingo Suetsugu (Japanese record holder in men’s 200 metres) and Chisato Fukushima (Japanese record holder in women’s 100 metres and 200 metres); and selected members of the public Tadashi Suminaga and Miki Takai.
Chairperson Kimura started the meeting by being the first to share an opening statement. “The logo for the WCH Tokyo 25 is not just a mere graphic symbol, but it needs to be compelling enough to pierce the hearts of many people.” he said. “Rather than being an exclusive group of professional designers, we are a team of individuals with different specialities and life experiences. This diversity will give us a tremendous advantage in choosing a design that will win the hearts of many. The athletes among us will look for designs that will provide encouragement to competing athletes, while the members of the public will consider which logo will resonate with spectators and drum up excitement. By consolidating our different perspectives, experiences and wisdom, we hope to deliver the most remarkable logo ever.”
Professional designer Kaori Akiyama then shared her insights, saying, “Colour is my speciality. Logos provide spaces with colour. They are also used for athletic wear and goods. As we select the logo, I hope to discuss with all of you what kind of effects logo marks produce.”
Said Henry Ho, also a professional designer: “I’ve engaged in design and branding around the world, so I hope to provide input based on my experience. The World Athletics Championships being a global event, I look forward to choosing an exciting logo that appeals to people all around the world, not only Japan.”
Shingo Suetsugu used his opening remarks to express his personal aspirations, saying, “I hope to contribute to the team by sharing my sensibility as an athlete living in a world where 1/100th of a second makes a big difference. We athletes are often a source of inspiration for other people. I hope we choose a logo that will touch people’s hearts.”
Chisato Fukushima said: “Having participated in the World Athletic Championships myself several times as an athlete, I feel thrilled to be able to take part in the logo selection. This is a refreshing experience for me. I hope that the logo we choose will motivate the participating athletes and encourage upcoming sportspeople to dream of competing in this Championships someday.”
Tadashi Suminaga, who was selected from applicants from the general public, was a member of the track and field club at his high school. Having been a spectator and fan of track and field competitions for over 25 years, he smiled broadly as he made his statement. “I am a very normal, ordinary person working as a corporate employee, so I feel honoured and grateful to have this opportunity,” he explained. “I hope we can select a design that will bring back memories of the event at a glance.”
Miki Takai, also a member of the public, was a spectator at the World Athletics Championships held in Osaka in 2007. She shared her hopes for the meeting, saying, “I’m excited to be able to once again experience the thrills and spills of the Championships, this time in Tokyo. I hope to choose a logo that will make both track and field fans and the general public look forward to the event.”
Following the opening remarks, the committee members began screening the candidate logos and quickly became engrossed in the task.
The logo will be selected at the secondary selection meeting in March, authorised by World Athletics, confirmed at a board meeting of the local organising committee, and unveiled in May 2024.