World Athletics President Coe Meets with Governor Koike: "We’re Making Good Progress”

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe visited Japan and met with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, alongside the Local Organising Committee of World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 President Mitsugi Ogata, to seek cooperation for the upcoming World Championships.

President Coe expressed his admiration for Japan's outstanding performance at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, particularly the track and field team's remarkable achievements. "Let me congratulate Japan on the outstanding performance of your teams in Paris, both in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. That was a Herculean performance, and I'm delighted that again, the Japanese track and field team performed with distinction", he praised. Coe also highlighted the progress in ticket sales, noting that 170,000 tickets have already been sold, indicating strong momentum as preparations move forward smoothly.

Additionally, Coe welcomed the announcement of seventh sponsor company for Tokyo 25, calling it "a significant milestone," which reflects the popularity of athletics in Japan. He stated, “my ambition as the president of World Athletics is to have a full stadium at our championships”.

Regarding the recent "One Year to Go" event hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Coe applauded the initiative, saying, “congratulations on the huge success of your celebrations and the key messaging, particularly to local communities".

Governor Koike reaffirmed Tokyo's commitment, stating, "We will make every effort to ensure that the championships will leave a lasting legacy for the future of Tokyo". She also requested continued close collaboration with World Athletics. The LOC president Ogata expressed his vision, saying, "We’re creating an environment where all athletes can showcase their best performances in front of packed crowds".

Later that day, President Coe visited President of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, Satoshi Udagawa, who welcomed him and noted, "We hope to share Japanese culture with the world at next year’s World Athletics Championships, something we didn’t fully accomplish during Tokyo 2020". Udagawa further emphasized the Assembly’s commitment to supporting the event.

The World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 will be held from September 13 to 21, 2025, with the Japan National Stadium serving as the main venue.