More than 50 U20 athletes to compete at WCH Tokyo 25

More than 50 of the world’s top U20 athletes are entered to compete on the biggest stage at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 at the Japan National Stadium from 13 - 21 September.

A group of rising distance stars will take the spotlight in Tokyo as they compete for global glory. 18-year-old Kenyan, Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech, is among the top contenders for the podium in the men’s 1500m having run the second-fastest time in the world this year – a world U20 record of 3:27.72 in June. He’s joined in the U20 ranks by the short track 1500m world record holder, Cameron Myers, who will represent Australia in the midst of a breakout season. Kenya also has a U20 medal opportunity in the men’s 3000m Steeplechase with 17-year-old Edmund Serem. The world U20 champion has the fourth-fastest time on the entry list behind reigning champion Soufiane El Bakkali, Diamond League Final champion Frederik Ruppert, and two-time Olympic finalist Ryuji Miura. 

Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom, who holds world U20 records across five events from the 1500m to the 5000m, is entered in both the 1500m and 5000m. Haylom holds personal bests of 3:53.22 in the 1500 and 14:24.20 in the 5000m, putting her at No.10 and No.6 on the 2025 performance lists. Olympic finalist and world U20 record holder in the 10,000m and short track 3000m, Biniam Mehary, enters the 10,000m in Tokyo as the favourite. His biggest challengers for the throne are countrymen Selemon Barega and Berihu Aregawi, both of whom are Olympic medallists in the event. 

A rising star for the US, Cooper Lutkenhaus, is the youngest entrant in any individual men’s event at Tokyo. The 16-year-old ran a world U18 best of 1:42.27 to qualify for the Championships and could certainly be in medal winning form. 

With a personal best of 77.24m, China’s Jiale Zhang has the fifth-furthest mark on the Tokyo entry list behind a decorated list of throwers including the last three world champions, Camryn Rodgers, Brooke Andersen, and DeAnna Price. The 18-year-old improved upon the world U20 record earlier this year at the Chinese National Championships and could become the first U20 woman to medal in the event since its inception in 1999. 

More than a dozen promising young sprinters from across the world have been designated to their country’s relay teams and a standout bunch will take on the rounds in the individual events. Among those looking to shake up the sprint finals is Australia’s Gout Gout. The 17-year-old world U20 silver medalist from Queensland holds the outright Oceania record in the 200m at 20.02, set in Ostrava in June. Samuel Ogazi will look to improve on his seventh-place 400m finish from the Paris Olympic Games. Ogazi has a personal best of 44.41, a Nigerian record, and is currently ranked No.15 in the world. 

A full list of entries, as well as a timetable and results, can be found here.