Adrianna Sułek-Schubert will target her fourth heptathlon win at the Wiesław Czapiewski Memorial when she returns to the World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold event in the Polish town of Nakło nad Notecią this weekend (11-12).
She goes up against Austria&rsquo;s 2019 world bronze medallist Verena Mayr, while the decathlon features Czechia&rsquo;s world indoor fourth-place finisher Vil&eacute;m Str&aacute;sk&yacute;.
Sułek-Schubert defends her heptathlon title. The 2022 European silver medallist was coached by the late Wiesław Czapiewski, in whose honour the meeting is held. She set a meeting record of 6290 at the inaugural edition in 2022, then scored 6007 to win in 2024 and went close to her meeting record with 6287 to retain her title last year.
The 27-year-old started her first heptathlon of the year in Warsaw at the end of last month but withdrew after clocking 13.85 in the hurdles due to illness. She finished fourth at her home World Indoor Championships in Toruń in March, four years on from her pentathlon silver in Belgrade, her performances in Toruń including a shot put PB of 14.89m.
Mayr was third in Nakło nad Notecią with 6159 last year and also returns. The 31-year-old opened her outdoor season by contesting the shot put and high jump in Grenoble in May and lines up for her first heptathlon of the year.
She is joined by her compatriot Sarah Lagger, who won at the Austrian Combined Events Championships last month with a score of 5950, as well as Sweden&rsquo;s Bianca Salming and Erika W&auml;rff, who set a PB of 6271 at the G&ouml;tzis Hypomeeting in May.
Ad&eacute;la Tk&aacute;čov&aacute; is also in PB form &ndash; she scored 6227 to win at the Czech Combined Events Championships last month.
In the decathlon, Str&aacute;sk&yacute; returns looking to go one better than his runner-up finish in a PB of 8136 last year. The 2023 World University Games champion is back in combined events action for the first time since finishing fourth at the World Indoor Championships with a heptathlon PB of 6188. That followed his fifth-place finish at the World Indoor Championships in 2025 and sixth place the year before that.
He sits second on the entry list to French 22-year-old Maxime Moitie-Charnois who set a PB of 8156 to finish second at the French Championships in Talence last year. He scored 7975 in G&ouml;tzis in May.
Lithuania&rsquo;s Edgaras Benkunskas finished second to Str&aacute;sk&yacute; at the World University Games three years ago and faces him again, contesting his first decathlon of the year.
Puerto Rico&rsquo;s Yariel Soto set a PB of 8032 when finishing second in Arona last year, while Czechia&rsquo;s Adam Havl&iacute;ček was just five points off that mark with the PB of 8027 he achieved in Brno, also last month.&nbsp;
<h3>Leading entries</h3>
Women&rsquo;s heptathlon Adrianna Sułek-Schubert (POL) 6672 Verena Mayr (AUT) 6591 Erika W&auml;rff (SWE) 6271 Ad&eacute;la Tk&aacute;čov&aacute; (CZE) 6227 Sarah Lagger (AUT) 6225 Bianca Salming (SWE) 6185 Anastasia Ntragkomirova (GRE) 6163 Lovisa Karlsson (SWE) 6146 Edyta Bielska (POL) 6062
Men&rsquo;s decathlon Maxime Moitie-Charnois (FRA) 8156 Vil&eacute;m Str&aacute;sk&yacute; (CZE) 8136 Edgaras Benkunskas (LTU) 8098 Yariel Soto (PUR) 8032 Adam Havl&iacute;ček (CZE) 8027 Finley Gaio (SUI) 8022 Zsombor G&aacute;lp&aacute;l (HUN) 8006

Adrianna Sułek-Schubert will target her fourth heptathlon win at the Wiesław Czapiewski Memorial when she returns to the World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold event

Sułek-Schubert to defend Czapiewski Memorial title

Jake Wightman has long had a love of coffee. So, the 2022 world 1500m champion and his fellow athlete Zak Seddon set up their own business, Last Rep Coffee, which is the global supplier for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. In the build-up to Budapest, Wightman sat down to talk about his other working life in a new series, Side Track.
<h3>How is the business going?</h3>
We&rsquo;re pretty proud of it. We started when I was in Tokyo during the World Championships last year, which probably wasn&rsquo;t the best timing, but there&rsquo;s been a lot of good and exciting opportunities in the first year. I think it&rsquo;s been a lot sooner than expected.
<h3>What&rsquo;s the ethos behind it?</h3>
Zak and I planned it for three years and getting the brand right and how we wanted it was the hardest part. We wanted fun and personality and to adapt to what people want &ndash; an athlete, team organisations, a meeting, to provide unique opportunities for that. We realised that the real power was coming to an event and creating a space where it feels part of the occasion rather than a separate company. For example, we&rsquo;ve got bags with beans from Budapest &ndash; from local roasters &ndash; and merch from the Ultimate Championship but every one has a different story. This one is a story pertinent to me too as I&rsquo;m trying to get to the championship as well as an athlete. Essentially, we&rsquo;re a platform to bring people together with coffee and have a good time.
<h3>What was the origin story behind the business?</h3>
Many athletes have coffee as a big part of their lives. There&rsquo;s a lot of free time and we meet other athletes and friends, and chatting about anything other than the sport is a nice way to switch off. So, there&rsquo;s that social element but also a performance association as to why people drink coffee before they train. And we didn&rsquo;t think there was anything runners could identify with when it came to choosing a coffee brand. Now, there&rsquo;s a bag on the shelf which is cool, it&rsquo;s something people can relate to and be part of this little family.
<h3>Has the growth of the business been bigger than you can cope with?</h3>
No, not so far. There&rsquo;s been some opportunities that have been too much of a commitment &ndash; we had the chance to go into a physical coffee shop but that&rsquo;s a step too far at the moment. We know we can supply good coffee beans and cool bags and cups, our baristas are amazing at making good coffee. And there&rsquo;s a big gap in the market as an athlete going to meets and there being good coffee &ndash; we all spend so much time finding a hidden gem. Athletes drink a lot of it and are a bit snobby. This makes life better. We&rsquo;re not into coffee that alienates people &ndash; not really niche beans but really good roasters that everyone likes. Crowd pleasers if you like.
<h3>Let&rsquo;s talk about the artwork. It&rsquo;s pretty cool.</h3>
Originally people think it&rsquo;s us but actually it&rsquo;s just guys with generic brown hair. It&rsquo;s identifying with an old school runner, it&rsquo;s pretty fun. We&rsquo;ve also got him on a bike and lifting weights. The beauty is that it&rsquo;s easy to tailor. We&rsquo;re working with Team Scotland for the Commonwealth Games, too &ndash; for that he&rsquo;s got a tartan kilt. The main aim is not to take ourselves too seriously. It&rsquo;s about being a bit tongue in cheek and enjoying it. Coffee&rsquo;s not serious, it&rsquo;s a social drink for any part of your day.
<h3>Do you come from a business background at all?</h3>
I actually did a business degree at university, and my first venture into business was recovery tool kits which you clipped on to your bag with a mini foam roller, resistance bands, massage balls. It went well but it was hard to do as the running went better and it had to go on the back burner. I regret not keeping on doing it as I was passionate about it and genuinely believed it would work.&nbsp;
<h3>So how will Last Rep Coffee look in Budapest?</h3>
We&rsquo;re going to be there in the athlete lounges, we&rsquo;re going to have baristas in the hotels with coffee cups, and each athlete is going to get a custom bag of beans from Budapest and a cup with it as well. We&rsquo;ll also be in the VIP area of the stadium.
<h3>And what about with Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games?</h3>
Every athlete will get his or her own bag and a cup within that. We&rsquo;re using a roaster in Scotland as well.
<h3>What&rsquo;s the plan for the business going forward?</h3>
We&rsquo;d love to be part of the Olympic experience or Team GB &ndash; that would be a huge long-term aim &ndash; or things like the Diamond League, London Marathon or, in cycling, part of British Cycling or Ineos. One thing we&rsquo;ve done is a bag with Alex Yee so we&rsquo;d like to do more with athletes and be story tellers with that &ndash; big athletes with big personalities. We&rsquo;d just love to bring more people to our brand.
<h3>Has the business helped or hindered your running at all?</h3>
It&rsquo;s definitely helped. I probably have undiagnosed ADHD as my mind ticks over a lot. I don&rsquo;t want to think about sport every minute of the day so, when I finish running, I have something I can chuck the same level of commitment and effort into. It&rsquo;s so cool, I really enjoy it and I think it&rsquo;s helped.
<h3>How long before this becomes a full-time career and you stop the competitive running?</h3>
I think Los Angeles is the end point unless London gets the World Championships in 2029 and then it&rsquo;d be silly not to carry on for another year. I don&rsquo;t have a burning desire to do loads before I retire. I still want to run well at major championships and win but I don&rsquo;t have to do it, these things are just opportunities. This year, there&rsquo;s some great opportunities with the Commonwealth Games, the European Championships and the Ultimate in Budapest. Racing&rsquo;s the fun bit.

World Athletics Ultimate Championship

Jake Wightman is a world 1500m champion but, when not taking on the world's best, he runs his own business Last Rep Coffee.

Side track with Jake Wightman

Athlete development will be the focus on and off the field of play at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 following the launch of the Athletes Connect initiative.
Building on the success of the athlete zones at the 2024 edition of the World U20 Championships in Lima and at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, Athletes Connect will offer workshops and talks from some of the sport&rsquo;s legends as well as games in a space dedicated to athletes ahead of and during the competition in Oregon, from 3-10 August.
The main objective of Athletes Connect is to educate, empower and develop the new generation of track and field elite athletes as they embark on their journey towards becoming professionals of the sport.
The workshops will be presented by shot put superstar Valerie Adams, New Zealand&rsquo;s two-time Olympic and eight-time world champion who won world U18 and world U20 titles at the start of her career.
As part of that, four talks will be given on two topics:
&bull; &lsquo;Your athlete journey&rsquo; with triple jump ace Christian Taylor, decathlon great Ashton Eaton and sprinter turned track analyst Ato Boldon. It will offer insight into balancing education and a sporting career, building a support network and entourage, and life after sport.
&bull; &lsquo;Your image, your power&rsquo; with commentator Rob Walker and a major social media platform. This will focus on how to capitalise on athlete star power, working with the media, and the power of social media.
The talks will be held across two days at the Student Welcome Centre Theatre at the University of Oregon &ndash; &lsquo;Your athlete journey&rsquo; on Monday 3 August and &lsquo;Your image, your power&rsquo; on Tuesday 4 August. There will be two sessions for each talk, one from 2:00pm to 4:00pm and another from 5:00pm to 7:00pm each day.
Athletes Connect will also incorporate an athlete zone at the University of Oregon&rsquo;s Bean Hall featuring US town fair style educational games with giveaways such as tote bags with education booklets.
Multiple content areas will be available for either athlete self-capture or capture with professional content creators involving photography or video. The content will be distributed to athletes with posting and messaging guidance to help them build their online brands.
More than 1500 people visited the athlete zone during the 2024 World U20 Championships as athletes gained insight into topics such as health &amp; science, safeguarding, social media, athlete representatives, and athletics rules and regulations.
&ldquo;For many athletes, the World U20 Championships will be their first experience of global competition and it is really important that the development opportunities do not end there, on the field of play,&rdquo; said Adams, now Chair of the World Athletics Athletes' Commission and a World Athletics Council Member.
&ldquo;Seeing the impact of similar initiatives in Lima and Tokyo proves what a great chance this is to empower and equip athletes at the start of their hopefully long and fruitful careers. I encourage all areas to support athletes through such initiatives.&rdquo;
Further information about Athletes Connect will be available to athletes on site at the WU20 Oregon 26.
World Athletics

World Athletics U20 Championships

Athlete development will be the focus on and off the field of play at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 following the launch of the Athletes Connect initiative.

Athletes Connect to empower athletes at World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26

Every elite field at the Meeting International d&rsquo;Athl&eacute;tisme Herculis EBS features a reigning Olympic, world or world indoor champion as the sport&rsquo;s leading lights return to Monaco for the 10th Wanda Diamond League meeting of the season on Friday (10).
In many cases those global gold medallists will go head-to-head &ndash; Julien Alfred and Gabby Thomas in the 200m, Mattia Furlani and Miltiadis Tentoglou in the long jump, Katie Moon and Nina Kennedy in the pole vault, Thea LaFond and Leyanis P&eacute;rez in the triple jump, and Oblique Seville, Letsile Tebogo and Jordan Anthony in the 100m are just some of the top-class clashes on offer.
Faith Kipyegon is back at the scene of her world mile record, while another world record-holder headlines the pole vault as Mondo Duplantis returns to familiar territory to defend his Herculis crown.
Two Olympic champions come together in the 200m as USA&rsquo;s Thomas takes on Saint Lucia&rsquo;s Alfred. Thomas, the Olympic 200m champion, opens her Diamond League season one month on from running 21.70 &ndash; the third-fastest time of her career &ndash; in Texas, while Olympic 100m champion Alfred seeks her third Diamond League win of the season following her 100m and 200m victories in Oslo and Rome. But they will have to contend with world leader Adaejah Hodge, the 20-year-old who ran 21.68 last month and finished third in the 100m on her Diamond League debut in Eugene on Saturday.
The men&rsquo;s 100m is similarly stacked as Jamaica&rsquo;s world champion Seville faces Botswana&rsquo;s Olympic 200m champion Tebogo and USA&rsquo;s world indoor 60m champion Anthony. Seville, who holds the world lead of 9.82, and Tebogo will both be looking to rebound after finishing second in the 100m and the 200m, respectively, in Eugene.
USA&rsquo;s Masai Russell has been edging closer to the world 100m hurdles record, her 12.14 at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen missing the global mark by just 0.02. The Olympic champion is unbeaten in the discipline this year, her most recent performance being her 12.24 in Eugene on Saturday, but among those looking to challenge her are Nadine Visser, Pia Skrzyszowska and Alaysha Johnson.
Botswana&rsquo;s Collen Kebinatshipi and Dominican Republic&rsquo;s Marileidy Paulino set Diamond League 400m records in Paris and they both star in Monaco. World champion Kebinatshipi will aim to maintain his Diamond League 400m win streak after victories in Xiamen, Paris and Eugene &ndash; the latter ahead of world 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin, who is a late addition to the Monaco field. Like&nbsp;Kebinatshipi, Zakithi Nene has dipped under 44 seconds this season &ndash; when finishing runner-up to Kebinatshipi in Paris &ndash; and will want to challenge again, along with Matt Hudson-Smith and Jacory Patterson.
Olympic champion Paulino is also unbeaten in the Diamond League 400m so far this year after wins in Doha and Paris. She takes on the likes of Nickisha Pryce, who won the Diamond League in Shanghai, plus Lurdes Gloria Manuel and Roxana G&oacute;mez.
<h2>Kipyegon and Wanyonyi return</h2>
Kenya&rsquo;s Kipyegon created history at the Louis II Stadium with her world mile record of 4:07.64 in 2023 and she returns to race the 3000m.
The multiple global gold medallist opened her track season with a 5000m win in Shanghai after a road 10km debut in Monaco in February and continues her comeback following a hamstring injury. The mile in Eugene on Saturday was her first race since Shanghai and she finished third, two places ahead of Olympic and world 1500m medallist Jess Hull who set a world 2000m record in Monaco in 2024 and runs as a pacemaker this time. They line up alongside two-time world indoor gold medallist Freweyni Hailu and world cross-country champion Agnes Ngetich in her first track race of the season, plus French Olympic triathlon champion Cassandre Beaugrand.
Another Olympic triathlon champion goes in the men&rsquo;s 5000m as Great Britain&rsquo;s Alex Yee races world silver medallist Isaac Kimeli, Biniam Mehary and Birhanu Balew, who ran an Asian record of 12:47.73 in Oslo.
The men&rsquo;s 1000m is also a clash of global medallists. Kenya&rsquo;s world and Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi won the 800m in Monaco in 1:41.44 last year, breaking a meeting record that had been set by Algeria&rsquo;s world and Olympic medallist Djamel Sedjati the year before, and the pair compete again &ndash; this time over the slightly longer distance &ndash; in a race also starring world leader Mohamed Attaoui, 2022 world 1500m champion Jake Wightman, Ben Pattison, Bryce Hoppel and Gabriel Tual.
New Zealand&rsquo;s world champion Geordie Beamish seeks his first Diamond League win of the year as he goes in a 3000m steeplechase rematch against world bronze medallist Edmund Serem, Olympic bronze medallist Abraham Kibiwot and Simon Koech, who broke eight minutes in Rabat.
<h2>Fierce field fights at every turn</h2>
For the first time, the Herculis will feature both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s pole vault contests, giving Sweden&rsquo;s world record-holder Mondo Duplantis &ndash; now a Monaco resident &ndash; the chance to build on the meeting record of 6.05m he set last year. The men&rsquo;s competition is not a Diamond League discipline this year but it still features a strong field as world and Olympic champion Duplantis faces multiple world medallist Kurtis Marschall, who beat him in Stockholm.
The women&rsquo;s event is another that pits world champion against Olympic champion as USA&rsquo;s Katie Moon faces Australia&rsquo;s Nina Kennedy &ndash; both with a best of 4.80m so far this year &ndash; as well as Imogen Ayris and in-form twin sisters Hana and Amanda Moll.
Dominica&rsquo;s Olympic champion Thea LaFond produced the best women&rsquo;s triple jump performance in the world for almost four years in Zagreb recently as she soared a national record of 15.25m to win by almost half a metre ahead of Cuba&rsquo;s world champion Leyanis P&eacute;rez Hern&aacute;ndez. They clash again in a quality contest that also features Davisleydi Velazco, who jumped 15.13m last month, and world indoor bronze medallist Saly Sarr.
Italy&rsquo;s world champion Mattia Furlani is set to make his return after the injury he sustained during the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen and he is not easing himself back in gently as he goes up against all five men who sit ahead of him on this season&rsquo;s world long jump top list: world leader Simon Ehammer, who jumped 8.51m during the decathlon at G&ouml;tzis, plus two-time Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou, world indoor champion Gerson Bald&eacute;, world indoor bronze medallist Bozhidar Sar&acirc;boyukov and 19-year-old Jorge Hodel&iacute;n who set a world U20 record of 8.46m last month.
Since throwing 71.74m in Xiamen to move to second on the world javelin all-time list, China&rsquo;s 18-year-old Yan Ziyi has clinched two more Diamond League meeting wins in Oslo and Paris and is the athlete to beat in Monaco. Looking to challenge her are Japan&rsquo;s Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi and Sigrid Borge, who sits second on the season top list with her 65.00m throw for the runner-up spot in Xiamen.
In the high jump, Ukraine&rsquo;s Oleh Doroshchuk, who recently jumped an outdoor PB of 2.33m, faces Jan &Scaron;tefela, Kimani Jack and Sarvesh Anil Kushare, who have all also surpassed 2.30m this year, plus multiple global champions Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi, the latter a late entry.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Every elite field at the Meeting International d’Athlétisme Herculis EBS features a reigning Olympic, world or world indoor champion

Star clashes fill every moment in Monaco

Mattia Furlani is one of the rising stars of global athletics. The 21-year-old has already won world long jump titles indoors and outdoors and he became an Olympic medallist in Paris.
The Italian sat down to reveal his ultimate clash, night out and much more.
Ultimate performance&hellip; Paris 2024 with the Olympic medal.
Ultimate event&hellip; The pole vault, I get so excited when they jump to crazy heights.
Ultimate career ambition&hellip; The European or even world record.
Ultimate athlete&hellip; Grant Holloway &ndash; he is extraordinary, truly an absurd talent.
Ultimate clash&hellip; The challenge with the Bulgarian (Bozhidar Sar&acirc;boyukov) in Metz (where they both jumped 8.39m) was absurd.
Ultimate memory&hellip; The gold medal in Tokyo, an unrepeatable journey.
Ultimate venue&hellip; Florence is one of my favourite places &ndash; it&rsquo;s just too beautiful.
Ultimate meal&hellip; The unbeatable pizza.
Ultimate night out/in&hellip; Nightclub with my friends.
Ultimate talent&hellip; I&rsquo;m a very good gamer.
Ultimate day off&hellip; With the family, perhaps with a good lunch.
Ultimate holiday destination&hellip; At the seaside maybe if it's summer, or on the go-kart track.
Ultimate pre-competition song&hellip; Heaven and Hell by Kanye West.
Ultimate movie&hellip; Inception.
Ultimate possession&hellip; My watch collection.

At the age of 21, Mattia Furlani is already a world champion indoors and out as well as an Olympic medallist. This week the Italian answers the Ultimate questions.

What's your Ultimate? Mattia Furlani

As the athletes prepared to get to their marks for the 800m at the conclusion of the 1986 Goodwill Games heptathlon, Moscow&rsquo;s Lenin Central Stadium was bathed in early-evening sunshine. &ldquo;The moment has come,&rdquo; pronounced commentator Leandra Reilly. &ldquo;A moment in the sun for Jackie Joyner. The 7000-point barrier, that&rsquo;s never been achieved, is assuredly within her grasp.&rdquo;
When Joyner was born, in March 1962, her parents named her Jacqueline after the wife of the US President, John F Kennedy. &ldquo;Someday this girl will be the First Lady of something,&rdquo; her grandmother ventured to suggest. After six of the seven events in the Goodwill Games heptathlon, held across 6-7 July in 1986, Jacqueline Joyner was poised to become the first lady to achieve the landmark tally of 7000 points.
With 6184 points already to her name, the 24-year-old Joyner &ndash; raised in East St Louis, Illinois, and by then a recent history graduate from UCLA &ndash; needed to complete two laps of the Lenin Stadium in 2:20.51 to secure her place in track and field history.
Blessed with an 800m personal best of 2:09.32, that would appear to be little more than a toddle for the East St Louis girl. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re trying to make it so Jackie only has to walk the 800m to get the record,&rdquo; her coach and husband Bobby Kersee had joked on the eve of the competition. As the stadium announcer informed the crowd, Joyner only needed 2:24.56 to eclipse the world record score of 6867 (or 6946 on the scoring tables that came into effect from 1985) held by one of her trailing rivals, Sabine Paetz of East Germany.
Roared home by 25,000 Muscovites, Joyner crossed the line in 2:10.02 to smash the world record by more than 200 points with a momentous tally of 7148. &ldquo;Jackie has set four PBs out of seven events and, in doing so, has set a standard that will not be reached by another woman for a long, long time,&rdquo; proclaimed Leandra Reilly in her prescient television summary.
Forty years later, no other woman has come within 100 points of the tally Joyner-Kersee, as she became known thereafter, achieved in making a historic name for herself in Moscow in 1986.
Of course, JJK herself improved her world record to 7158 at the US Olympic Festival in Houston just a month later, then to 7215 at the US Olympic Trials in Indianapolis in July 1988 and 7291 at the Olympic Games in Seoul in September that year. Only four other women have followed her across the 7000-point threshold: Swede Carolina Kluft and Anna Hall of the US, both with 7032, plus Belgian Nafi Thiam (7013) and Russia&rsquo;s Larisa Nikitina (7007).
Nikitina was one of the nominal rivals reduced to also-ran status by the trailblazing Joyner in what was then the Soviet capital, finishing eighth with 6285. Sibylle Thielle of East Germany finished a whopping 513 points down in second place (6635) with Soviet Natalya Shubenkova third (6621) and the now former world record-holder Paetz a distant fourth (6456).
Joyner began the competition in storming fashion, speeding to a personal best of 12.85 in the 100m hurdles, just 0.06 shy of Stephanie Hightower&rsquo;s US record, and followed up with a best ever high jump clearance of 1.88m. A 14.76m shot was less than she hoped for but she finished the opening day with the flourish of a 23.00 200m, 0.24 inside her wind-assisted PB, to notch a record first-day score of 4151.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a4d0075737582fb4c7f5943.jpg" alt="Photo finish of the heptathlon 200m at the 1986 Goodwill Games" />
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Photo finish of the heptathlon 200m at the 1986 Goodwill Games
</div>
</div>
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very close to where I wanted to be,&rdquo; said Joyner, &ldquo;especially with the hurdles going well and coming back with a good 200m after the shot. I&rsquo;m looking forward to tomorrow &ndash; 7000 points is my goal; that&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m going for.&rdquo; She got off to another flying start on day two with a world heptathlon best of 7.01m in the long jump, conserving vital energy with just the one attempt before doing likewise in the javelin, throwing a lifetime best of 49.86m.
After pushing hard in the 800m to break through the 7000-point barrier, Joyner was asked if she felt good. &ldquo;Yeah, it feels marvellous,&rdquo; she replied. &ldquo;It even hurts too. &ldquo;I knew everything depended on the long jump. I know I&rsquo;m the US record-holder [with 7.24m, at the time] but I tried not to put pressure on myself. When 7m popped up, I was very happy.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had some disappointments. In 1984, at the Olympics, I had a hamstring pull and finished second when I felt I could have won. But after all this work and concentration, I finally put it all together.&rdquo;
Joyner missed out to Australia&rsquo;s Glynis Nunn by a tantalising five points in Los Angeles, her elder brother Al taking a fourth-round pass en route to victory in the triple jump to root for her in the 800m. But in Seoul in 1988 she claimed double Olympic gold, winning the heptathlon with her fourth world record and the long jump with 7.40m, a Games record.
Heptathlon gold in Barcelona in 1992 plus long jump bronzes there and in Atlanta in 1996 added up to six Olympic medals in all for Joyner-Kersee, who also won two heptathlon world titles (in 1987 and 1993) and two world long jump crowns (in 1987 and 1993).
The 40th anniversary of her milestone performance in Moscow happens to fall six months after the 25th anniversary of a barrier-breaking feat in the men&rsquo;s combined events world.
It was in the 2001 edition of the hallowed Hypo Meeting in G&ouml;tzis, Austria, that Roman &Scaron;ebrle racked up the first 9000-point decathlon score. The 26-year-old from the Czech Republic set outright PBs in four events (8.11m in the long jump, 47.92m in the discus, 70.16m in the javelin, 4:21.98 in the 1500m) and equalled another (10.64 in the 100m) to finish with 9026 points.
It survived as a world record for eleven years and only three other men have since followed him into 9000-point territory: France&rsquo;s Kevin Mayer (9126), Ashton Eaton of the US (9045) and Canada&rsquo;s Damian Warner (9018).
Four decades on from Moscow, Joyner-Kersee&rsquo;s 7000-point breakthrough remains one of the defining frontier moments in combined events history.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage
<div><a href="https://tinyurl.com/visitMOWA" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6885f79e982e117f1338cb26.jpg" alt="MOWA banner" /></a></div>

Remembering the moment when Jackie Joyner-Kersee became the first heptathlete to surpass 7000 points

Joyner-Kersee’s 7000-point breakthrough

Richard Omaya Atuya and Ruth Gitonga Mwihaki claimed victory at the Grossglockner Mountain Run in Austria, leading Kenyan podium sweeps at the eighth race of the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup on Sunday (5).
The 13.3km course, featuring 1300 metres of ascent, took runners through a constantly changing landscape. Leaving Heiligenblut behind, athletes climbed through forests and waterfalls before emerging into alpine meadows and the high mountain terrain overlooking the glacier. The final kilometres led towards the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-H&ouml;he and the race's most famous feature: the legendary 522 steps that provide a fittingly brutal conclusion to one of Austria's classic mountain races.
The men's race took shape early on. By the time the athletes reached the Leiter Waterfall, around six kilometres into the course, Atuya had opened a gap of around 50 metres on the rest of the field.
Behind him, a small chasing group formed, with the remainder of the contenders still within sight as the race climbed through the forests above Heiligenblut before emerging into the alpine meadows and the higher slopes overlooking the Pasterze Glacier.
Atuya never looked in danger and continued to increase his advantage on the climb to the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-H&ouml;he, eventually taking victory in 1:10:20. Ephantus Njeri followed in second in 1:12:33, while Elijah Kamau Kariuki completed the Kenyan top three in 1:14:26.
The battle behind the podium remained close throughout the race. Italy&rsquo;s Tiziano Moia delivered one of the strongest finishes of the day, moving up from around sixth position at the start of the final climb to claim fourth place in 1:14:38, just 12 seconds behind Kariuki. Germany&rsquo;s Lukas Ehrle continued his encouraging return from injury with fifth place in 1:14:50.
The women's race remained closely contested through the opening kilometres. A leading group stayed together through the forests above Heiligenblut and was still largely intact as the athletes passed the Leiter Waterfall.
It was on the climb towards Margaritzenstausee and the Sandersee that the race began to stretch out. By the time the athletes reached the high alpine terrain overlooking the Pasterze Glacier, the gaps between the leading runners had largely been established and would remain unchanged through to the finish.
Gitonga gradually moved clear to secure victory in 1:22:29, confirming her strong form as the World Cup season reaches its halfway stage. Jedidah Sang followed in second in 1:23:26, while Gloria Chebet completed the Kenyan podium in 1:24:34.
The European challenge was led by athletes from Great Britain and Italy. While Kirsty Skye Dickson and Ellen Crombie secured fifth and sixth places respectively for Great Britain, Italy placed three athletes inside the top 10 through Benedetta Broggi, Arianna Dentis and Arianna Del Pino.
H&eacute;ctor Rubio (WMRA) for World Athletics
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Richard Omaya Atuya and Ruth Gitonga Mwihaki claimed victory at the Grossglockner Mountain Run in Austria, leading Kenyan podium sweeps at the eighth race of the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup

Atuya and Gitonga lead Kenyan podium sweeps at Grossglockner Mountain Run

The World Athletics U20 Championships is a major milestone in the careers of many rising athletes. With one month to go until Oregon hosts the global age-group event for the second time, we highlight some of the stars who competed at the 2014 edition and have gone on to secure success on the senior stage.
The World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26, taking place at Eugene&rsquo;s Hayward Field from 5-9 August, is where the next generation could start to follow in their footsteps. 
<h2>Dina Asher-Smith</h2>
Oregon is where Dina Asher-Smith won her first global title, the British sprinter clinching the 100m crown in 11.23.
Prior to that, she claimed 4x100m bronze as a 17-year-old at the senior World Championships in Moscow in 2013 and she went on to become an individual world champion, getting the 200m title in Doha in 2019.
The 2014 World U20 Championships was the first outdoor global track and field World Athletics Series event to be held in the USA and when global athletics returned to Oregon for the senior World Championships in 2022, Asher-Smith claimed another medal &ndash; 200m bronze.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a4aace925455bb746f2f11a.jpg" alt="Dina Asher-Smith at the 2014 World U20 Championships" />
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Dina Asher-Smith at the 2014 World U20 Championships (&copy; Getty Images)
<h2>Joshua Cheptegei</h2>
Joshua Cheptegei became the first global champion to be crowned at Hayward Field as the men&rsquo;s 10,000m was the first final held during the 2014 World U20 Championships and the Ugandan athlete claimed a convincing win in 28:32.86.
Like Asher-Smith, Cheptegei also returned to Oregon for the 2022 World Championships and he won another 10,000m title &ndash; the second of his three senior world crowns. He has also become a two-time Olympic champion, winning the 5000m in 2021 and the 10,000m in 2024, and is the world record-holder over both distances. 
<h2>Matthew Denny</h2>
Australia&rsquo;s Matthew Denny lined up in Oregon as a two-time global medallist, one year on from his discus gold and hammer bronze at the World U18 Championships in Donetsk. The then 18-year-old also contested both events at the World U20 Championships, his performances highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the discus.
He made his senior World Championships debut in 2019 and has finished in the top six in the discus at the past four editions &ndash; placing sixth in Oregon in 2022. Since then he has become an Olympic bronze medallist and sits second on the world all-time list with the Oceanian record of 74.78m he threw in Ramona last year.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a4aacfd25455bb746f2f11d.jpg" alt="Matthew Denny in discus action in Eugene" />
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Matthew Denny in discus action in Eugene (&copy; Getty Images)
<h2>Shamier Little</h2>
The US team topped the medal table at the 2014 World U20 Championships on home soil, claiming 11 titles. Shamier Little was among the winners as she completed a 400m hurdles title treble at Hayward Field that summer &ndash; her world U20 gold following the NCAA title and US U20 title she claimed on the same track.
She also formed part of USA&rsquo;s gold medal-winning 4x400m team at the World U20 Championships and went on to win the next two NCAA titles and two of her three senior US titles in Oregon. She finished fourth at the World Championships there in 2022 and claimed silver medals either side of that &ndash; in Beijing as a 20-year-old in 2015 and in Budapest in 2023. 
<h2>Yulimar Rojas</h2>
Venezuelan triple jump star Yulimar Rojas might not have made it on to the podium in Oregon 12 years ago, but she has secured significant success since.
The then 18-year-old finished 11th in the long jump and also contested the triple jump at the World U20 Championships but has gone on to become a four-time world triple jump champion, an Olympic gold medallist and the world record-holder, soaring 15.74m to win the third of her world indoor titles in Belgrade in 2022.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a4aad1325455bb746f2f120.jpg" alt="Yulimar Rojas at the World U20 Championships in Eugene" />
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Yulimar Rojas at the World U20 Championships in Eugene (&copy; Getty Images)
<h2>Woo Sanghyeok</h2>
Korea&rsquo;s Woo Sanghyeok was already a global champion by the time he got to Oregon &ndash; as a 17-year-old he won the world U18 high jump title with a PB clearance of 2.20m in Donetsk. He achieved another PB on the global stage at the World U20 Championships, clearing 2.24m to clinch bronze.
After clearing a national record of 2.36m in the February of 2022 and winning the first of his two world indoor titles in the March, Woo made the podium again in Oregon later that year, claiming World Championships silver. He repeated that feat at last year&rsquo;s World Championships in Tokyo. 
Other senior global medallists who started out by making the world U20 podium in Eugene in 2014 include Sweden&rsquo;s Andreas Almgren (800m bronze), USA&rsquo;s Trayvon Bromell (100m silver), Ethiopia&rsquo;s Yomif Kejelcha (5000m gold), Japan&rsquo;s Yoshihide Kiryu (100m bronze), Croatia&rsquo;s Sara Kolak (javelin bronze), Cuba&rsquo;s L&aacute;zaro Mart&iacute;nez (triple jump gold), New Zealand&rsquo;s Eliza McCartney (pole vault bronze), Cuba&rsquo;s Liadagmis Povea (triple jump silver), USA&rsquo;s Valarie Sion (discus silver) and the Netherlands&rsquo; Nadine Visser (100m hurdles and heptathlon bronze).
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With one month to go until the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26, we highlight some of the stars who competed at the 2014 edition

Oregon reflections – the world U20 class of 2014

World Athletics is deeply saddened to hear that world-renowned Jamaican sprint coach Stephen Francis died on Saturday (4) at the age of 64.
Francis dedicated his life to the development of athletics in Jamaica, helping to guide stars such as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Asafa Powell and Shericka Jackson to multiple Olympic and world medals.
After earning a BSC in management studies from the University of the West Indies and an MBA in finance from the University of Michigan, Francis decided to go into full-time coaching and co-founded the MVP (Maximising Velocity &amp; Power) Track &amp; Field Club in 1999.
Based in Kingston, the club&rsquo;s aim was to prove that Jamaican athletes, with Jamaican coaches, Jamaican facilities and Jamaican management, could be the best in the world.
Francis &ndash; the MVP Track &amp; Field Club&rsquo;s Technical Director &ndash; was known as a master for identifying talent. As well as 13-time global gold medallist Fraser-Pryce, two-time world 200m champion Jackson and former 100m world record-holder Powell, the MVP Track &amp; Field Club has coached numerous other global medallists such as Elaine Thompson-Herah, Michael Frater, Sherone Simpson, Kishane Thompson and Tina and Tia Clayton.
Francis was awarded the Order of Jamaica in 2017 in recognition of his work.
&ldquo;Stephen was a visionary coach, mentor and leader whose unwavering commitment to excellence transformed the landscape of athletics in Jamaica and inspired generations of athletes,&rdquo; said the MVP Track &amp; Field Club in a statement. &ldquo;His exceptional ability to develop talent, combined with his relentless pursuit of excellence and deep belief in the potential of those he coached, helped shape the careers of Olympic and World Championship medal winners, world record-breakers, and numerous other athletes, while establishing a standard of coaching that earned worldwide respect.&rdquo;
MVP Track &amp; Field Club President Bruce James said: &ldquo;Stephen Francis changed the trajectory of Jamaican athletics for the better. He proved that Jamaican athletes, guided by Jamaican coaches, supported by Jamaican management, and training in Jamaica, could become the very best in the world.
&ldquo;His vision, uncompromising pursuit of excellence, and belief in the potential of our athletes transformed not only countless individual careers, but also the standing of Jamaican athletics on the global stage. His legacy will endure for generations.&rdquo;
Fraser-Pryce was also among those to pay tribute to&nbsp;Francis.&nbsp;&ldquo;Today, Jamaica has lost more than one of its greatest athletics coaches. We have lost a visionary, a mentor, and a man whose influence transcended the track,&rdquo; reads part of a statement shared on Instagram.
&ldquo;He was not only my coach but a steady source of guidance during some of the most defining moments of my career. Coach Francis helped shaped an era that forever changed Jamaican athletics. Through his leadership, countless athletes rose to world and Olympic success, inspiring generations of young Jamaicans to believe that greatness could be achieved on Jamaican soil.
&ldquo;His legacy is etched into every medal won, every record broken, and every young Jamaican athlete who dares to dream.&rdquo;
World Athletics

Stephen Francis, 1962-2026

World-renowned Jamaican coach Francis dies

Meeting records by Jamal Britt, Masai Russell and Nikki Hiltz were among the highlights as fierce battles and breakthroughs lit up the Prefontaine Classic, this season&rsquo;s ninth Wanda Diamond League meeting, in Eugene, USA, on Saturday (4).
The competition closed with mile wins by Hiltz and Cameron Myers, while teenager Tate Taylor won the 200m on his Diamond League debut and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden took top spot in a stacked 100m. Tara Davis-Woodhall won a competitive long jump contest and Leonardo Fabbri launched a world lead in the shot put.
USA&rsquo;s Britt continued his fantastic run of form in the 110m hurdles by breaking the meeting record with a PB of 12.86 (1.8m/s) &ndash; a performance that moves him to fifth on the world all-time list.
With a strong finish, he passed recent world record-breaker Ja'Kobe Tharp &ndash; who sits top of that all-time list with the 12.75 he clocked during the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field last month &ndash; to win by 0.05.
It is Britt&rsquo;s fourth race under 13 seconds this season and it improves on the PB of 12.89 he set to win at the Diamond League meeting in Paris. He becomes the third athlete in history to ever dip under 12.90 more than once. Tharp, meanwhile, achieved the third-fastest time of his career behind his two NCAA races last month.
USA&rsquo;s Olympic champion Russell also impressed as she matched the meeting record to win the 100m hurdles, clocking 12.24 (0.8m/s) &ndash; the fifth-fastest time of her career.
She beat Nigeria&rsquo;s Tobi Amusan by a tenth of a second &ndash; Amusan back on the track on which she set her world record of 12.12 in 2022, a mark that Russell was just 0.02 shy of in Xiamen in May. Former world record-holder Kendra Harrison, who set the Eugene meeting record in 2016, was also in action and finished eighth in 12.66.
Kayinsola Ajayi won the non-Diamond League 100m, three weeks on from his NCAA title victory on the same track. This time the 21-year-old clocked 9.84 (0.1m/s) to equal his own Nigerian record, getting a great start and maintaining his advantage to beat Jamaica&rsquo;s world champion Oblique Seville who clocked 9.89.
Tate Taylor also continued his winning ways at Hayward Field &ndash; the venue that will host the World U20 Championships in August. The 18-year-old won a 100m and 200m double at the US U20 Championships last month and followed that with a statement 200m win against strong senior opposition on his Diamond League debut &ndash; improving his PB to 19.75 (-0.9m/s) to move to third on the world U20 all-time list.
Botswana&rsquo;s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo finished fast but he couldn&rsquo;t catch Taylor and had to settle for second place in 19.93. Makanakaishe Charamba was third in 20.11.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a49a1723221b7b435bf7ab2.jpg" alt="Tate Taylor wins the 200m in Eugene" />
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Tate Taylor wins the 200m in Eugene (&copy; Diamond League AG <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> LLogan Hannigan-Downs)
Triple world champion Jefferson-Wooden retained her Prefontaine Classic 100m crown, beating 2023 world champion Sha'Carri Richardson by just 0.01 in 10.78 (0.0m/s). World leader Adaejah Hodge was another 0.01 back in third.
Collen Kebinatshipi narrowly beat Rai Benjamin in a 400m clash between reigning world champions &ndash; Botswana&rsquo;s world 400m gold medallist Kebinatshipi clocking 44.00 to edge USA&rsquo;s 400m hurdles star Benjamin by 0.11, the latter, running from lane nine, clocking a PB for the flat one-lap event.&nbsp;
<h2>Mile wins for Hiltz and Myers</h2>
USA&rsquo;s two-time world indoor medallist Nikki Hiltz kicked to victory in the mile, winning in a world-leading meeting record of 4:17.49 as Faith Kipyegon was beaten in either a 1500m or mile race for the first time in more than five years.
Hiltz held off world silver medallist Dorcus Ewoi, who clocked a PB of 4:17.62 for second place, while world record-holder and multiple global gold medallist Kipyegon was third in 4:17.80. Kipyegon later explained how she had been dealing with a hamstring injury since the Diamond League meeting in Shanghai, where she won the promotional 5000m in 14:24.14.
Australia&rsquo;s Cameron Myers ran an Oceanian record of 3:46.06 to win the Bowerman Mile, judging his race to perfection to finish clear ahead of Yared Nuguse (3:46.61) and Ethan Strand (3:46.97) as the top seven all dipped under 3:48.
A fierce 800m fight between the world champion and the Olympic champion was won by Kenya&rsquo;s Lilian Odira as she overpowered Great Britain&rsquo;s Keely Hodgkinson in the closing stages &ndash; 1:56.19 to 1:56.73. Olympic champion Hodgkinson &ndash; who was racing with cut knees and strapping following a fall the day before she flew to the US &ndash; held back as the race got off to a fast start and then she moved to the fore. But Odira was waiting for her moment to strike and the world champion kicked past her rival down the home straight to clinch her first Diamond League victory.
Kenya&rsquo;s world champion Faith Cherotich strode to a clear win in the 3000m steeplechase, moving away from Bahrain&rsquo;s Olympic champion Winfred Yavi in the closing stages to triumph in 8:51.74. Yavi was second in 8:52.84, while Marwa Bouzayani was third in a Tunisian record of 8:54.32. Doris Lemngole also dipped under nine minutes, running a PB of 8:57.89 &ndash; the best ever time for fourth place.
The women&rsquo;s two miles was won by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Aleshign Baweke in 9:20.02.
<h2>Fabbri throws 22.74m</h2>
Italy&rsquo;s Leonardo Fabbri had the shot put won with his opening throw. The two-time world medallist, who threw 22.50m in February, improved to 22.74m in Eugene and his rivals had no response. He eventually won by 58 centimetres ahead of Olympic bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell who threw 22.16m, also in the first round.
The women&rsquo;s shot put was also won with an opening throw, USA&rsquo;s two-time world gold medallist Chase Jackson managing 20.56m from her first attempt to win ahead of world champion and world leader Jessica Schilder (20.11m).
Lithuania&rsquo;s world discus record-holder Mykolas Alekna opened his Diamond League campaign after injury with a win, throwing 71.06m in the fifth round to beat 2022 world champion Kristjan Čeh with 69.94m.
China&rsquo;s world bronze medallist Zhang Jiale, who threw a world U20 record of 77.24m last year, improved her PB to 77.94m to win the hammer &ndash; that mark moving the 19-year-old to 10th on the world all-time list. Canada&rsquo;s Olympic and two-time world champion Camryn Rogers led the contest until that final-round effort by Zhang and finished second with her opening attempt of 77.81m.
The top two in the women&rsquo;s long jump were separated by a single centimetre. Larissa Iapichino added one centimetre to the Italian record held by her mother, Fiona May, since 1998 &ndash; jumping 7.12m (1.8m/s) in the first round. But USA&rsquo;s Olympic and world champion Tara Davis-Woodhall responded with 7.13m (0.8m/s) in the next round and that clinched her the win. Monae' Nichols also surpassed seven metres with a wind-aided 7.05m (3.0m/s) for third place.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6a49a1993221b7b435bf7ab5.jpg" alt="Tara Davis-Woodhall in long jump action in Eugene" />
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Tara Davis-Woodhall in long jump action in Eugene (&copy; Diamond League AG <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> Logan Hannigan-Downs)
<h2>Meeting record for Katzberg</h2>
A series of non-Diamond League contests kicked off the Prefontaine Classic on Friday (3) as the meeting was held over two days to coincide with Fourth of July celebrations.
The first day&rsquo;s action was headlined by Ethan Katzberg&rsquo;s hammer win as Canada&rsquo;s Olympic and two-time world champion threw a meeting record of 83.33m in the second round, achieving the fourth-best winning mark of his career. All four of his valid throws in Eugene surpassed 80 metres. Rudy Winkler was second with 81.12m.
USA&rsquo;s Sandi Morris won the pole vault (4.85m), while Valarie Sion won the discus (68.64m).
Brandon Miller won the 800m ahead of Cooper Lutkenhaus, 1:43.68 to 1:44.82, while Parker Wolfe clinched two-mile victory (8:10.13).
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/diamond-league/calendar-results/7214024/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>
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Meeting records by Jamal Britt, Masai Russell and Nikki Hiltz were among the highlights as fierce battles and breakthroughs lit up the Prefontaine Classic, this season’s ninth Wanda Diamond League meeting, in Eugene, USA, on Saturday (4).

Records fall as top-class clashes light up Eugene

The future participation of the Russian and Belarusian Member Federations in athletics and various competition decisions were among the key topics discussed during the 241st World Athletics Council Meeting held via video conference on 1-2 July.
A number of options were outlined to Council regarding potential updates to the sanctions originally imposed on Russia and Belarus following Russia&rsquo;s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022.
The Council reaffirmed the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/world-athletics-council-sanctions-russia-and-belarus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decision it made in March 2022</a>, revisited in <a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/council-meeting-march-2023-russia-belarus-female-eligibility" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023</a> and <a href="https://worldathletics.org/hosting/news/bahamas-botswana-brazil-to-host-world-athletics-series-events" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2025</a> and discussed again in March 2026 to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes, officials and supporting personnel from international competition.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: "The Council and the Working Group on the status of Russians/Belarusians in International Competitions &amp; Events have been consequential and methodical in reviewing the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus and in identifying a conditional pathway back into international competition. We presented options for the Council to consider on this matter, however, the original decision remains on the sanctions that protect the integrity and fairness of our competitions, with no tangible movement towards peace negotiations having materialised."
In its deliberations, the Council was cognisant of the wider impact of the conflict on Ukraine athletics, for example, the ability to hold domestic competitions regularly, impacting on their ability to achieve qualification standards and/or earn ranking points, the numbers of Ukrainian athletes who are able to compete, and the severely compromised athletics infrastructure within Ukraine, coaches and support personnel. The dedicated fund that World Athletics established in 2022 to support Ukraine is helping ameliorate some of that impact, but there is no doubt the ability of Ukraine and its athletes to train and compete remains severely compromised.
<h2>Competition decisions</h2>
A series of competition decisions were made, including the approval of the timetable for the World Athletics Road Running Championships Yangzhou 27:
Sunday 28 March 2027
6:10am women&rsquo;s 5km 6:35am men&rsquo;s 5km 7:00am women&rsquo;s half marathon 7:20am men&rsquo;s half marathon
The Council approved the proposal to re-introduce the U20 5000m race walk as a world record event with immediate effect. Following a review of the all-time performances, the inaugural world record standards will be 18:50.00 for men and 20:30.00 for women.
Delegate appointments for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and the World Athletics Road Running Championships Yangzhou 27 were also confirmed.
Other decisions made by the Council included the appointment of three additional members to the Nationality Review Panel for a four-year mandate starting from 1 August 2026, and the approval of an 18-month plan for the Coaches&rsquo; Commission.
The Coaches&rsquo; Commission plan focuses on strengthening elite-level coaching and high-performance environments across World Athletics, in alignment with the World Plan for Athletics 2022-2030 and the Pioneering Change strategy. The plan aims to ensure that coaches&rsquo; voices are effectively represented in World Athletics decision-making, and to provide expert advice to Council on professional standards, ethics, safeguarding, gender equity and innovation within elite coaching.
World Athletics

The future participation of the Russian and Belarusian Member Federations in athletics and various competition decisions were among the key topics discussed during the 241st World Athletics Council Meeting held via video conference on 1-2 July

Decisions made at 241st World Athletics Council Meeting

Donna Raynor has dedicated decades of her life to leadership and service in athletics. She is a former president of the Bermuda National Athletics Association and is now a World Athletics Council Member. Through her work with World Athletics&rsquo; Gender Leadership Taskforce and as Chair of the NACAC Gender Leadership Committee, she continues to advocate for greater representation of women in sport.
Raynor recently reflected on the experiences that have shaped her journey, the barriers she has had to overcome, and why supporting the next generation of women leaders in athletics matters now more than ever. 
You have spent decades in athletics administration and leadership. What first inspired you to pursue a career in this space?
"I have been involved in athletics since the age of 14. After earning a track scholarship, returning to Bermuda and representing the country in competition, I became increasingly aware that our athletics programme was beginning to decline. Determined to contribute to its revival, I chose to become involved from an administrative standpoint. I subsequently ran for the position of President and served in that role for 12 years, during which I worked to restore and strengthen the programme. Having stepped down, I felt a strong desire to contribute at the international level and therefore pursued a position on the World Athletics Council, following my service on NACAC committees and World Athletics commissions." 
Looking back on your journey, which experiences or moments shaped you most as a leader?
"Building a strong team, cultivating meaningful relationships within my community &ndash; particularly with the media &ndash; earning the respect of those around me, and supporting Bermudian athletes in achieving their goals are all matters of deep importance to me. These principles play a significant role in shaping my leadership and informing the manner in which I serve others." 
What barriers did you encounter as a woman rising through sports governance, and how did you overcome them?
"As a woman, I often felt that I had to work much harder to earn respect, be taken seriously, and prove myself. I put myself forward for several board positions, including our national organising committee, and I was never afraid to share my opinions during meetings. I also submitted ideas and led committees to demonstrate that I had a great deal to contribute and that I was knowledgeable. There were times when I had to make a deliberate effort to ensure that my voice was heard. I faced similar challenges in my professional life, so I brought that same determination into sport &ndash; pushing hard to make sure my voice was heard, respected and valued." 
Was there a defining moment when you realised your voice and influence could help create opportunities and change for other women in sport?
"Fortunately, most of my team has been women, and throughout my career I have made it a priority to help women develop their skills because I have always believed that is important. As I mentioned earlier, women often have to give more than 100% to prove themselves. Having held leadership roles in both my professional life and athletics, and having faced many challenges myself, I wanted to make the path easier for other women by sharing my experiences and how I overcame those obstacles." 
What qualities or perspectives do you believe women uniquely bring to leadership and decision-making in athletics and sport more broadly?
"I believe women bring strong organisation, critical thinking, commitment and a strong work ethic to leadership. Because women often have to work harder to earn respect, we learn to show up consistently, be well prepared and understand the issues thoroughly. We know we may be judged more closely, so we make sure we are ready and informed." 
World Athletics has taken significant steps toward advancing gender equality in recent years. As a Council Member, how important is diverse representation at leadership level in driving meaningful change?
"Diversity is essential in an international body that makes decisions for our sport. It is important to hear a range of perspectives shaped by different experiences, including those of women, smaller countries and different cultures. As we often say, one size does not fit all, so major decisions affecting athletics worldwide must include all of those voices." 
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Donna Raynor on the World Athletics Council
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Mentorship has become an important part of the conversation around gender equality in sport. Why do you believe mentoring women and young girls in athletics is especially important right now?
"Mentoring women and girls in sport is especially important because leadership needs a range of perspectives at the table. We must help women be ready not just to take a seat in boardrooms, but to influence decisions and make their voices heard. Many women hesitate to pursue these roles because they doubt themselves, so mentorship is essential in showing them what is possible, creating a path forward and helping them overcome barriers others have already faced. It also provides vital support through difficult moments, especially for women balancing multiple responsibilities. Seeing other women who have succeeded and broken through those barriers makes those opportunities feel real and achievable." 
Why is mentorship particularly valuable for women aspiring to leadership positions in sport?
"Mentorship is especially valuable because many women doubt themselves and need consistent encouragement to believe that leadership is possible, even though the path is not easy. It helps build confidence, but for it to be effective, the support must be ongoing and the mentor must be available and maintain strong communication." 
Have you had a mentor &ndash; male or female &ndash; who had an impact on your own career and leadership journey?
All of my mentors have been men, which is one reason I feel strongly about mentoring women and sharing experiences that can help them progress. I am grateful for my male mentors because they understood leadership, had mastered it, and taught me how to pursue it. Their belief in me helped strengthen my own confidence, pushed me to step forward and speak up, and made them true advocates for me when opportunities arose. They made sure my name was put forward and that I was ready when those opportunities came. As I said earlier, as a woman you have to be more than 100% prepared." 
What advice would you give to young women who aspire to lead in athletics or the wider sporting world?
"My advice is simple: never doubt yourself and never give up. Be prepared &ndash; indeed, overprepared &ndash; because some people may expect you to fail. When you are unsure, do not hesitate to ask for support. I have seen many women step back when competing against men for leadership roles, but I always remind those I mentor that there are only two outcomes: success or a lesson. If you fail, learn from it and come back stronger. If you succeed, be ready for the opportunity and the scrutiny that may come with it. The road will not be easy, but stay true to what you know and do not let anyone discourage you." 
Following the launch of World Athletics' mentorship campaign earlier this year, why would you encourage global stakeholders to pledge their time and expertise to mentor women and girls across all areas of the sport?
"It is important that we continue to mentor women and girls, because gender equality matters and women bring valuable perspectives and energy to the table. The world has moved forward in leaps and bounds, and we must ensure that progress continues. When we reflect on what was achieved in the last World Athletics election (achieving gender equality at the global leadership level of the World Athletics Council &ndash; the first Olympic sport to do so), we should be determined not to lose that momentum. In my role on the Council, I value the discussions we have and appreciate seeing women stand up for what they believe in, bringing strong voices to the table. We need to keep moving in that direction, and the best way to do so is by mentoring women so they are prepared for these positions. Our goal should be to have strong women at the table, not women who are there simply to fulfil a quota." 
Finally, when people reflect on your contribution to athletics years from now, what do you hope they say about your impact and legacy?
"My hope is that I will be remembered as a positive influence on the sport of athletics. I hope to be recognised for contributing to the growth of the sport within my country, fostering strong and constructive relationships, and making a meaningful impact on both female and male athletes. Many of the athletes who competed during my tenure as President continue to reach out to me for guidance and support, which I consider deeply meaningful. Ultimately, I hope to be regarded as a strong and effective leader who helped athletes achieve their goals, both during their competitive careers and in their lives beyond athletics.
"As Chair of the NACAC Gender Leadership Committee, I hope to be recognised as someone who has encouraged women in our region &ndash; and, ideally, around the world &ndash; to pursue opportunities with confidence and present themselves with purpose. I have worked to support women aspiring to serve as administrators, coaches and officials by helping them prepare thoroughly for these roles. I have taken the time to discuss opportunities with them, assist in their professional preparation, and provide guidance throughout the process. Equally as important, I hope they know that even after achieving these positions, they can continue to seek my support without hesitation.
"I have reached goals many only dream of &ndash; becoming President of my Member Federation and serving as a World Athletics Council Member &ndash; and in doing so, I&rsquo;ve proven that it can be done. Now, I want to inspire others by sharing my journey, showing them that no dream is too big and no goal is beyond reach."
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World Athletics is calling on Member Federations, Area Associations, coaches, technical officials, administrators, athletes and partners worldwide to commit their time, resources and support to mentor young girls and women in athletics as a commitment to help close the gender gap.
Learn more on the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/women-in-athletics/news/international-womens-day-2026-mentoring-pledge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women in Athletics website</a>

Donna Raynor has dedicated decades of her life to leadership and service in athletics.

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