World Athletics: What did Tokyo 2025 tell us about Glasgow 2026?

Five years after Tokyo should have delivered a spectacular show of awe-inspiring athletic performances, via the Olympic Games, champions were finally crowned at Japan’s National Stadium during the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

The venue, which can host between 68,000-80,000 spectators, was largely empty when the postponed Tokyo 2020 Games took place 12 months later than originally planned, due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Between the 13-21 September this year though, over half a million fans flocked to the venue to witness the best track and field athletes on the planet achieve a host of record results, in what was for many their last major outdoor contest before Glasgow 2026.

Here we take a look at some of the leading performances by athletes from Commonwealth Games Associations and assess what it might mean for their medal prospects next year.

KENYA IN CONTROL AS MUMS WIN MAJOR MEDALS

To say Tokyo 2025 was a successful meet for Kenyan female middle to longer distance track athletes would be something of an understatement.

Their performances ensured Kenya became the first nation in history to attain a clean sweep of the 800m to Marathon events at a World Championships – which also included the 1,500m, 3,000m Steeplechase, 5,000m and 10,000m disciplines – during the nine-day contest.

Reigning Commonwealth 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet backed up her Paris 2024 Olympic title medal-winning performances over that and the 10,000m distance to claim her first World golden double.

Faith Kipyegon meanwhile did, what Faith Kipyegon does – wins 1,500m races.

The three-time Olympic champion, who won Commonwealth gold in the event at Glasgow 2014, has now claimed a medal over the distance at each of the last six World Championships and also took 5,000m silver behind team-mate Chebet.

Lilian Odira, who like Kipyeongan is also a mother, secured her first global honour in style.

She impressively timed her sprint finish to perfection, edging past Olympic medal-winning English runners Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter Bell. They placed third and second respectively on the final night of competition.

“This medal means the world to me,” Odira told World Athletics. “It is for my sons; they are four and two. They are my motivation."

On the men’s side, Paris 2024 winner Emmanuel Wanyonyi claimed his maiden World 800m crown, doing so in a new Championship Record time of one minute 41.86 seconds.

Faith Cherotich (3,000m Steeplechase) was their other victor in a discipline we will see at Glasgow 2026, helping Kenya place second in the overall standings, with 11 honours, seven of which were gold.

“This event is not easy,” stated Cherotich after her latest success. “To win every year and break records, it is a matter of dedication, hard work and being passionate. This sport drives me.”

BOTSWANAN BRILLIANCE LEADS TO NATIONAL HOLIDAY

The historic men’s 4x400m victory – which saw them become the first African nation to hold the title – was not only celebrated on the track in Tokyo, but extensively back in their capital, Gaborone, some 13,000km’s away, where a public holiday was declared.

“I’ll be sure to tell everyone, Botswana’s natural diamonds are not just in the ground, they are our World champion athletes,” stated President Duma Boko.

In truth Botswana, who won silver in the event at Birmingham 2022, were the overwhelming favourites to win this latest contest after Coleen Kebinatshipi and Bayapo Ndori claimed gold and bronze respectively three days earlier.

Their line-up also included Lee Eppie and Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo, who was disqualified for a false start in the 100m event and placed fourth in the 200m.

“We came here dreaming of becoming world champions and this gold medal makes up for my individual non-medal performances,” stated Tebogo.

“It took a lot of courage for me and I am grateful to my teammates and to our coach.”

South Africa, who placed third, as well as Great Britain and Jamaica, who were sixth and seventh respectively, are likely to be their greatest rivals come Glasgow 2026.

BOLT CELEBRATES AS JAMAICA’S MEN GO FAST AGAIN

Not since the great Usain Bolt’s final World titles, in 2015, had a Jamaican man stood on top of a 100m or 200m podium at the global Athletics Championships, but that decade long search for a new male sprinting star finally looks to be over.

Kishane Thompson claimed 100m silver at Paris 2024, a result he would repeat in Tokyo, but it was the performance of team-mate Oblique Seville – winning in a blistering 9.77 seconds – which made global headlines.

Bolt celebrated the success wildly in the stands as Seville, who is coached by the eight-time Olympic champion’s former mentor Glen Mills, took gold in Japan.

Aside from their coaching connections, nationality and now 100m World wins there are few other similarities between the pair though, with Bolt 195cm and around 89kg in his prime, vs Seville’s current statistics, of 168cm / 72.5kg.

“9.77 is something amazing and it is a tremendous feeling to compete in front of Usain here in Tokyo,” said Seville, who revealed he prepared for the 100m final by reading the bible.

“We are the next generation and I have proved, in front of him, that I am a champion and I am very proud of that. Now, more gold medals."

LEAVING A LASTING LEGACY AFTER RACING INTO RETIREMENT

The legendary status of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was secured long before she brought her astounding career to a close on the final night of the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

The 38-year-old has won at least one gold at every major event available to her – across Olympic Games, World, Pan-American, Commonwealth Games and Diamond League contests – during an astounding 18 years at the summit of her sport.

“There are no words to explain how great Shelly-Ann is,” states her former team-mate Usain Bolt. “She left, had a kid, came back to the sport and still dominated.

“She’s a legend in my book, she has proven again and again and I’m happy to know and to see this greatness.”

It began with a World Championships 4x100m silver in Osaka in 2007 and so it was perhaps fitting that her elite racing days came to a conclusion back in Japan, with the Jamaican team, who also placed second.

"I am grateful for the medals, the stadiums and the crowds where I have competed throughout my career,” said ten-time World champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, after her final race. "I have had an amazing career and today's medal is the icing on the cake.

“I have some plans (for the future) and I want to focus on advocacy and support women and athletes. I want to continue to make an impact."

‘REAL DEAL’ GOUT GOUT GOING FOR GOLD IN GLASGOW?

Staying with the sprinters – for one more moment – and a name which could well-become world renowned come Glasgow 2026 and beyond; that of Australian starlet Gout Gout.

The 17-year-old is the son of parents from war-torn South Sudan, with mother Monica and father Bona fleeing their homeland and ultimately settling in Australia two years before their Gout Gout was born in Queensland.

He ran the 100m in 10.57 secs at the age of 14 and set the current Australian senior 200m record, which had stood since 1968, earlier this year with a new landmark time of 20.02 secs.

The teenager, who is described by Olympic champion and World Athletics President Lord Coe as the “real deal” is quicker than Usain Bolt was at the same age.

He reached the semi-finals of the 200m in Tokyo and with his home city of Brisbane due to host the 2032 Olympics, it is widely anticipated that this event will be a stepping stone towards ‘destiny’ at his home Games, when he will be 24.

“It’s been a great experience coming out here at the age of 17, which not many people have the opportunity to do,” Gout Gout told reporters after the race.

“The biggest eye-opener for me has been realising that I can compete against these guys, the best in the world, at the age I am.

He continued; “I’m going to take a lot from this experience and how I handled the pressure.”

HAMMER TIME, AS CANADA CREATES CHAMPIONS

Reigning Commonwealth 10km champion Evan Dunfee opened Canada’s medal account at Tokyo 2025 and became his nation’s first-ever World Championships race walking gold medallist, with victory in the 35km discipline.

He described his achievement as the “hardest thing” he had ever done, but stated the result was a “dream come true” moment, coming at the age of 34.

Dunfee would though be forced to pull out of the 20km discipline after suffering a hamstring tear in training ahead of what would have been his second event at Tokyo 2025.

Out in the field Canadian Commonwealth medal-winning Hammer throwers Camryn Rogers and Ethan Katzberg delivered masterclass displays in their respective women’s and men’s contests.

Katzberg became the first Canadian in 112 years to win an Olympic medal in the Hammer Throw when he took gold at Paris 2024, while Rogers was the first Canadian woman to secure an Olympic gold in an Athletics event for 96 years when she won two days later.

Reigning Olympic, World and Commonwealth champion Rogers was the first to show her astounding skills by throwing an Americas Record and World Lead of 80.51m, which was the second furthest distance thrown by a woman in history, 2.47m short of the record.

Fellow defending Olympic and World champion Katzberg, who was second at Birmingham 2022, also landed a new Championship and Americas Record mark by achieving 84.70m to claim victory by a margin of almost two meters.

“Camryn (Rogers) put the pressure on me to perform tonight,” he joked after his final.

“I watched her win the women's (hammer) final and it was an incredible performance from her, so for Canada to win the men's hammer tonight as well is amazing.”

He then admitted that after attaining gold he now needed to find “cool Japanese Pokemon cards” and source “green tea and matcha” for his girlfriend.

The only major disappointment for the Canadians came in the men’s Decathlon, where Tokyo Olympic champion Damian Warner, who won gold at Glasgow 2014, withdrew through injury days before the competition.

2023 World champion Pierce LePage, who won Commonwealth silver at Gold Coast 2018, was then forced to withdraw from his title defence after struggling an on-going back problem after four of the ten events.

NEW ZEALAND’S NEW HOPE AND THE OLD GUARD’S LATEST GOLD

Not even a spike to the face during a fall in the heats could deny New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish as the 3,000m steeplechaser recovered to place second, before then edging victory over double Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco.

It was the 29-year-old’s first major outdoor title and follows up his maiden global honour secured last year in Glasgow, in the 1500m, at the World Indoor Championships.

“That was pretty unreal,” said a delighted Beamish moments after the final. “It's a first track gold for New Zealand at a World Championships (outdoors), which is pretty cool!

“The Olympic Games last year (where he placed 25^th) were brutal so to come here this year it's just a testament to the team I have and how freaking hard this sport is. Nothing is given, everything is earned."

If Bingham’s success was something of a surprise to the man himself, Hamish Kerr’s High Jump was somewhat expected, given he was the reigning Olympic, as well as Commonwealth champion in the discipline, as well as the winner of the Glasgow Indoor title in 2024.

His performance was though truly outstanding, with his highest effort, of 2.36m, both an Oceanic record and world lead for 2025.

"Geordie and I have won the world indoor titles on the same day," he said in reference to 2024 in Glasgow, when Kerr won the High Jump and Beamish the 1,500m.

"He gave me a kick in my ass after his win last night so I had to win too! It's really kind of cool to share our best moments together."

HOME NATION HEROICS AND HEARTBREAK

Athletes from England and Scotland secured five medals for the British and Northern Ireland team in Tokyo, with reigning Commonwealth Heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson, of England, taking bronze.

Scotland’s Jake Wightman, a two-time Commonwealth bronze medallist, finished second in a highly contested men’s 1500m event.

There was disappointment for defending champion Josh Kerr who pulled up injured in the final, whilst Neil Gourley placed 10^th, but Wightman told the BBC he’s backing all three to push for the podium come Glasgow 2026.

“Myself, Josh Kerr and Neil Gourley, we could potentially try and get ourselves all through on the podium, which would be an immense thing to happen in a home Commonwealth Games,” he told the BBC.

“It’s quite a nice moment. I started my championship career in Glasgow in 2014, when I was a student. So, to finish (with) a Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is pretty nice.”

England’s Amy Hunt looks to have finally put her own injury concerns behind her, with the 23-year-old sprinter claiming her first major honour, with second in the 200m, ahead of two-time World champion and 2018 Commonwealth silver medallist Shericka Jackson of Jamaica.

It was the first time in 22 years that a British and Northern Ireland team had finished without a gold medal at the World Championships, while it that event in Paris in 2003 was also the last time the squad had been unable to secure a relay medal.

One further success for a ‘home nation’ athlete came via Commonwealth Heptathlon silver medallist Kate O’Connor, who was representing Ireland in Tokyo.

She placed second and will be expected to challenge for further honours while back in Northern Ireland colours come Glasgow 2026.

BEST OF THE REST AT TOKYO 2025

Two further titles were won by athletes who will likely aim to make major impacts at Glasgow 2026, with Nicola Olyslagers of Australia, as well as Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcot claiming gold medals in their respective High Jump and Javelin disciplines.

"This was just pure joy, even in the rain,” said Olyslagers after her victory.

“The whole year was really great; I realised I had to stop holding onto my goals really tightly and be spontaneous, take risks, and really move by faith and not sight.”

London 2012 Olympic champion Walcot, who won silver at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games added that he had been waiting for his latest honour “for 13 years.”

“Olympic victory at the age of 19 was incredible; I could never beat it, but every World Championships I hoped, I was ready,” he stated.

“I have been fighting for this but I was always off the podium and I even thought that the (World) Championships are not my competition, but I never gave up.”

By Nick Hope, Glasgow 2026 Content Specialist