Athletes from all around the globe make their way to the World Athletics Championships every two years to race their place in their respective events.
For centuries, and till this day, the United States continues to be the consistent leader at the World Championships in both medals and records, but records have also been broken by competitors from all six continents. Only four athletes have set multiple records in athletics, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, who holds records in the 100 and 200 meters as well as the 4 x 100 relay, and American Michael Johnson who holds individual and relay records in the 400 meters. Fellow American Jackie Joyner-Kersee broke both the heptathlon and long jump records and Czeck Jarmila Kratochvílová set the records in the 400 and 800 meters at the inaugural Championships back in 1983, which are the two oldest records of the Championships, and are still unbeaten.
In each one of the previous 17 World Championships records were broken except for these: 1997 in Athens, Greece, 2001 in Edmonton, Alberta, 2007 in Osaka, Japan, and 2013 in Moscow, Russia. And now with the first-ever World Athletics Outdoor Championships held in the U.S. July 15-24, track and field fans, including this writer here, expect to see a world record or two fall at Hayward Field.
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Let’s dive into the world and championships records of each athletics discipline: