Several young and emerging track and field athletes at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo zoomed to the top by way of making big breakthroughs on that global stage. Their performances signal shifts in the sport and gave a glimpse at the next generation of stars. Here’s a look at some of those rising names and how they got there.
One-lap power
Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, 21 (Botswana)
- Kebinatshipi won the men’s 400m world title, running a national record of 43.53secs in the final.
- He had qualified via a season’s best, ran a semifinal in a 43.61 (another PB) to reach the final, then delivered again.
- His victory was historic because he became Botswana’s first men’s World champion in athletics.
- He then anchored Botswana to a historic relay title.
- His win demonstrates how a young athlete, with the right trajectory, can leap from national/regional success into the global spotlight.
Middle distance and distance
Emmanuel Wanyonyi, 21 (Kenya)
- Wanyonyi outkicked a loaded field to winthe men’s 800m gold with achampionship record (CR) of1:41.86.
- He did splits and managed positioning against seasoned vets; this confirms that the 2004-born star is the present and future of two-lap running event.
Faith Cherotich, 21 (Kenya)
- Cherotich snatched 3000m steeplechase gold in a CR 8:51.59.
- She timed her move perfectly to overhaul Winfred Yavi on the last lap.
- This is her first senior global title and a championships record.
- Her tactical range and kick have been proven at global level; record margins imply staying power.
Niels Laros, 20 (Netherlands)
- Laros placed fifth in Tokyo
- Last year he finished sixth in the 2024 Paris Olympic 1500m final, setting a new European U20 record.
- At 19 years old, he has competed against elite runners such as World champion Josh Kerr and reigning Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
- His performances have solidified his position as a top contender in the future, with expectations for continued success in upcoming competitions.
Nico Young, 22 (USA)
- Another none-medalist at Worlds, 22-year-old Nico Young delivered strong top-six finishes in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, proving he’s transitioning from collegiate (NCAA) standout to serious world-level contender.
- His consistency across two long-distance events at a World Championships indicates maturity beyond his years.
Cooper Lutkenhaus, 16 (USA)
- At 16 years old, Cooper Lutkenhaus is the youngest American ever to compete at a World Championships.
- He qualified by placing second in the US 800m final, running 1:42.27, which also smashed the US U18 record.
Navasky Anderson, 25 (Jamaica)
- Rose through the US NCAA system at Mississippi State, where he broke school records and sharpened his tactical racing skills.
- Won multiple Jamaican national titles over 800m, establishing himself as the country’s top middle-distance man.
- Lowered the Jamaican national 800m record (1:44.70), proving he could run world-class times against elite fields.
- Transitioned from regional success to competing at 2025 World Championships where he placed seventh in the 800m final with a time of 1:42.77, a national record. The first Jamaican man to make a World final in this event.
The Sprints
Tina Clayton, 21 (Jamaica)
- Double World U20 100m champion (2021, 2022), showing early consistency at the international level.
- Ran sub-11 seconds at 17, establishing herself as one of Jamaica’s fastest teens ever.
- Integral part of Jamaica’s relay squads and member of the World U20 4×1 world record. She has learnt to perform under pressure in senior team setups.
- Built confidence and experience through local Champs and Diamond League appearances.
- Took silver in the Tokyo World Championships women’s 100m with 10.76 pb.
Bryan Levell, 21 (Jamaica)
- Made his name at Jamaica’s Boys and Girls Championships (Champs) with dominant wins in the sprints.
- Competed at World U20 Championships, gaining valuable big-meet exposure.
- Strong in both 100m and 200m, giving him multiple paths to elite success.
- Rose through Jamaica’s well-established sprint pipeline, backed by high-school and club programs. Ran the 400m hurdles and 4×4 relay in high school.
- Ended Tokyo Worlds with a 200m PB 19.64 secs.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, 24 (USA)
- Like Jamaica’s Anderson, she is not extremely young (born 2001), she’s still among the younger cohort of global champions.
- She achieved the sprint triple at the 2025 Worlds (gold in 100m, 200m, and 4×100m relay), becoming the first American woman to do so.
- First American woman ever to sweep all three at a Worlds, with a 10.61secs CR in the 100m and 21.68 world leading time in the 200m.
- Her success underscores how the youthful guard in sprints is rapidly consolidating dominance.
Amy Hunt, 23 (Britain)
- At 17, she burst onto the international scene in 2019 when she set a World U18 record in the 200m race with a time of 22.42secs.
- That year, she became a double gold medalist at the European U20 Championships, winning both the 200m and the 4x100m relay.
- Her momentum was halted by ruptured quadriceps in early 2022, which required surgery and disrupted her transition into senior athletics.
- In 2024, she secured her first senior gold medal with the British women’s 4x100m relay team at the European Championships. She also helped the team win a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
- Her comeback culminated in 2025 with a silver medal in the 200m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, her first major individual medal.
The Jumps
Mattia Furlani, 20 (Italy)
- Youngest men’s long jump world champion in history; he has displayed composure in rain-hit conditions and a clutch fifth-round bomb.
- He broke the age-group records in high jump and long jump as a teenager.
- Won European U20 golds before stepping confidently into senior competitions.
- At just 20, captured World Championship gold with an 8.39m PB jump — the youngest long jump world champion in history.
- Delivered his best leap in the fifth round of the Worlds final, showing elite championship temperament
Patterns Behind The Rise of Young Stars
From these stories, a few common factors and trends emerge such as early specialization and progression. Many of the breakout athletes had already been competing at U20/continental levels and gradually improved their performances. Kebinatshipi, for example, had medaled at U20 relays.
Based on these performances, it is evident that sneaking PBs or close to them through heats/semis and delivering under pressure in finals is a hallmark of a true breakout. We also see that smaller nations (such as Botswana) are investing in talent pipelines, which create pathways for young stars to emerge.