A record 87 athletes will represent Australia at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this month, marking the nation’s biggest team ever assembled for a global championships.
More than just a number, the squad reflects a sport in full spotlight, with Olympic and world champions competing alongside fearless teens and debutants, ready to continue the momentum seen since Australia last competed in Tokyo in 2021.
From proven medal winners to exciting first-timers, here are ten things to know about Australia’s Tokyo-bound team.
1. Previous Medalists
The team boasts a remarkable group of proven global performers. Olympic silver medallists Nicola Olyslagers, who recently soared to a world lead and Australian record of 2.04m, headlines the field alongside Olympic bronze medalist Matt Denny (discus) and former world champion Eleanor Patterson, who will look to make three consecutive appearances on the podium after gold in 2022 and silver in 2023.
Other medallists include Kurtis Marschall and Mackenzie Little, who both took bronze in Budapest 2023, and long jumper Liam Adcock, who collected bronze at this year’s World Indoors. With six medals won in Budapest — the best haul in Australian history — there’s optimism this squad can match or even surpass that in Tokyo, built on a core of strong performers and others on the rise. 
2. Youngest Team Members
Youth will be a defining feature in Tokyo. At just 17, Australian U18 record holder Leah O’Brien is the youngest member of the team at 17 years, 227 days on the opening day of competition. O’Brien features in the women’s 4x100m squad.
Queensland sprint sensation Gout Gout (17 years and 258 days on the opening day of competition) makes his senior debut following a record-breaking season that has already drawn international attention.
Both athletes represent the future of Australian athletics, alongside fellow teenagers Cameron Myers (19) and Delta Amidzovski (19).
3. Oldest Team Members
Experience comes in many forms, and age is one of them. Marathoner Vanessa Wilson, 43, will debut in the women’s marathon, while race-walker Rhydian Cowley, 34, returns for his sixth world championships, equalling the most appearances by an Australian . Their longevity underscores the balance of youth and experience in the 2025 squad.
4. Most Experienced and Debutants
Few athletes can match the experience of Rhydian Cowley, who lines up for his sixth world championships, joining Steve Moneghetti, Jared Tallent, Tamsyn Manou, Sally Pearson, Jane Saville, Dani Stevens and Kerry Saxby-Junna. He is joined (almost) by middle-distance star Linden Hall, contesting her fifth global event.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are 29 athletes who will make their senior debut in the green & gold.
5. Doublers
Several athletes will chase glory across multiple events. Sprint prodigy Torrie Lewis will line up in both the 100m and 200m, while Jessica Hull adds the 800m to her favoured 1500m (which is earlier in the program). Linden Hall is listed for both the 1500m and 5000m (pending resolution of an appeal, with 4 athletes provisionally selected for three positions), and Lauren Ryan will take on the gruelling 5000m/10,000m double (again, pending the 5000m appeal outcome). These doublers highlight their individual ability among Australia’s growing depth and versatility in middle distance and sprints. 
6. Discretionary Picks and Appeals
Selections were not without drama. Discretionary picks were required in the men’s 1500m, women’s 800m, women’s 1500m, and women’s 5000m, with an appeal lodged in at least the latter.
In the men’s 1500m Adam Spencer and Jude Thomas were given the nod over Olli Hoare, to join the already selected Cam Myers. Thomas vindicated his selection just after the end of the qualifying period, setting a new personal best of 3:31.87 to eclipse Simon Doyle’s long standing Queensland record.
The women’s 800m, 1500m and 5000m involved the most possible permutations and combinations, and is yet to be fully resolved.
In the 5000m there were five athletes qualified and the only certainty is that Maudie Skyring wasn’t selected and isn’t subject to the current appeal. The remaining four: Australian record holder Rose Davies, #2 all-time Georgia Griffith (in her debut season over the 12 1/2 laps), Linden Hall (selected in the 1500m, over Griffith who had also qualified) and Lauren Ryan still await the final outcome of the National Sports Tribunal and/or any direction it provides to Australian Athletics.
In the 1500m Olympic silver medallist Jess Hull gained the most obvious selection relying on discretion (as Australian Athletics’s selection criteria didn’t allow selectors to choose her after her Australian championships victory, because she raced overseas indoors, instead of in domestic meets). Second placegetter at nationals, Sarah Billings, was selected back then, with Linden Hall’s 3:56 career best form seeing her picked over Georgia Griffith, who finished a place ahead of her at April’s nationals.
In the 800m new Australian record holder Claudia Hollingsworth and national champion Abbey Caldwell were already selected, and Hull, with a 1:58.58 PB to her name this year was given the nod for the final place ahead of Billings (SB/PB 1:57.83).
7. Roll Downs
As with every championship, quota roll downs have shaped parts of the team list. These occur when athletes from other nations eligible via rankings decline selection, opening opportunities for others. Athletes to benefit were Calab Law and Aidan Murphy (200m), Ella Connolly (100m), Amy Cashin (3000m steeplechase), Emily Whelan (high jump), and Samantha Dale and Delta Amidzovski (long jump).
8. Withdrawals
The final team list was also shaped by withdrawals. Selected, but then withdrawing after suffering a new injury, is Olympic champion Nina Kennedy. Olympic racewalk dual medallist Jemima Montag and rising sprinter Lachlan Kennedy were also both forced out due to injury.
Isobel Batt-Doyle also withdrew from the marathon to focus on the 10,000m, while Elizabeth McMillen opted to target the 20km walk rather than the 35km. These changes have opened doors for other athletes to step in.
9. Coaching
Tokyo will see familiar coaching names guiding multiple athletes. Andrew Murphy has a particularly large group across horizontal jumps and sprints (6 athletes), while Jared Tallent coaches 5 racewalkers and Nic Bideau leads four of Australia’s distance stars and has close associations with a number of others. Craig Mottram, Angus McEntyre and Brent Vallance (3 each) are among the other key coaches with multiple athletes under their guidance. The coaching ranks reflect Australia’s deep and successful high-performance pathways.
10. Largest Team, Eyes on History
At 87 athletes, this is the largest Australian team ever for a global championships, surpassing the Sydney 2000 Olympic team of 86. The goal is clear: to better the record six medals achieved in Budapest 2023.
From a world leader in Olyslagers, to an unprecedented number of relay squads, and a new generation of fearless teenagers, the 2025 Tokyo championships offer the chance to cement Australia’s place among the world’s athletic powerhouses.
Australia’s team for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo (13-21 September)
Men
100m: Joshua Azzopardi (NSW, Rob Marks), Rohan Browning (NSW, Jack Edwards)
200m: Gout Gout (QLD, Diane Sheppard), Calab Law (QLD, Andrew Iselin), Aidan Murphy (SA, Nik Hagicostas)
400m: Reece Holder (QLD, Christopher Dale), Cooper Sherman (VIC, Neville Down)
800m: Peter Bol (WA, Justin Rinaldi), Peyton Craig (QLD, Craig Mottram), Luke Boyes (NSW, Ben St Lawrence)
1500m: Cameron Myers (ACT, Dick Telford), Jude Thomas (QLD, Collis Birmingham), Adam Spencer (VIC, Mick Byrne)
5000m: Ky Robinson (QLD, Dathan Ritzenhein), Jack Rayner (VIC, Nic Bideau), Seth O’Donnell (VIC, Andrew Russell)
3000m Steeplechase: Ed Trippas (VIC, Craig Mottram)
High Jump: Yual Reath (VIC, Mike Barber), Brandon Starc (NSW, Alex Stewart), Roman Anastasios (VIC, Sandro Bisetto)
Pole Vault: Kurtis Marschall (WA, Paul Burgess)
Long Jump: Liam Adcock (QLD), Christopher Mitrevski (VIC, Alex Stewart)
Triple Jump: Connor Murphy (NSW, Andrew Murphy)
Discus Throw: Matthew Denny (QLD, Dale Stevenson)
Javelin Throw: Cameron McEntyre (NSW, Angus McEntyre)
Marathon: Andrew Buchanan (VIC, Scott Westcott), Tim Vincent (VIC, Jackson Elliott), Liam Boudin (QLD, Collis Birmingham)
20km Race Walk: Rhydian Cowley (VIC, Brent Vallance), Declan Tingay (VIC, Brent Vallance), Tim Fraser (ACT, Jared Tallent)
35km Race Walk: Cowley, Will Thompson (VIC, Brent Vallance), Mitchell Baker (ACT, Jared Tallent)
4x100m Relay: Azzopardi, Jacob Despard (TAS), Christopher Ius (NSW, Andrew Murphy), Law, Browning, Connor Bond (NSW, Mick Zisti)
4x400m Relay: Holder, Sherman, Aidan Murphy, Thomas Reynolds (VIC, Matthew Oakley), Terrell Thorne (QLD, Christopher Dale), Luke van Ratingen (NSW, Ben Liddy) , Augustine Nketia Junior (ACT, Gus Nketia)
Women
100m: Bree Rizzo (QLD, Ryan Hoffman), Torrie Lewis (QLD, Laurent Meuwly), Ella Connolly (NSW, Andrew Murphy)
200m: Lewis, Mia Gross (VIC, John Nicolosi), Kristie Edwards (NSW, Andrew Murphy)
400m: Ellie Beer (QLD, Brett Robinson)
800m: Abbey Caldwell (VIC, Gavin Burren), Claudia Hollingsworth (VIC, Craig Mottram), Jessica Hull (NSW, Simon Hull)
1500m: Sarah Billings (VIC, Nic Bideau), Linden Hall (VIC, Ned Brophy-Williams), Hull
5000m (selections subject to appeal outcome – 3 of 4 to be confirmed): Rose Davies (NSW, Scott Westcott), Hall, Georgia Griffith (VIC, Nic Bideau), Lauren Ryan (VIC, Lara Rogers)
10,000m: Ryan, Isobel Batt-Doyle (SA, Nic Bideau)
100m Hurdles: Liz Clay (QLD, Andreas Behm)
400m Hurdles: Sarah Carli (NSW, Abbie Taddeo), Alanah Yukich (WA, Rose Monday)
3000m Steeplechase: Cara Feain-Ryan (QLD, Ben Norton), Amy Cashin (VIC, Sean Cleary)
High Jump: Nicola Olyslagers (NSW, Matt Horsnell), Eleanor Patterson (VIC, Fayazz Caan), Emily Whelan (NSW, Matt Horsnell)
Pole Vault: Nina Kennedy (WA, James Fitzpatrick)
Long Jump: Samantha Dale (NSW, Andrew Murphy), Delta Amidzovski (NSW, Becky Amidzovski)
Triple Jump: Desleigh Owusu (NSW, Andrew Murphy)
Discus Throw: Taryn Gollshewsky (QLD, Les Kuorikoski)
Hammer Throw: Stephanie Ratcliffe (VIC, Dale Stevenson), Lara Roberts (QLD, John Frazier)
Javelin Throw: Mackenzie Little (NSW, Angus McEntyre), Lianna Davidson (NSW, Angus McEntyre)
Marathon: Vanessa Wilson (VIC, Paul Wilson), Sarah Klein (VIC, Peter Schuwalow), Tara Palm (SA, Peter-John Bosch)
20km Race Walk: Rebecca Henderson (VIC, Simon Baker), Elizabeth McMillen (NSW, Jared Tallent), Alexandra Griffin (WA, Jared Tallent)
35km Race Walk: Olivia Sandery (SA, Jared Tallent), Henderson, Allanah Pitcher (NSW, Frank Overton)
Heptathlon: Camryn Newton-Smith (QLD, Ralph Newton), Tori West (QLD, Eric Brown and Sam Leslie)
4x100m Relay: Connolly, Edwards, Lewis, Rizzo, Georgia Harris (QLD, Paul Pearce), Leah O’Brien (WA, Braiden Clarke)
4x400m Relay: Beer, Yukich, Gross, Carla Bull (QLD, Brett Robinson), Jemma Pollard (NSW, Tim Eschebach), Carli, Amelia Rowe (WA, Brian Pozzi)
