Started in 1983, the IAAF's World Championships are the largest event for global track and field outside of the Olympic Games. Not only serving as the highlight of competition for athletics in between the Games, they often are looked upon as a specific Games preview. This especially holds true for the Championships editions held the year right before an Olympics.
With that in mind, I take a look back at previous Championships to glimpse at how well Worlds medalists are able to finish on the podium at the following Olympics. Although Championships did start on a biennial schedule in 1993, with the first edition held after a Games, I'll focus more attention on those editions which occur right before.
Read previous IAAF World Champs Retrospective entries here:
XIII - Daegu, 2011
Stats
Medal Table
Highlights
How the Olympic medal podiums the following year (2012 London) compare
With that in mind, I take a look back at previous Championships to glimpse at how well Worlds medalists are able to finish on the podium at the following Olympics. Although Championships did start on a biennial schedule in 1993, with the first edition held after a Games, I'll focus more attention on those editions which occur right before.
Read previous IAAF World Champs Retrospective entries here:
XIII - Daegu, 2011
Stats
- 1,848 athletes from 204 nations
- 47 events
Medal Table
- United States (26)
- Russia (19)
- Kenya (17)
Highlights
- The third Championships to be held in Asia, after '91 Tokyo and '07 Osaka
- One world record was set, by JAM n the men's 4x100m relay with 37.04
- Overall, four championship records were set across the competition
How the Olympic medal podiums the following year (2012 London) compare
- Yohan Blake (JAM) went from gold to silver in the 100m
- Usain Bolt (JAM) repeated with gold in the 200m
- Kirani James (GRN) repeated with gold in the 400m
- David Rudisha (KEN) repeated with gold in the 800m
- Mo Farah (GBR) and Dejen Gebremeskel (ETH) went from 1-3 to 1-2 in the 5000m
- Mo Farah (GBR) went from silver to gold in the 10,000m
- Abel Kirui (KEN) went from gold to silver in the marathon
- Jason Richardson (USA) went from gold to silver in the 110m hurdles
- Javier Culson (PUR) went from silver to bronze in the 400m hurdles
- Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN) and Mahiedine Benabbad (FRA) went from 1-3 to 1-2 in the 3000m steeplechase
- Jared Tallent (AUS) went from bronze to silver in the 50km walk
- JAM and FRA went from 1-2 to 1-3 in the men's 4x100m relay
- USA went from gold to silver in the men's 4x400m relay
- Mitchell Watt (AUS) repeated with silver in the long jump
- Christian Taylor (USA) and Will Claye (USA) went from 1-3 to 1-2 in the triple jump
- Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) went from bronze to gold in the pole vault
- David Storl (GER) went from gold to silver in the shot put
- Robert Harting (GER), Gerd Kanter (EST), & Ehsan Haddadi (IRI) went from 1-2-3 to 1-3-2 in the discus
- Koji Murofushi (JPN), Krisztian Pars (HUN) & Primoz Kosmus (SLO) went from 1-2-3 to 3-1-2 in the hammer throw
- Ashton Eaton (USA), Trey Hardee (USA) and Leonel Suarez (CUB) went from 1-2-3 to 2-1-3 in the decathlon
- Carmelita Jeter (USA) and Veronica Brown (JAM) went from 1-2 to 2-3 in the 100m
- Carmelita Jeter (USA) and Allyson Felix (USA) went from 2-3 to 3-1 in the 200m
- Mariya Savinova (RUS) and Caster Semenya (RSA) repeated with 1-2 in the 800m
- Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) and Meseret Defar (ETH) went from 1-3 to 2-1 in the 5000m
- Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) and Sally Kipyego (KEN) went from 1-2 to 3-2 in the 10,000m
- Prsicah Jeptoo (KEN) repeated with silver in the marathon
- Sally Pearson (AUS) and Dawn Harper (USA) went from 1-3 to 1-2 in the 100m hurdles
- Lashinda Demus (USA) and Natalya Antyukh (RUS) went from 1-3 to 2-1 in the 400m hurdles
- Habiba Ghribi (TUN) and Micah Cheywa (KEN) went from 2-3 to 1-3 in the 3000m steeplechase
- Olga Kaniskina (RUS) went from gold to silver in the 20km walk
- USA, JAM, and UKR repeated as 1-2-3 in the women's 4x100m relay
- USA, JAM, RUS went from 1-2-3 to 1-3-2 in the women's 4x400m relay
- Brittney Reese (USA) repeated with gold in the long jump
- Olha Saladhuka (UKR), Olga Rypakova (KAZ), and Caterine Ibarguen (COL) went from 1-2-3 to 3-1-2 in the triple jump
- Anna Chicherova (RUS) repeated with gold in the high jump
- Valerie Adams (NZL) repeated with gold in the shot put
- Li Yanfeng (CHN) and Yarelis Barrios (CUB) went from 1-3 to 2-3 in the discus throw
- Tatyana Lysenko (RUS) and Betty Heidler (GER) went from 1-2 to 1-3 in the hammer throw
- Barbara Spotakova (CZE) went from silver to gold in the javelin
- Tatyana Chernova (RUS) and Jessica Ennis (GBR) went from 1-2 to 3-1 in the heptathlon
- USA (29), Russia (17), and JAM (12) topped the medal table
XIV - Moscow, 2013
Stats
- 1,974 athletes from 206 nations
- 47 events
Medal Table
- United States (25)
- Russia (17)
- Kenya (12)
Highlights
- With seven golds, Russia became the first Championships host to take the golds title, although finished second in overall medals to the USA.
- Usain Bolt (JAM) and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) both won three golds each, while Bolt became the all-time medalist at the Worlds, with eight golds and two silvers overall.
- No world records were established.
- Overall, only three championship records were set across all competition.
There are some repeat gold medalists between the '12 Games and these '13 Championships:
- Usain Bolt (JAM) in the 100m
- Usain Bolt (JAM) in the 200m
- Mo Farah (GBR) in the 5000m
- Mo Farah (GBR) in the 10,000m
- Stephen Kiprotich (UGA) in the marathon
- Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN) in the 3000m steeplechase
- JAM in the men's 4x100m relay
- Robert Harting (GER) in the discus throw
- Ashton Eaton (USA) in the decathlon
- Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) in the 100m
- Meseret Defar (ETH) in the 5000m
- Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) in the 10,000m
- Elena Lashmanova (RUS) in the 20km walk
- Brittney Reese (USA) in the long jump
- Valerie Adams (NZL) in the shot put
- Sandra Perkovic (CRO) in the discus throw
- Tatyana Lysenko (RUS) in the hammer throw
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