Overview

• Pole vault star Armand Duplantis arrives off a 6.29 m world record in Budapest and is widely tipped to test 6.30 m in Tokyo.
• Long jumper Malaika Mihambo says she does not expect this to be her final Worlds and signals 2027 as a likely farewell target.
• Frank Busemann highlights Mihambo, decathlete Leo Neugebauer and javelin leader Julian Weber as Germany’s primary medal hopes while cautioning that Paris 2024 set an upper-bound benchmark.
• Several marquee events look volatile, with high jumpers Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Barshim managing fitness issues and world-record holder Jaroslava Mahuchikh showing a slight dip.
• The championship cast remains deep, featuring Noah Lyles, Karsten Warholm, Femke Bol and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce alongside Duplantis and Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis as the leading pole vault duo.