World Athletics Championships 2025: Japan celebrate first medal as athletes battle Tokyo heat
Japan celebrates the return of a premier global sporting event to Tokyo with a world medal in a curtain-raising 35km race walk event contested in brutal conditions.
Japan claimed its first medal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo as athletes endured brutal heat and humidity in the curtain-raising 35km race walk.
Despite starting 30 minutes earlier to avoid the worst heat, temperatures soared above 30°C with humidity over 90%. Canada’s Evan Dunfee, who ultimately won the men’s event, described the conditions as "absolutely brutal" during his nearly two-and-a-half-hour effort.
Hayato Katsuki secured bronze for the host nation, delighting fans inside the National Stadium and lining the streets. Four years after Tokyo staged the delayed 2020 Olympic Games without spectators, local supporters returned in force, with nearly 500,000 tickets sold and night sessions fully booked.
The toughest race yet
Grey clouds provided little relief as competitors completed 16 laps of a 2km loop. Britain’s Cameron Curbishley, the last finisher in the 35km race walk, called it "the hardest race I have ever done" and said he drew strength from seeing others drop out.
Masatora Kawano briefly held second place but collapsed upon finishing and needed a wheelchair off the track. Meanwhile, Spain’s Maria Perez dominated the women’s event and was celebrated by her teammates.
Home hopes and a coming heatwave
Yuko Arimori, president of Japan Athletics and former Olympic marathon medalist, became emotional on the eve of the championships, saying the event would "wipe away" the memories of empty stands in 2021. She urged fans to draw inspiration from athletics, "the mother of sports."
With a heatwave forecast to push temperatures into the mid-30s over the coming days, both the women’s marathon on Sunday and the men’s on Monday—featuring Great Britain’s Emile Cairess—have been moved to 07:30 local time for safety.
The scorching start in Tokyo tested all athletes, but home success and passionate crowds signal a triumphant return of world athletics to the Japanese capital.
This topic was reported by BBC Sport.
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