★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
≡ WORLD CHAMPS WILD CARDS ≡
The qualifying period for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (JPN) in September is over, except for one meet: the Diamond League Final in Zurich.
The winners of these events will be the Diamond League champions for 2025 and have a “wild card” entry into the Worlds in Tokyo … most of the time.
For the U.S. team, Zurich is the last direct opportunity to get into the Worlds, but even a win won’t allow some to advance, even though qualified to the Diamond League Final:
● Men/100 m: Trayvon Bromell, a two-time World bronze medalist, has qualified for the Diamond League Final, but even if he wins, he won’t get to Tokyo.
That’s because he finished fourth at the USATF National Championships in Eugene, and the U.S. already has a wild-card entry in 2023 World Champion Noah Lyles. World Athletics rules allow a maximum of four national entries in any event – three qualifiers and a wild card – and USATF confirmed that in a choice between a reigning World Champion and a Diamond League winner, the World Champion will go.
That’s important to remember, as the 100 is not the only instance where this applies.
● Men/200 m: Courtney Lindsey was fourth at the USATF Nationals, ranks seventh worldwide and is in the Diamond League Final. But with Lyles the reigning World Champion in this event, Lindsey’s path to Tokyo is blocked.
● Men/400 m: Veteran star Vernon Norwood finished fourth at the USATF Nationals, but has been strong on the Diamond League circuit. If he wins in Zurich, he’s on to Tokyo.
● Men/800 m: World Indoor champion Josh Hoey was a stunning fourth at the USATF, but has been excellent in the Diamond League meets. It won’t be easy, but if he can overcome Kenya’s Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi – and everyone else – again, he will get to Tokyo.
● Men/1,500 m: Same story for Yared Nuguse, the American mile record holder, who finished a disappointing fifth at the USATF meet. But he got into the Zurich final and he if wins, he’s on to Tokyo.
● Men/5,000 m: Graham Blanks was only 13th in the USATF 5,000 m, but he’s qualified for Zurich, ranks no. 9 on the season (12:48.20) and if he pulls a major upset, he’ll be in this event in Tokyo. He’s already at the Worlds in the 10,000 m.
● Men/110 m hurdles: Trey Cunningham, the 2022 Worlds runner-up, was fourth at the nationals and Jamal Britt didn’t finish, but even with a win they won’t be in Tokyo, as the wild-card slot belongs to defending champion Grant Holloway.
● Men/400 m hurdles: Trevor Bassitt, a 2022 Worlds medalist, was the final qualifier for Zurich and with an unlikely win, would make it to Tokyo. He’s no. 14 on the 2025 world list at 48.14.
● Men/Shot: Joe Kovacs went from second to fourth in the final at the nationals and even if he wins in Zurich, he still can’t go to Tokyo as the reigning World Champion is American Ryan Crouser. If Crouser’s injuries still have not healed enough for him to compete, though, Kovacs might get in at the last moment, so it will behoove him to win!
● Women/100 m: Jacious Sears and Maia McCoy both qualified for the Zurich final, but are blocked by the wild card already taken by 2023 World Champion Sha’Carri Richardson.
● Women/200 m: Brittany Brown, the 2024 Olympic bronzer, and ex-NCAA champ McKenzie Long were 4-5 at the nationals, but could run their way to Tokyo with a win in Zurich. In their way is defending World Champion Shericka Jackson of Jamaica.
● Women/800 m: Addy Wiley, the top American on time in 2025 (1:57.43), tripped at the USATF final and was ninth. But if she wins in Zurich, she’s on to Tokyo. It’s a tough ask, however, with former World Champion Halimah Nakaayi (UGA), Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell and world no. 4 Tsige Duguma (ETH) in the field.
● Women/Steeple: Courtney Wayment and Gabi Jennings finished 6-9 at the nationals, but have qualified for Zurich. It’s a tall task to beat Olympic champ Winfred Yavi (BRN), Tokyo Olympic winner Peruth Chemutai (UGA) and others, but there’s always a chance.
● Women/100 m hurdles: Tonea Marshall is equal-fourth on the world list for 2025 at 12.44 and could join the U.S. team with a win in Zurich, but will have to beat USATF winner Masai Russell and runner-up Grace Stark.
● Women/Vault: Emily Grove was eighth at the USATF, but can’t qualify for Tokyo as the U.S. has Katie Moon as a co-champion in 2023. However, Moon was second at the USATF meet and could decline her wild-card invitation …
● Women/Long Jump: Olympic bronze winner Jasmine Moore finished fifth at the USATF meet, but won the triple jump. If she wins the Zurich long jump, she’s in for Tokyo.
That’s 16 events in which the U.S. has athletes who could get to the Tokyo Worlds, but with so many U.S. Worlds winners in 2023, the opportunity is open to 10 athletes to punch the final tickets as an American team member for the 2025 Worlds (ignoring any weird gymnastics from qualifying via the World Athletics Rankings).
The Weltklasse Zurich opens with five events on Wednesday (27th) – the shot puts, men’s vault, women’s high jump and men’s long jump – and finishes on Thursday.
¶
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
For our updated, 699-event International Sports Calendar for 2025, 2026 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
