Here’s a detailed look at the nine area records that were set (or equalled) during the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo — what they were, who set them, and what they mean.
If you want, I can also include the championship records and world records that came up alongside them. (KBC)
What is an Area Record
An area record (sometimes called a continental record) is the best performance ever recorded in a given event by an athlete from a specific geographic “area” (e.g. Africa; Europe; North America, Central America & Caribbean (NACAC); Oceania; South America). These are short of world records but are still significant markers of excellence, often denoting an athlete is the best ever in their region for that event.
The Nine Area Records from Tokyo 2025.
Here are the nine area records from Tokyo 2025, with some context for each: #. Athlete. 1. South Africa (RSA)
# |
Athlete |
Area |
Event |
Performance / Mark |
Why It Matters |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
South Africa (RSA), mixed 4×400m relay |
Africa |
Mixed 4×400 m Relay |
3:11.16 (KBC) |
Sets a new benchmark for Africa in mixed relay. Relay events are always exciting because they combine individual speed and team coordination. |
2 |
Mondo Duplantis (Sweden) |
Europe |
Men’s Pole Vault |
6.30 m (KBC) |
Also set the world record with this jump, so the European area record is part of that larger achievement. Duplantis continues to push the limits in pole vault. |
3 |
Sydney McLaughlin‑Levrone (USA) |
NACAC (North America, Central America & Caribbean) |
Women’s 400 m |
47.78 s (KBC) |
A stunning time, which also broke the championship record. It underscores how dominant she is in one-lap sprint events. |
4 |
Camryn Rogers (Canada) |
NACAC |
Women’s Hammer Throw |
80.51 m (KBC) |
Major throw. Once again shows that the hammer throw, often dominated by a few European countries, is seeing world‑class competition from North America. |
5 |
Ethan Katzberg (Canada) |
NACAC |
Men’s Hammer Throw |
84.70 m (KBC) |
Even more impressive, showing depth in throwing events. This mark also served as a championship record. |
6 |
Alegna Gonzalez (Mexico) |
NACAC |
Women’s 20 km Race Walk |
1:26:06 (KBC) |
Demonstrates the strong race walking tradition in Latin America / Central America, and Mexico in particular. |
7 |
Jessica Hull (Australia) |
Oceania |
Women’s 800 m |
1:57.15 (KBC) |
A big performance in the middle distance from Oceania. It both raises the bar for that area and adds prestige to her name. |
8 |
Hamish Kerr (New Zealand) |
Oceania |
Men’s High Jump |
2.36 m (=) (KBC) |
The “(=)” indicates that this mark equals an existing area record rather than breaking it outright. So he matched the best ever in the region. |
9 |
Gianna Woodruff (Panama) |
South America |
Women’s 400 m Hurdles |
52.66 s (KBC) |
A very strong hurdles time, bringing South America more to the fore in sprint hurdling. |
Additional Note: Decathlon Discus Area Record
Actually, there was a kind of special case: Leo Neugebauer (Germany) threw 56.15 m in the discus as part of his decathlon, which is also counted among area bests (for that discipline within decathlon).
It’s noted alongside those nine area records. (KBC)
Significance & What It Shows
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These area records reflect increasing global competitiveness — many continents are pushing performance levels in events historically dominated by other regions.
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Several area records doubled as championship records, showing that some of the best-ever performances in those regions happened on the global stage.