From Noah Lyles losing his crown to Melissa Jefferson-Wooden getting her maiden world championships medal in her third sub-10.70 of the season, the Tokyo World Athletics Championships have seen everything. The royal family was in attendance. The opening ceremony was officially inaugurated by Crown Prince Akishino, marking the start of the championships, and both he and Crown Princess Kiko were in attendance. Good news came for Japan as Hayato Katsuki secured the bronze medal in the men’s 35-kilometer race walk.

A planned aerial performance by Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force’s Blue Impulse aerobatic team was canceled due to poor weather. This made sure that all the attention stayed on the athletes while they performed. So how much did they make in the first two days of the championships?

Prize Money Structure at Tokyo 2025

For Individual Events:

• Gold: $70,000
• Silver: $35,000
• Bronze: $22,000
• 4th–8th place: 4th place collects $16,000, 5th takes $11,000, 6th earns $7,000, 7th gets $6,000, and even 8th pockets $5,000.

For Relay Events:

• Gold: $80,000
• Silver: $40,000
• Bronze: $20,000
• 4th–8th place: 4th place receives $16,000, 5th place is awarded $12,000, 6th place earns $8,000, 7th place gets $6,000, and 8th place takes home $4,000.

Additional Bonuses: Athletes who set a world record are eligible for a special award of US$100,000 offered by TDK and World Athletics. Given that the performance must be an improvement on the existing World Athletics world record. Performances that equal the existing world record will not be eligible for a world record award.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden: Sprinting to Victory

The women’s 100m final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships had all eyes fixed on the track. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden was defending her unbeaten run, while Julien Alfred was chasing history as she aimed to claim Saint Lucia’s first world crown. When the dust settled, the American national champion had clocked a time of 10.61 seconds. This was her third sub-10.70 of the season, the fastest time in the women’s 100m at Worlds, and the 4th fastest of all time.

The gold medal brought her $70,000. On top of that, she will also compete in the 200m, where another gold can also cash a minimum of $22,000 in her bank. Also, given that she is an Olympic gold medalist in relays (4×100-10.61, Paris Olympics), she might run the 4x100m as well, which can get her a minimum of $5000 ($20,000/4).

Tara Davis-Woodhall: Soaring to New Heights

In the women’s long jump, Tara Davis-Woodhall shone again. She won the gold with a leap of 7.13 meters, setting a new world-leading mark for the year. The Olympian broke this season’s previous world-leading mark of 7.08 meters, which was set by her earlier in the season. In the same event, Germany’s Malaika Mihambo (2019 and 2022 world champion) secured the silver medal with a jump of 6.99 meters, while Colombia’s Natalia Linares earned the bronze with a personal best of 6.92 meters.

Tara will be banking $70,000. This is her second major win after the gold medal in the Paris Olympics last year, where she had jumped 7.10 meters, becoming the first American woman to win Olympic gold in this event since 2004. She is the next big thing for the USA in the long jump.

Noah Lyles: A Close Call in the 100m

Noah Lyles lost his 100m crown today to her arch 100m rival this season. The commentator announced, “Seville got a good start, Thompson’s in a winning position, Seville goes up to him, the two Jamaicans, it’s the young guy, Seville over the top of Thompson and Lyles, we’ve got a new king.” The Jamaican overtook her compatriot Kishane Thompson to finish the race in 10.77 s. Thompson recorded 9.82 to finish second, marking his second win over Lyles (9.89s) after Paris.

The bronze medal ensures $22,000 goes into the bank account of the 200m world champion. Lyles still has the 200m and the relays due, so we can be sure of a minimum of another $22,000 + $5,000, though he might be able to finish higher than the bronze position in both these events. Moreover, taking bronze in the 100m race after a season that had him injured is commendable.

Valarie Allman: Discus Queen Claims Long-Awaited World Gold

Valarie Allman reached a major milestone by capturing her first World Athletics Championships gold. She dominated the competition from the start, opening with an impressive 67.63-meter throw and eventually sealing victory in the fifth round with a winning mark of 69.48 meters. The silver medal went to Jorinde van Klinken of the Netherlands, who threw for 67.50 meters, while Cuba’s Silinda Morales turned heads by achieving a personal best of 67.25 meters to claim bronze.

Allman will also be rewarded with $70,000. Furthermore, this only adds to her legacy, given her two Olympic golds. She made history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, winning her first Olympic gold with an impressive throw of 68.98 meters. She became the first American woman to claim Olympic gold in the discus throw since 2008. Allman didn’t stop there—at the Paris 2024 Olympics, she successfully defended her title with a throw of 69.50 meters, making her the first American woman ever to win back-to-back Olympic golds in the discus throw.

Ryan Crouser: Overcoming Injury to Secure Third Consecutive World Title

3x NCAA All-American Katelyn Hutchison said on X, “Did Ryan Crouser just open and close his season at the world championships with a gold medal…” And that sums up the American’s season. He stayed off the sport for about nine months, skipping Diamond League and all big events because of an elbow injury. In the 2025 World Athletics Championships, he stepped out of hibernation and went straight for the gold.

He made an impressive throw of 22.34 meters, becoming the only athlete to break the 22-meter barrier that night. That ensures that he also gets the $70,000. The American has now made a hat trick of world titles, matching his three Olympic golds. Crouser has made history by becoming the first athlete to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the men’s shot put, with throws of 22.90 meters at the Paris Olympics, 23.30 meters at the Tokyo Olympics, and 22.52 meters at the Rio Olympics.

Medal Winners and Prize Money