Tokyo Hosts World Athletics Championships With Home Medal, Near Half-Capacity Crowds

The 2025 World Athletics Championships commenced in Tokyo, marking a significant return of global sporting events to Japan's National Stadium after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2020 Olympics to be held without spectators. The opening 35km men's race walk took place under challenging conditions of high heat and humidity, with Canadian Evan Dunfee calling it "absolutely brutal". Japanese athlete Hayato Katsuki won a bronze medal, much to the delight of the home crowd, who were eager to support their athletes in person for the first time in years, creating a vibrant and motivated atmosphere. The event also sparked controversy due to the World Athletics Federation's reinstatement of mandatory gene (SRY) testing to determine athletes' sex for female categories, a policy defended by federation officials but criticized by many as unreliable and intrusive. Japanese fans, who were previously barred from attending the pandemic-affected Olympics, expressed joy and enthusiasm in witnessing the championships live, highlighting the importance of fan support for athletes. Overall, the championships symbolize not only a return to normalcy in international sports but also ongoing debates around gender policies in athletics.