United States at the World Athletics Championships

{{Infobox country at games

| IAAF = USA

| fedname = USA Track & Field

| games = World Athletics Championships

| gold = 195

| silver = 134

| bronze = 114

| rank = 1

| appearances = auto

| website = {{URL|http://www.usatf.org/Home.aspx}}

}}

The United States has competed at every edition of the World Athletics Championships since its inception in 1983. It has been the most successful nation at the global competition for track and field. By the end of the 2023 World Championships, its athletes had won a total of 443 medals, 195 of them gold – more than double that of the next most successful nation Kenya, as well as more than the combined total of the Soviet Union and post-Soviet states. It has been the top nation in the championships medal table at every edition bar 1983 and 1987 (East Germany), 2001 (Russia) and 2015 (Kenya). It also ranks number one on points in the national placing tables. As one of the foremost nations in the sport internationally, its delegations for the championships are among the largest. It also won the first title of "World Team Champions" inaugurated for the Oregon 2022.

The most decorated athlete of the competition's history is American: Allyson Felix has won 20 World Championships medals, eleven of them gold, competing across the individual and relay sprint events. Among men, the United States has three of the four most decorated men (after Usain Bolt), all of them sprinters; LaShawn Merritt has eleven medals, Carl Lewis won ten and Michael Johnson won eight. All three won eight gold medals. Johnson is the nation's most successful athlete individually (and the third most successful overall), having won six gold medals in the 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash. American Gail Devers is the second most successful woman individually, with four golds and two silver medals from the 100-meter dash and 100-meter hurdles. Felix and Amy Acuff have made the most appearances for the United States, each having represented their country at eight separate editions.

The United States team was affected by doping during the period from 1997 to 2003, principally in sprinting events. The loss of several gold medals in 2001 resulted in the United States dropping to second in the medal rankings for the first time since 1987.

Medal table

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
rowspan="2" |Championships

! colspan="3" | Men

! colspan="3" | Women

! colspan="3" | Mixed

! colspan="6" | Total

style="background-color: gold;" | Gold

! style="background-color: silver;" | Silver

! style="background-color: #cc9966;" | Bronze

! style="background-color: gold;" | Gold

! style="background-color: silver;" | Silver

! style="background-color: #cc9966;" | Bronze

! style="background-color: gold;" | Gold

! style="background-color: silver;" | Silver

! style="background-color: #cc9966;" | Bronze

! style="background-color: gold;" | Gold

! style="background-color: silver;" | Silver

! style="background-color: #cc9966;" | Bronze

! Total

! Rank

! Athletes

align="left" | 1976 Malmö000style="border-left-width: 3px;" colspan=3 {{n/a|No female events}}style="border-left-width: 3px;" rowspan=18 colspan=3 {{n/a|No mixed events}}style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 0000Unranked3
align="left" | 1980 Sittardstyle="border-left-width: 3px;" colspan=3 {{n/a|No male events}}000style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 0000Unranked6
align="left" | 1983 Helsinki684style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 213style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 897242101
align="left" | 1987 Roma734style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 312style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 1046202
align="left" | 1991 Tokyo947style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 141style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 1088261
align="left" | 1993 Stuttgart833style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 542style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 1375251
align="left" | 1995 Gothenburg714style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 511style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 1225191
align="left" | 1997 Athens416style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 222style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 638171
align="left" | 1999 Seville603style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 431style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 1034171
align="left" | 2001 Edmonton332style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 221style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 553132
align="left" | 2003 Paris640style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 231style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 871161
align="left" | 2005 Helsinki942style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 541style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 1483251
align="left" | 2007 Osaka1036style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 421style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 1457261
align="left" | 2009 Berlin644style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 422style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 1066221160
align="left" | 2011 Daegu653style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 644style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 1297281127
align="left" | 2013 Moscow482style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 453style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 8135261137
align="left" | 2015 Beijing432style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 234style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 666183130
align="left" | 2017 London364style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 755style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 10119301167
align="left" | 2019 Doha951style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 463style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 100style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 14114291144
align="left" | 2022 Eugene675style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 725style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 001style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 13911331151
align="left" | 2023 Budapest625style="border-left-width:3px;"| 564style="border-left-width:3px;"| 100style="border-left-width:3px;"| 1289291138
align="left" | Total || 119 || 74 || 67 || style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 74 || 60 || 46 || style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 2 || 0 || 1 || style="border-left-width: 3px;" | 195 || 134 || 114 || 443 || 1 ||

Multiple medalists

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Athlete

! style="background-color: gold;" | Gold

! style="background-color: silver;" | Silver

! style="background-color: #cc9966;" | Bronze

! Total

! Years

align="left" | Allyson Felix1433202005–2022
align="left" | LaShawn Merritt830112005–2015
align="left" | Carl Lewis811101983–1993
align="left" | Michael Johnson80081991–1999
align="left" | Noah Lyles61072019–2023
align="left" | Gail Devers53081991–2001
align="left" | Sanya Richards-Ross52072003–2015
align="left" | Jeremy Wariner51062005–2009
align="left" | Natasha Hastings51062007–2017
align="left" | Jessica Beard51062009–2019
align="left" | Maurice Greene50051997–2001
align="left" | Justin Gatlin460102005–2019
align="left" | Jearl Miles Clark43291991–2003
align="left" | Allen Johnson40151995–2005
align="left" | Dwight Phillips40152003–2011
align="left" | Kerron Clement40152007–2017
align="left" | Vernon Norwood40152015–2023
align="left" | Jackie Joyner-Kersee40041987–1993
align="left" | Brittney Reese40042009–2017
align="left" | Christian Taylor40042011–2019
align="left" | Gwen Torrence34181991–1995
align="left" | Christian Coleman33062017–2023
align="left" | Butch Reynolds32161987–1995
align="left" | Carmelita Jeter31372007–2013
align="left" | Fred Kerley31152017–2023
align="left" | Calvin Smith31041983–1987
align="left" | Lauryn Williams31042005–2007
align="left" | Tyson Gay31042007–2009
align="left" | Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone31042019–2022
align="left" | Marion Jones30141997–1999
align="left" | Bershawn Jackson30142005–2011
align="left" | Angelo Taylor30142007–2011
align="left" | Greg Foster30031983–1991
align="left" | Dan O'Brien30031991–1995
align="left" | John Godina30031995–2001
align="left" | Grant Holloway30032019–2023

Best placings

Of the 50 events that have been held over the history of the championships, 30 have been won by American athletes (17 men's events and 13 women's events). A further 4 men's and 5 women's events have featured an American medallist at some point. Americans have topped the podium in all sprint and hurdles events, as well as all the men's jumps. By far the weakest events of the United States are men's and women's racewalking and women's throws – only four bronze medals have been won by American athletes in these disciplines, among a total of over 350 medals across events. Americans have featured in the final at some point of every discipline contested at the championships.

This table shows the best place finish by an American athlete by event. Where the best position has been achieved multiple times, the first instance is shown.

class=wikitable
Event

!Men's placing

!Male athlete

!Women's placing

!Female athlete

100 m{{gold1}}Carl Lewis (1983){{gold1}}Gail Devers (1993)
200 m{{gold1}}Calvin Smith (1983){{gold1}}Inger Miller (1999)
400 m{{gold1}}Antonio Pettigrew (1991){{gold1}}Jearl Miles (1993)
800 m{{gold1}}Donavan Brazier (2019){{gold1}}Athing Mu (2022)
1500 m{{gold1}}Bernard Lagat (2007){{gold1}}Mary Decker (1983)
3000 mcolspan=2 align=center|Not contested{{gold1}}Mary Decker (1983)
5000 m{{gold1}}Bernard Lagat (2007)6thMolly Huddle (2013)
10,000 m4thGalen Rupp (2013){{silver2}}Kara Goucher (2007)
Marathon{{gold1}}Mark Plaatjes (1993){{silver2}}Marianne Dickerson (1983)
110/100 m hurdles{{gold1}}Greg Foster (1983){{gold1}}Gail Devers (1993)
400 m hurdles{{gold1}}Edwin Moses (1983){{gold1}}Kim Batten (1995)
3000 m s'chase{{bronze3}}Evan Jager (2017){{gold1}}Emma Coburn (2017)
10 km walkcolspan=2 align=center|Not contested15thLynn Weik (1987)
20 km walk18thAllen James (1993)19thDebbi Lawrence (2001)
50 km walk{{bronze3}}Curt Clausen (1999)4thKathleen Burnett (2017)
4 × 100 m relay{{gold1}}United States (1987){{gold1}}United States (1987)
4 × 400 m relay{{gold1}}United States (1983){{gold1}}United States (1993)
High jump{{gold1}}Charles Austin (1991){{gold1}}Brigetta Barrett (2013)
Pole vault{{gold1}}Brad Walker (2007){{gold1}}Stacy Dragila (1999)
Long jump{{gold1}}Carl Lewis (1983){{gold1}}Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1987)
Triple jump{{gold1}}Kenny Harrison (1991){{bronze3}}Tori Franklin (2022)
Shot put{{gold1}}John Godina (1995){{gold1}}Chase Ealey (2022)
Discus throw{{gold1}}Anthony Washington (1999){{gold1}}Laulauga Tausaga (2023)
Javelin throw{{silver2}}Tom Petranoff (1983){{silver2}}Kara Winger (2022)
Hammer throw5thLance Deal (1995){{gold1}}DeAnna Price (2019)
Decathlon/heptathlon{{gold1}}Dan O'Brien (1991){{gold1}}Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1987)

Doping

class=wikitable
Year

!Athlete

!Event

!Notes

1991Delisa FloydWomen's 800 mSemi-finalist
1993Mike StulceMen's shot putStripped of bronze medal
1997Antonio PettigrewMen's 400 m7th individually, stripped of relay gold medal
1999Antonio PettigrewMen's 400 m5th individually, stripped of relay gold medal
1999Jerome YoungMen's 400 m4th individually, stripped of relay gold medal
2001Ramon ClayMen's 200 mQuarter-finalist
2001Tim MontgomeryMen's 100 mStripped of individual silver and relay gold medals
2001Antonio PettigrewMen's 400 m4th individually, stripped of relay gold medal
2001Jerome YoungMen's 400 mSemi-finalist, stripped of relay gold medal
2001Marion JonesWomen's 100 m, 200 mStripped of 100 m silver, 200 m gold and relay gold medals
2001Kelli WhiteWomen's 100 m, 200 m7th in 100 m, stripped of 200 m bronze and relay gold medals
2003Calvin HarrisonMen's 400 m6th individually, stripped of relay gold
2003Tim MontgomeryMen's 100 m5th in final
2003Chris PhillipsMen's 110 m hurdles5th in final
2003Kevin TothMen's shot put4th in final
2003Jerome YoungMen's 400 mstripped of individual and relay gold medals
2003Regina JacobsWomen's 1500 mSemi-finalist
2003Melissa PriceWomen's hammer throw12th in final
2003Kelli WhiteWomen's 100 m, 200 mstripped of 100 m and 200 m gold medals

References

{{Reflist}}

  • [https://www.iaaf.org/ebooks/2017/WCH/index.html#page=4 IAAF Statistics Book – IAAF World Championships London 2017]
  • [https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-championships/iaaf-world-championships-london-2017-5151/country/united-states USA at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics]

{{Nations at the World Championships in Athletics}}

{{United States at the World Championships in Athletics}}

United States

World Championships in Athletics