Ryan Crouser, Gong Lijiao, Kristjan Ceh and Valarie Allman are among the contenders in the throws events in Budapest
World record-holder in the men’s shot put, Ryan Crouser, is one of the biggest favourites of the championships but no one is guaranteed a gold until the competition is over. Some athletes may rise to the occasion and the home crowd will be hoping hammer thrower Bence Halasz is among these.
British contenders are thin on the ground, however.
Men’s shot put
Championship record: Ryan Crouser USA 22.94m, 2022
History maker: Werner Gunthor SUI/John Godina USA: Three golds
Defending champion: Ryan Crouser USA 22.94m
Olympic champion: Ryan Crouser USA 23.30m
Ones to watch
Ryan Crouser USA (23.56m)
The world record-holder has been in stunning form this season but has had a few upsets so won’t take anything for granted despite his huge advantage when it comes to PBs.
Joe Kovacs USA (22.69m)
Apart from two world titles, he has an additional four global silvers. Only fourth in the US Championships despite a 21.90m throw but qualifies thanks to Crouser’s wild card.
Tom Walsh NZL (22.58m)
An eight-time global medallist, indoors and out, he is ultra consistent and has never been outside the top four in 14 major events since 2015. Set his season’s best at the London Diamond League.
Filip Mihaljevic CRO (21.63m)
Consistent thrower but while he has a world indoor medal his best global outdoor result is only a sixth and unlikely to challenge the best Americans.
Emerging force: Jacko Gill NZL (22.12m)
Finally breached the 22-metre barrier this winter and should improve on his previous senior global record of finishing seventh at the last two World Championships.
British Challenge
Commonwealth bronze medallist and serial national champion Scott Lincoln will lead the British charge who got a place via the World Rankings.
AW Prediction: 1 Crouser USA 23.43m; 2 Kovacs USA 22.76m; 3 Walsh NZL 22.54m; 4 Otterdahl USA 22.12m; 5 Gill NZL 21.97m; 6 Campbell JAM 21.75m; 7 Mihaljevic CRO 21.54m; 8 Awotunde USA 21.49m
Scott Lincoln (Getty)
Women’s shot put
Championship record: Natalya Lisovskaya URS/Valerie Adams NZL 20.24m, 1987 & 2011
History maker: Valerie Adams NZL: Four golds, one silver
Defending champion: Chase Ealey USA 20.49m
Olympic champion: Gong Lijiao CHN 20.58m
Ones to watch
Chase Ealey USA (20.06m)
Failed to make the US Olympic team for Tokyo but stepped up a level in 2022 to get world indoor silver and win gold in Eugene. Her 2023 form has been inconsistent with and only came fourth at the US Championships.
Gong Lijiao CHN (20.06m)
The 12-time global medallist and twice two-time world champion has a brilliant competitive record and has been in good form, throwing over 20m – a feat she first achieved in 2009.
Sarah Mitton (CAN) (19.83m)
Commonwealth champion was fourth in Eugene and has been in good form this year winning in Oslo.
Auriol Dongmo POR (19.76i/19.72m)
Won the world indoor title last year with a big PB of 20.43m but could only finish fifth in Eugene and second at the Europeans. Her wins this year have included the European Indoors, the European Team Championships and the Paris Diamond League.
Emerging force Maggie Ewen USA (20.45m)
The versatile thrower (75.10m for the hammer) destroyed her PB to set a world lead in Westwood and won the US title. Looks certain to improve on her previous world outings of fourth and ninth.
British Challenge
World indoor finalists Amelia Strickler and Sophie McKinna gained rankings invitations which were turned down by UK Athletics.
AW Prediction: 1 Gong Lijiao CHN 20.07m; 2 Ealey USA 19.97m; 3 Dongmo POR 19.83m; 4 Ewen USA 19.79m; 5 Mitton CAN 19.68m; 6 Thomas-Dodd JAM 19.59m; 7 Van Klinken NED 19.34m; 8 Schilder NED 19.29m
Gong Lijiao (Mark Shearman)
Men’s discus
Championship record: Kristjan Ceh SLO 71.13m, 2022
History maker: Lars Riedel GER: Five golds, one bronze
Defending champion: Kristjan Ceh SLO 71.13m
Olympic champion: Daniel Stahl SWE 68.90m
Ones to watch
Kristjan Ceh SLO (71.86m)
The defending champion made a big advance in 2022 after an Olympic fifth in 2021 and has carried on that very good form this year as he narrowly tops the world rankings.
Daniel Stahl SWE (71.45m)
After global titles in 2019 and 2021, he could only finish fourth in Eugene and fifth in the Europeans last year. He has been in better form, getting close to a PB in Johvi this year and defeating Ceh in London.
Lukas Weisshaidinger AUT (70.68)
After successive bronze medals in the Europeans, Worlds and Olympics between 2018 and 2021, he was off-form in 2022 having finished tenth in Eugene but back to form in 2023 with an Austrian record and his first 70 metre throw.
Andrius Gudzius LTU (69.35m)
Six years after being world champion, he is still a force to be reckoned with – having finished third in Eugene and showing good early season form in 2023.
Emerging force: Mykolas Alekna LTU (71.00m)
Finished second in Eugene and beat Ceh in the Europeans. The 20-year-old won the European under-23 title but was third in the NCAAs.
British Challenge
European bronze medallist Lawrence Okoye could feature in a medal battle if he can replicate his Munich form. Nick Percy’s world ranking invite was turned down.
AW Prediction: 1 Ceh SLO 70.65m; 2 Alekna LTU 69.98m; 3 Stahl SWE 69.75m; 4 Weisshaidinger AUT 68.40m; 5 Dacres JAM 68.02m; 6 Mattis USA 66.99m; 7 Okoye GBR 66.90m; 8 Martynas Alekna LTU 66.88m
Kristjan Ceh (Getty)
Women’s discus
Championship record: Martina Hellmann GDR 71.62m, 1987
History maker: Franka Dietzsch GER: Three golds
World champion: Feng Bin CHN 69.12m
Olympic champion: Valarie Allman USA 68.98m
Ones to watch
Valarie Allman USA (70.25m)
Won Olympic gold by over two metres and in 2022 her 71.46m was the longest throw of this century but she only managed third in Eugene. Good form throughout 2023 with wins in Florence, Paris and the US Championships.
Feng Bin CHN (66.81m)
An unexpected winner in Eugene as she took her first major medal. Has shown good form this year and won the Asian title.
Sandra Perkovic CRO (65.26m)
Four-time global winner and a six-time European champion is not the force she was and was third in Doha, fourth in Tokyo and second in Eugene. Has been stuck around the 65 metre mark this summer but did win in Stockholm.
Emerging force: Jorinde van Klinken NED (67.05m)
The NCAA champion is also a good shot putter (19.57m PB). Still only 23, she should improve on her fourth places in Eugene and Munich from last year.
British Challenge
The 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Jade Lally (61.37m) is comfortably within the world rankings quota with a top 20 spot but UKA did not select her.
AW Prediction:
1 Allman USA 69.80m; 2 Feng Bin CHN 69.44m; 3 Van Klinken NED 67.45m; 4 Perkovic CRO 66.12m; 5 Pudenz GER 65.85m; 6 Craft GER 64.90m; 6 Tausaga NZL 64.75m; 7 Robert-Michon FRA 64.17m; 8 Morales CUB 63.98m
Valarie Allman (Mark Shearman)
Men’s hammer
Championship record: Ivan Tikhon BLR 83.63m, 2007
History maker: Pawel Fajdek POL: Five golds
Defending champion: Pawel Fajdek POL 81.98m
Olympic champion: Wojciech Nowicki POL 82.52m
Ones to watch
Wojciech Nowicki POL (81.92m)
Has been the second-best Pole to Pawel Fajdek in the last four World Championships but has won medals every time. Has also won the past two European Championships and is a clear world leader right now.
Rudy Winkler USA (80.88m)
The regular 80 metre thrower was sixth in Eugene for his best major result so far but now more consistent, should be in the medal battle having been first or second in all his 2023 competitions.
Pawel Fajdek POL (78.10m)
Aiming to equal Sergey Bubka’s record of six successive world titles, he threw a big season’s best at the Polish Championships and his last world championships loss was in 2011.
Bence Halasz HUN (77.82m)
Hungary’s top medal chance across all events – he won world bronze in Doha and European silver in Munich last year – will be under huge pressure on home soil.
Emerging force: Mykhaylo Kokhan UKR (79.37m)
Former world youth champion has won the last two European under-23 titles and has finished fourth at the Olympics. Defeated Nowicki and Halasz in Székesfehérvár.
British Challenge
The 20-year-old Kenny Ikeji did not quite make the world standard with his surprise 77.92m NCAA victory but he did better UKA’s mark for acceptance of a world ranking place but was omitted from the team.
AW Prediction: 1 Nowicki POL 82.45m; 2 Kokhan UKR 79.80m; 3 Halasz HUN 78.56m; 4 Winkler USA 77.98m; 5 Fajdek POL 77.90m; 6 Katzberg CAN 77.02m; 7 Del Real MEX 76.98m; 8 Mardal NOR 76.82m
Eivind Henriksen, Wojciech Nowicki and Pawel Fajdek (Getty)
Women’s hammer
Championship record: Anita Wlodarczyk POL 80.85m, 2015
History maker: Anita Wlodarczyk POL: Four golds
Defending champion: Brooke Andersen USA 78.96m
Olympic champion: Anita Wlodarczyk POL 78.48m
Ones to watch
Brooke Andersen USA (80.17m)
The American champion enjoyed a huge three-metre victory in Eugene last year and has been almost as dominant in 2023 with a world lead and wins in Paris and Chorzow.
DeAnna Price USA (78.18m)
The 2019 champion did not compete in Eugene but has returned to better form this year with a big throw for second place at the US Championships.
Camryn Rogers CAN (77.84m)
The former world under-20 champion took silver in Eugene and is in good form, setting a Canadian record and throwing over 76 metres in all nine of her competitions this year.
Anna Wlodarczyk POL (74.81m)
The world’s most successful ever hammer thrower with seven global titles and four European titles missed the worlds in both 2019 and 2022 (the latter after injuring herself chasing a thief) and her 2023 form sees her well down on the North Americans.
Emerging force: Silja Kosonen FIN (73.78m)
The 2021 world and European under-20 champion also won this year’s European under-23 title and is improving all the time.
British Challenge
Late additions to the team, Anna Purchase (73.02m) and Charlotte Payne (72.51m) are set to get their first taste of a senior World Championships in Budapest.
AW Prediction: 1 Andersen USA 79.30m; 2 Rogers CAN 78.25m; 3 Price USA 77.96m; 4 Wlodarczyk POL 76.23m; 5 Kosonen FIN 75.99m; 6 Kassanvoid USA 75.34m; 7 Shippee USA 73.84m; 8 Zheng Wang CHN 73.80m
Brooke Andersen (Getty)
Men’s javelin
Championship record: Jan Zelezny (CZE) 92.80, 2001
History maker: Jan Zelezny 3 golds, 2 bronzes
Defending champion: Anderson Peters (GRN) 90.54
Olympic champion: Neeraj Chopra (IND) 87.58
Jakub Vadlejch CZE (89.51m)
A consistent performer, having won medals in his last three major events, but despite setting a world lead in Turku, his record suggests he is not a natural winner.
Julian Weber GER (88.72m)
Though he won the European title in Munich last year, he has finished fourth in his last two global events at Tokyo and Eugene and will again be battling for a medal.
Neeraj Chopra IND (88.67m)
The Olympic champion narrowly finished second in Eugene last year and has taken wins in Doha and Lausanne this summer.
Anderson Peters GRN (85.88m)
His two world golds, in Doha and Eugene, came either side of not qualifying in Tokyo and his 2023 form has been disappointing so far.
Emerging force
Oliver Helander FIN (87.32m)
Finnish throwers have been short of recent success, but he has shown he has the potential after an 89.83m throw last year.
British Challenge
No British competitors.
AW Prediction: 1 Chopra IND 91.45m; 2 Peters GRN 88.55m; 3 Vadlejch CZE 88.12m; 4 Helander FIN 86.84m; 5 Weber GER 86.42m; 6 Walcott TTO 86.08m; 7 Herman BEL 85.98m; 8 Kuusela FIN 85.01m
Neeraj Chopra (Getty)
Women’s javelin
Championship record: Osleidys Menendez CUB 71.70m, 2005
History maker: Barbora Spotakova CZE: Three golds
Defending champion: Kelsey-Lee Barber AUS 66.91m
Olympic champion: Liu Shiying CHN 66.34m
Ones to watch
Haruka Kitaguchi JPN (67.04m)
The Eugene bronze medallist is the current world leader and has enjoyed wins in Paris and Chorzow, with a Japanese record in the latter.
Mackenzie Little AUS (65.70m)
The former World Youth champion was second in the Commonwealths to Barber and fifth in Eugene but has improved in 2023 winning in Lausanne and finishing second in Chorzow.
Elina Tzengko GRE (63.65m)
Won the European title as a teenager last year but was only 20th in qualifying in Eugene and, though she won the European under-23 title, her 2023 form has been modest.
Kelsey-Lee Barber (AUS) (62.54m)
Doesn’t have a single win in 2023 so far but she was also in modest form pre-championships in 2022 and still won easily in Eugene with a 66.91m throw. A great competitor.
Kelsey-Lee Barber (Mark Shearman)
Emerging force: Anni Linnea Alanen FIN (62.45)
The European under-23 bronze medallist, still only 20, will be competing in her first global senior championships and has smashed the Finnish under-23 record this season.
British Challenge
Bekah Walton has made great advances in 2023 but is just outside the necessary world ranking spots to have received an invitation.
AW Prediction: 1 Barber AUS 66.54m; 2 Kitaguchi JPN 65.00m; 3 Tzengko GRE 64.45m; 4 Little 64.36m; 5 Peeters NZL 64.12m; 6 Hudson AUS 63.85m; 7 Borge NOR 63.02m; 8 Shiying Lu CHN 62.94m
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