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.
| United States at the World Athletics Championships | |
|---|---|
 | |
| WA code | USA |
| National federation | USA Track & Field |
| Website | www |
| Medals Ranked 1st |
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| World Athletics Championships appearances (overview) | |
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
| Championships | Men | Women | Mixed | Total | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank | Athletes | |
| 1976 Malmö | 0 | 0 | 0 | No female events | No mixed events | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Unranked | 3 | ||||
| 1980 Sittard | No male events | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Unranked | 6 | |||||
| 1983 Helsinki | 6 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 24 | 2 | 101 | |||
| 1987 Roma | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 20 | 2 | ||||
| 1991 Tokyo | 9 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 26 | 1 | ||||
| 1993 Stuttgart | 8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 25 | 1 | ||||
| 1995 Gothenburg | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 19 | 1 | ||||
| 1997 Athens | 4 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 1 | ||||
| 1999 Seville | 6 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 1 | ||||
| 2001 Edmonton | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 2 | ||||
| 2003 Paris | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 16 | 1 | ||||
| 2005 Helsinki | 9 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 25 | 1 | ||||
| 2007 Osaka | 10 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 26 | 1 | ||||
| 2009 Berlin | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 22 | 1 | 160 | |||
| 2011 Daegu | 6 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 28 | 1 | 127 | |||
| 2013 Moscow | 4 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 5 | 26 | 1 | 137 | |||
| 2015 Beijing | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 3 | 130 | |||
| 2017 London | 3 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 30 | 1 | 167 | |||
| 2019 Doha | 9 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 11 | 4 | 29 | 1 | 144 |
| 2022 Eugene | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 33 | 1 | 151 |
| 2023 Budapest | 6 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 29 | 1 | 138 |
| Total | 119 | 74 | 67 | 74 | 60 | 46 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 195 | 134 | 114 | 443 | 1 | |
Multiple medalists
| Athlete | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allyson Felix | 14 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 2005–2022 |
| LaShawn Merritt | 8 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 2005–2015 |
| Carl Lewis | 8 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1983–1993 |
| Michael Johnson | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1991–1999 |
| Noah Lyles | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2019–2023 |
| Gail Devers | 5 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 1991–2001 |
| Sanya Richards-Ross | 5 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2003–2015 |
| Jeremy Wariner | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2005–2009 |
| Natasha Hastings | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2007–2017 |
| Jessica Beard | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2009–2019 |
| Maurice Greene | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1997–2001 |
| Justin Gatlin | 4 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 2005–2019 |
| Jearl Miles Clark | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 1991–2003 |
| Allen Johnson | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1995–2005 |
| Dwight Phillips | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2003–2011 |
| Kerron Clement | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2007–2017 |
| Vernon Norwood | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2015–2023 |
| Jackie Joyner-Kersee | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1987–1993 |
| Brittney Reese | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2009–2017 |
| Christian Taylor | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2011–2019 |
| Gwen Torrence | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 1991–1995 |
| Christian Coleman | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 2017–2023 |
| Butch Reynolds | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1987–1995 |
| Carmelita Jeter | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 2007–2013 |
| Fred Kerley | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2017–2023 |
| Calvin Smith | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1983–1987 |
| Lauryn Williams | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2005–2007 |
| Tyson Gay | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2007–2009 |
| Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2019–2022 |
| Marion Jones | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1997–1999 |
| Bershawn Jackson | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2005–2011 |
| Angelo Taylor | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2007–2011 |
| Greg Foster | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1983–1991 |
| Dan O'Brien | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1991–1995 |
| John Godina | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1995–2001 |
| Grant Holloway | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2019–2023 |
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.
| Event | Men's placing | Male athlete | Women's placing | Female athlete |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m |  | Carl Lewis (1983) | | Gail Devers (1993) |
| 200 m | | Calvin Smith (1983) | | Inger Miller (1999) |
| 400 m | | Antonio Pettigrew (1991) | | Jearl Miles (1993) |
| 800 m | | Donavan Brazier (2019) | | Athing Mu (2022) |
| 1500 m | | Bernard Lagat (2007) | | Mary Decker (1983) |
| 3000 m | Not contested | | Mary Decker (1983) | |
| 5000 m | | Bernard Lagat (2007) | 6th | Molly Huddle (2013) |
| 10,000 m | 4th | Galen Rupp (2013) |  | Kara Goucher (2007) |
| Marathon | | Mark Plaatjes (1993) | | Marianne Dickerson (1983) |
| 110/100 m hurdles | | Greg Foster (1983) | | Gail Devers (1993) |
| 400 m hurdles | | Edwin Moses (1983) | | Kim Batten (1995) |
| 3000 m s'chase |  | Evan Jager (2017) | | Emma Coburn (2017) |
| 10 km walk | Not contested | 15th | Lynn Weik (1987) | |
| 20 km walk | 18th | Allen James (1993) | 19th | Debbi Lawrence (2001) |
| 50 km walk | | Curt Clausen (1999) | 4th | Kathleen Burnett (2017) |
| 4 × 100 m relay | | United States (1987) | | United States (1987) |
| 4 × 400 m relay | | United States (1983) | | United States (1993) |
| High jump | | Charles Austin (1991) | | Brigetta Barrett (2013) |
| Pole vault | | Brad Walker (2007) | | Stacy Dragila (1999) |
| Long jump | | Carl Lewis (1983) | | Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1987) |
| Triple jump | | Kenny Harrison (1991) | | Tori Franklin (2022) |
| Shot put | | John Godina (1995) | | Chase Ealey (2022) |
| Discus throw | | Anthony Washington (1999) | | Laulauga Tausaga (2023) |
| Javelin throw | | Tom Petranoff (1983) | | Kara Winger (2022) |
| Hammer throw | 5th | Lance Deal (1995) | | DeAnna Price (2019) |
| Decathlon/heptathlon | | Dan O'Brien (1991) | | Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1987) |
Doping
| Year | Athlete | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Delisa Floyd | Women's 800 m | Semi-finalist |
| 1993 | Mike Stulce | Men's shot put | Stripped of bronze medal |
| 1997 | Antonio Pettigrew | Men's 400 m | 7th individually, stripped of relay gold medal |
| 1999 | Antonio Pettigrew | Men's 400 m | 5th individually, stripped of relay gold medal |
| 1999 | Jerome Young | Men's 400 m | 4th individually, stripped of relay gold medal |
| 2001 | Ramon Clay | Men's 200 m | Quarter-finalist |
| 2001 | Tim Montgomery | Men's 100 m | Stripped of individual silver and relay gold medals |
| 2001 | Antonio Pettigrew | Men's 400 m | 4th individually, stripped of relay gold medal |
| 2001 | Jerome Young | Men's 400 m | Semi-finalist, stripped of relay gold medal |
| 2001 | Marion Jones | Women's 100 m, 200 m | Stripped of 100 m silver, 200 m gold and relay gold medals |
| 2001 | Kelli White | Women's 100 m, 200 m | 7th in 100 m, stripped of 200 m bronze and relay gold medals |
| 2003 | Calvin Harrison | Men's 400 m | 6th individually, stripped of relay gold |
| 2003 | Tim Montgomery | Men's 100 m | 5th in final |
| 2003 | Chris Phillips | Men's 110 m hurdles | 5th in final |
| 2003 | Kevin Toth | Men's shot put | 4th in final |
| 2003 | Jerome Young | Men's 400 m | stripped of individual and relay gold medals |
| 2003 | Regina Jacobs | Women's 1500 m | Semi-finalist |
| 2003 | Melissa Price | Women's hammer throw | 12th in final |
| 2003 | Kelli White | Women's 100 m, 200 m | stripped of 100 m and 200 m gold medals |
References
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