The most medals won by an individual at the World Championships is 16 (eleven gold, three silver and two bronze) by Allyson Felix (USA) at 200m, 400m, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay between 2005 and 2017. The most by a man is 14 (eleven gold, two silver and one bronze) by Usain Bolt (JAM) across the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay 2007-2017.

Among countries, the United States have won a record total of 352 medals, comprising 155 golds, 107 silvers and 90 bronzes.

The most golds won by an individual is eleven by two athletes: Allyson Felix and Usain Bolt as noted above. The most individual golds won is seven by Bolt. The most medals won at a single championship is four by four women, across the 100m, 200m or 400m and relays. These are Marita Koch (GDR) 1983, Katrin Krabbe (GER) 1991, Gwen Torrence (USA) 1993 and Allyson Felix 2011. Koch’s total included three golds, a record matched in 2007 by Felix; five men have also won three golds in the same year, Carl Lewis in 1983-87, Michael Johnson (USA) 1995, Maurice Greene (USA) 1999, Tyson Gay (USA) 2007 and Usain Bolt 2009, 2013 and 2015.

The most medals won by a country at a single championship is 31 by the GDR in 1987. The greatest success in a single event was achieved by Sergey Bubka (URS) with six golds from six appearances in 1983-1997. LaShawn Merritt (USA) also won six successive golds in the 4x400m relay in 2005-2015. The first of those was awarded when Merritt ran in the heats only for a team which went on to win the final.

The best single event record by a woman, individually, is six medals (two golds, a silver and three bronzes) at 200m by Merlene Ottey (JAM) in 1983-1997. Beverly McDonald (JAM) and Jearl Miles Clark (USA) each also won six medals at 4x100m and 4x400m relays respectively. To that list can now be added Christine Ohuruogu (GBR), with 4x400m relay medals every year in 2005-2015. Three of those were upgrades after the results of Russian doping offenders Anastasiya Kapachinskaya and Antonina Krivoshapka were disqualified.

The most medals won in a single event is seven by the Kenyan steeplechaser Ezekiel Kemboi. He won three silvers in 2003-2007 then four golds in 2009-2015. The closest known finish to a World Championships event came in the women’s 100m in Stuttgart 1993, when Gail Devers (USA) beat Merlene Ottey by one thousandth of a second (10.811 to 10.812).

The IAAF World Championships with the most countries winning gold medals were Athens 1997 and London 2017, each with 26. London’s total could be regarded as 27 if the victory of Mariya Lasitskene is counted for Russia, but she was competing as an ‘Authorised Neutral.

The IAAF World Championships with the most countries winning medals was Osaka 2007 with a total of 46 different IAAF members taking their pace on the podium.