World Athletics Championships 2025 :  Top Withdrawals ft Gabby Thomas

The World Athletics Championships 2025 shall commence on 13th September. Athletes from all over the world will be competing for the ultimate glory at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

While most of the eyes will be on the athletes in action, some athletes are also conspicuous by their absence. Three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabrielle 'Gabby' Thomas is missing from action this time, due to the Achilles tendon injury that has been troubling her for a long time, and only got worse a couple of months before the Championships.

Likewise, former Olympic champion high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim was compelled to pull out of the World Athletics Championships 2025 due to a serious foot injury. Barshim had never returned empty-handed from the World Championships since 2017, irrespective of the color of the medal he won.

Interestingly, there were athletes like Fred Kerley as well, who had to withdraw due to personal reasons. Despite being eligible for the World Championships by qualification, the Olympic medalist sprinter had to withdraw from the USATF Nationals, most likely due to the legal troubles he was facing of late.

The following are some of the major withdrawals from the World Athletics Championships :

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Top 5 Withdrawals from the World Athletics Championships 2025 ft. Gabby Thomas

#1) Gabby Thomas [Women's 200m]

Tough luck for Gabby Thomas [Image Source: Getty]

Gabby Thomas had qualified for the World Athletics Championships 2025 by edging out Brittany Brown in an intense contest at the USATF Nationals held a couple of months ago. The 28-year-old was looking to add an individual world title to her collection after having won the gold medal in the 4x100m relay at the Budapest edition in 2023.

However, the Achilles injury in her tendon came back to haunt her. Most of her 2025 season was affected due to this injury, and eventually, Thomas had to make the hard decision of withdrawing from the World Athletics Championships 2025.

#2) Nina Kennedy [Women's Pole Vault]

Nina Kennedy in action at the Wanda Diamond League 2024 [Image Source: Getty]

The 28-year-old pole vaulter won't be able to compete at the World Athletics Championships 2025 due to an unexpected leg muscle strain during one of her final training sessions. Only months ago, Kennedy had undergone a major hamstring surgery.

Kennedy is the current Olympic champion in women's pole vault. The Australian had also shared the gold medal with Katie Moon at the Budapest edition of the World Championships held in 2023.

#3) Mutaz Essa Barshim [Men's High Jump]

Not the best time for high jumper Mutaz Barshim [Image Source: Getty]

The four-time Olympic medalist from Qatar won't be seen in action this year, as his foot injury has not healed in time for the World Athletics Championships 2025. Despite not being in top form, the high jumper had managed to maintain a podium finish at the Paris Olympics last year, where he clinched the bronze medal.

Mutaz Essa Barshim later revealed on social media that he had been nursing a foot injury since April 2025, and it hadn't healed enough for the athlete to jump back onto the field. Though he is disappointed at the thought of missing the World Championships, Barshim hopes to come back stronger.

#4) Rhasidat Adeleke [Women's 400m]

Tough times ahead for Rhasidat Adeleke [Image Source: Getty]

The women's 400m at the World Athletics Championships 2025 would've been an intense battle, had this Irish runner not announced her sudden withdrawal. In August 2025, the 23-year-old announced that she wouldn't be participating in the World Championships due to lingering injuries that have refused to subside.

Rhasidat Adeleke had surprised everyone with her performance at the Paris Olympics last year, where she stood fourth in both the women's individual 400m finals, as well as the women's 4x400m relay. She won gold at the European Championships and bronze in the World Athletics Relays in 2024 in the 4x400m mixed relay.

#5) Fred Kerley [Men's 100m]

Fred Kerley to miss action at the World Athletics Championships 2025 [Image Source: Getty]

While Fred Kerley hasn't faced any major injury this year, he's missing out on action at the World Athletics Championships 2025 due to other reasons. One of the most recent reasons was the Olympic medalist failing a drug test, like his teammate Erriyon Knighton.

In one of his Instagram stories, Kerley revealed that he had contested the decision imposed by the Athletics Integrity Unit. He clarified that he had missed out on some of the drug tests, but had not failed them. In his words,

"I have never used performance-enhancing drugs. My provisional suspension is over "whereabouts" allegations, which means missed testing appointments, not a failed drug test."

Apart from the drug test controversy, Kerley has also been involved in legal trouble since the beginning of 2025. He had to withdraw from the Miami leg of the Grand Slam Track League after he was arrested on charges of battery. Kerley was also charged in a domestic violence case, followed by an alleged strangulation in January 2025.