From Neeraj Chopra to Sydney McLaughlin: 8 track and field athletes who wow fans online are at the World Athletics Championships
With the World Athletics Championship (WAC) now in full steam, the athletes are supremely focused on their game and are willing to bring glory to their country. Supporting them are their fans, who are behind them, every step of the way.
Neeraj Chopra, India
Neeraj Chopra, with 6.2 million Instagram followers, is India’s golden boy after winning the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw at Tokyo Olympics 2020. After winning gold at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games, Chopra will be looking forward to clinching the gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, with his qualification round taking place on Friday, August 25.
Alica Schmidt, Germany
Alica Schmidt, the sprinter from Germany, enjoys a massive followership of 4.2 million on Instagram only with an additional 1 million on TikTok. The 23-year-old runner, who was labeled as the 'World's Sexiest Athlete' by an Australian magazine in 2020. However, the athlete was dismissive of the 'honor' as she wanted to focus on her game, not her looks. She will be making her debut at the WAC in 2023.
Lamont Marcell Jacobs, Italy
‘Crazy long jumper’ Lamont Marcell Jacobs is the current Olympic 100m champion in sprinting and has a considerable social media presence with a following of 1.1 million. Jacobs, who used to compete in the long jump category initially, switched to sprinting. He then, in a first in his career, won gold, replacing Usain Bolt, as "world's fastest man."
Sydney McLaughlin, USA
An Olympic gold medalist of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, US athlete Sydney McLaughlin is also a world record holder. Boasting a dedicated followership of 1.1 million fans, McLaughlin often shares some of her glorious athletic moments and snippets from her life with her new husband Andre Levrone Jr.
Alysha Newman, Canada
Alysha Newman, the Canadian female pole vaulter, has more than 580k fans following her on Instagram. An inspiration to many, the two-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games Gold medalist Newman has documented on her Instagram about her comeback journey following a concussion.
Yulimar Rojas, Venezuela
The Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas is one of the most followed athletes from Latin America with 1 million followers on Instagram and close to 200,000k followers on Twitter. Rojas is currently the world record holder for women's triple jump at 15.74 m.
Gianmarco Tamberi, Italy
Gianmarco Tamberi, with 648k Instagram followers, enjoys adulation from his fans for his excellent sportsmanship and his good looks. Marco is an Italian high jumper, who is currently the Olympic World Champion.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaica
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, two-time Olympic 100m champion of 2008 and 2012, enjoys a following of almost 900k fans on Instagram and more than 200k followers on X. She is not only a magnificent athlete herself but also works persistently as an advocate for sports as a career in Jamaica. She participated in the championship to defend her title of World Champion for the sixth time.
