University of Georgia Athletics
World Championships Medals Abound For Bulldogs As Team USA Has Record-Breaking Meet
September 21, 2025 | Track & Field
TOYKO, Japan --- Team USA won the most gold medals in meet history as four former Bulldogs collected medals on the final day of the nine-day World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
With the Team USA women's squad led by Georgia Director of Track & Field Carly Smith Gilbert, the U.S. women and men combined for 16 gold medals topping the previous record of 14 held by Team USA at Worlds in 2005, 2007 and 2019.  The U.S. also had the most medals of any team at the 2025 meet with 26.
Former Bulldog champion Lynna Irby-Jackson and defending NCAA 400-meter dash champion Aaliyah Butler teamed with Isabella Whittaker and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to collect the gold medal for Team USA in the 4x400m relay.  The American foursome clocked a 3:16.61 to deliver Smith Gilbert and her fellow coaches with yet another team medal.  Irby-Jackson sprinted to a 48.71 leg while Butler finished with a 49.96 split.
Current Georgia sprinter Dejanea Oakley, who raced on Georgia's NCAA champion 4x400m relay this past season with Butler, opened the race for Jamaica in the 4x400m relay as the quartet won silver.  Jamaica registered a 3:19.25 after Oakley's split was 50.50.
Former Bulldog collegiate record holder Kyle Garland (USA) rounded out the UGA medal winners after taking bronze in the decathlon with 8,703 points, marking the top U.S. finish in the event.  Former Georgia NCAA champion Johannes Erm (Estonia) was fifth after 10 events with a season best 8,431.  Another pair of Estonians, Karel Tilga and current volunteer assistant Janek Oiglane, also started the dec but did not finish all 10 events.
Elena Kulichenko (Cyprus) finished in the top 10 in the high jump final after clearing 1.93m (6-4).  This delivered the defending NCAA indoor and outdoor champion a ninth-place finish.
Irby-Jackson was already part of Team USA's gold medal winning mixed 4x400m relay to jumpstart the World Championships on the first day of action.Â
A school record total of 22 former and current Georgia team members and coaches are representing the Red and Black at the world's biggest track and field meet of 2025. Â
Butler (women's 400m, 4x400m relay, U.S.), Oakley (women's 400m, mixed 4x400m relay, Jamaica), Kelsie Murrell-Ross (women's shot put, Grenada), Manuela Rotundo (women's javelin, Uruguay), Vimbayi Maisvorewa (women's 400m, Zimbabwe), Shaquena Foote (women's 4x400m relay, Jamaica), Michelle Smith (women's 400m hurdles, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands) and Maurice Gleaton (men's 4x100m relay, U.S.) were the current Georgia team members at the World Championships along with volunteer assistant Oiglane (decathlon, Estonia).
The former Bulldogs include: Christopher Morales Williams (men's 400m, Canada), Denzel Comenentia (men's hammer throw, Netherlands), Marc Minichello (men's javelin, U.S.), Garland (decathlon, U.S.), Tilga (decathlon, Estonia), Erm (decathlon, Estonia), Irby-Jackson (mixed 4x400m relay, 4x400m relay, U.S.), Kulichenko (women's high jump, Cyprus), Ana da Silva (women's shot put, Brazil), Stephanie Ratcliffe (women's hammer throw, Australia), Lianna Davidson (women's javelin, Australia) and Marie-Therese Obst (women's javelin, Norway).
As day two of the decathlon got going, Garland finished sixth in the 110m hurdles thanks to a 14.30 while Erm was 11th with a 14.52.  Tilga rounded out the Bulldog competitors in the hurdles with a 14.99 for 17th.Â
Three former Bulldogs all wound up in the top nine in the discus, led by Tilga (50.61m, 166-0) who was third. Garland managed a fifth-place finish with a 48.06m/157-8 and Erm was ninth (45.21m/148-4).
Erm was the UGA leader in the pole vault, clearing 5.10m/16-8.75 for second.  Garland wrapped up the vault in ninth (4.80m/15-9).
Tilga went 69.33m (227-5) finished second in the javelin while Garland took eighth (59.78m, 196-1).  Erm had the 10th-best javelin toss at 56.32m (184-9).
The dec concluded with the 1500m as Erm took eighth (4:29.15) and Garland finished 13th (4:45.45).
Where To Keep Up With The Dawgs: Results and recaps from the coming Worlds will be found at georgiadogs.com.  News and updates from Georgia's track and field and cross country teams are always located on X/Instagram at @UGATrack.
Players Mentioned
