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Tokyo World Championships: Jimmy Gressier Clinches an Incredible 10,000 m Gold
14/09/2025 16:48Jimmy Gressier made history in Tokyo by becoming the first Frenchman to win a World Championship title in the 10,000 m. At 28, the Boulogne-born runner outpaced the African favorites in a legendary final sprint, delivering France its first medal of the championships. Incredible.
His earlier victory in the Diamond League 3000 m was no fluke. After a perfectly controlled race from start to finish, Jimmy Gressier captured the world title in the 10,000 m this Sunday afternoon in Tokyo—a monumental achievement for the French athlete. Sometimes history is written in a single breath. For Gressier, that breath came in the final straight, as he surged past the African favorites to claim the world title in 28:55.77, edging out Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha (28:55.83) and Sweden’s Andreas Almgren (28:56.02).
🗼 #WCHTokyo25 | 🚨 CHAMPIONNNN DU MONNNNDEEEE 🇫🇷
Mais qu'est-ce qu'il vient de nous faire ?? Jimmy Gressier est CHAMPION DU MONDE du 10000 m ! EXCEPTIONNEL 🤩
📺 Le direct : https://t.co/qEolLTnYnt pic.twitter.com/eWDKVLoINq
— francetvsport (@francetvsport) September 14, 2025
“It’s a childhood dream come true,” Gressier said after his sensational victory. “I’ve always believed that an athlete, once on the track, can achieve great things. That’s what has defined my career. Some may have doubted my finish, but I’ve always believed in myself. I said I was running for a medal here. In the final straight, I moved up to third, then second, and finally, gold arrived. Jakob [Ingebrigtsen] told me I was training too hard. I made some adjustments to be more controlled. I had a lot of mental strength for the last lap, and it helped me today.”
With this historic win, the 28-year-old secures France’s first medal at these championships, matching the total from the previous two editions: the 4×400 m relay silver in Budapest 2023 and Kevin Mayer’s decathlon gold in Eugene 2022. In Tokyo’s night, Gressier didn’t just run for time—he ran for history. And he caught it.
| A Tactical Race That Turned Into Chaos
The 10,000 m started at a conservative pace, with the big names testing the waters: Grant Fisher (USA, 8th in 28:57.85) and Oscar Chelimo (Uganda, 18th in 29:28.66) took the lead early, Selemon Barega (ETH, 6th in 28:57.21) lit the fuse at 1,600 m, while Japanese runners Jun Kasai and Mebuki Suzuki energized the crowd but finished 22nd and 20th respectively. At the halfway mark, Gressier passed 5,000 m in 15:10, maintaining a deceptive rhythm ideal for patient runners. The Frenchman stayed hidden in the pack, alert and well-positioned. By 7,000 m, he was near the front alongside Fisher and Almgren, before dropping slightly back to recover while staying in contact. When the Scandinavian and Americans increased the pace at 8,000 m, Gressier responded, never faltering.
| Money Time: Barega Believes, Jimmy Strikes
Two laps from the finish, Gressier was in third, tucked behind more experienced competitors in these high-pressure finales. Barega and pre-race favorite Berihu Aregawi (ETH, 12th in 29:02.02) surged just before the bell, Kejelcha watched, Almgren clenched his teeth. It looked like another African display was imminent. But the final straight changed everything: Aregawi faltered and slowed. Gressier seized the gap, launching his decisive sprint. In a breathtaking dash, he edged past Kejelcha, fended off Almgren’s charge, and crossed the line first, six hundredths of a second ahead of the 5,000 m silver medalist. The stadium erupted—France had its track and field world champion once again.
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At 28, the Boulogne-sur-Mer native produced one of the greatest performances of his career. Already the French record holder in the 5,000 m and 10,000 m, and holder of the European 5 km road record (12:57), Gressier had started 2025 by winning the European Half Marathon Championships in Brussels. After a successful final training block in Font-Romeu, he arrived in Tokyo with high ambitions—ambitions that turned to gold. Historic.
| A Historic Title for Europe… and France
By winning, Jimmy Gressier becomes:
➜ The first Frenchie to win a World Championship in the 10,000 m,
➜ Only the third European ever to win gold at this distance, after Alberto Cova (1983) and Mo Farah (2013, 2015, 2017),
➜ France’s 12th World Championship gold medal (individual and relay),
➜ The 9th French world champion in an individual event, following Marie-Jo Pérec (twice), Stéphane Diagana, Eunice Barber (twice), Ladji Doucouré, Teddy Tamgho, Pierre-Antoine Bosse, Yohann Diniz, and Kevin Mayer (twice).
In a field missing reigning king Joshua Cheptegei, who chose to prepare for the Amsterdam Marathon, Gressier seized his opportunity—but he didn’t just benefit from circumstances. He kept pace, dominated the sprint, and proved he belongs to the global elite of distance running.
| What’s Next? Eyes on the 5,000 m
Having finished 13th (26:58.67) in the 5,000 m at last year’s Olympics, Gressier has silenced his skeptics and reached a decisive new level. He has firmly established himself in the top echelons of the sport and now has the door open to further titles—perhaps an Olympic podium—and to lead the resurgence of French middle- and long-distance running. His next challenge: the 5,000 m heats on Friday, September 19 at 13:05 CET. But after today, nothing seems impossible.
Dorian VUILLET
Journalist
