Global athletics talents descend on Bochum for University Games

A star-studded athletics roster offers a taste of the Olympics, with Olympians and defending champions set to compete from July 21 to 27 at the FISU World University Games.

The throwers' showdown between Cierra Jackson of the United States and Antonia Kinzel of Germany in the women's discus on July 24 will be a highlight on the field in the Lohrheidestadion in Bochum.

Jackson, 22, set a championship record of 65.82 meters on her way to grabbing the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship title this summer. That prompted the former Fresno State student to turn professional and then, in her first outing as a full-time athlete, Jackson improved her personal best to 67.82m, just 1.68m short of her compatriot Valarie Allman's gold-winning distance of 69.50m at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Defending champion Kinzel, who set her own PB of 62.64m in May, can be counted as a potential challenger to Jackson while competing on home soil.

"It's a special feeling to compete in this internationally renowned event in your own country," Kinzel said.

"I want to build on my experiences from two years ago in Chengdu, defend my title in the discus throw, and I am really looking forward to the special atmosphere of the FISU Games, giving a little taste of the Olympics."

Bayanda Walaza of South Africa is a notable name on the track. He claimed silver in the men's 4x100m relay at Paris 2024. Aged just 18, and originally a reserve, Walaza ran the leadoff leg in the final, as South Africa won its first ever medal in the event.

Walaza, who also won the individual sprint double at the U20 World Championships last year, has kicked on this year too. After becoming just the ninth South African to clock under 10 seconds for the 100m, he improved his PB to 9.94 seconds in Zagreb in May. Weeks earlier, Walaza set a South African junior record of 20.08s in the 200m.

Both PBs meet the qualification criteria for the senior World Athletics Championships, taking place in Tokyo in September.

Walaza, along with teammate Lythe Pillay, will be looking to secure a 100m-200m-400m clean sweep. Pillay is the 2022 400m U20 world champion and a reigning World Athletics Relays 4x400m gold medalist.

Fellow South African sprinter Marlie Viljoen is back as the defending champion after she set a PB of 51.42s in the 400m in March.

Laura Pellicoro (front) of Italy crosses the finish line during the athletics women's 1500m final at the 31st FISU Summer World University Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Xi)

The other returning champion is Laura Pellicoro of Italy. Now 24, she won the middle-distance double two years ago and is part of a stellar Italian lineup.

Dalia Kaddari (Italy) is expected to add something to her long list of achievements which already includes being a two-time Olympian (Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024), European Championship bronze medal in 2022 (4x100m relay), European U23 champion in 2021 (200m) and Youth Olympic Games silver medal in 2018 (200m).

Edoardo Scotti has been at the center of an impressive 12 months for Italian athletics. He helped his nation finish sixth in the 4x400m mixed relay and seventh in the men's 4x400m relay at Paris 2024. Then he inspired the team to double silver in the 4x400m mixed and 4x400m men's relays at the 2024 European Championships in Rome.

China's Shu Heng, who is the Asian men's long jump champion, will try to improve on his PB of 8.22m achieved in May at the Asian Athletics Championships.

India's Pooja Singh, at just 1.70 meters tall, will compete as the newly crowned women's Asian high jump champion. Singh grew up in rural India, with her father taking out loans to fund an athletics journey that began with bamboo poles as crossbars and landing mats fashioned from rice husk and hay.

Bridget Mbwali from Uganda, a double sprint gold medal winner at last year's East African University Games, is another decorated runner from Africa.