the competition. Allyson Felix became the most decorated athlete in World Championships, reaching a career total of 13 gold medals through wins in the women's and the mixed 4 × 400 metres relays. Source for the records tables: IAAF Individual Relay Participants 205 out of the 214 member federations of the IAAF participated in the Championships, as well as an Athlete Refugee Team, for a total of 1,772 athletes out of 1,972 originally entered. Due to the IAAF suspension of the Russian Athletics Federation, confirmed on 23 September by the IAAF Council, Russian athletes competed as Authorised Neutral Athletes. A total of 101 federations entered one athlete only (25 of those athletes were women). IAAF members Libya, Liechtenstein, Montserrat, Norfolk Island, and Tuvalu did not enter any athletes, while the Central African Republic, Dominica, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates originally entered athletes but those did not start for various reasons. The gender split between the preliminary entrants was 53% male and 47% female, and IAAF President Sebastian Coe noted after a meeting with the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee that the organisation was looking to extend gender equality to its governing structures also. (hosts) Absences Several prominent athletes were absent from the competition. The reigning women's 100 metres hurdles world champion Sally Pearson announced her retirement one month before the championships. Several reigning world champions could not attempt to defend their global titles due to injury, including Anita Włodarczyk (women's hammer throw), Wayde van Niekerk (men's 400 m), Ivana Španović (women's long jump), Elijah Manangoi (men's 1500 m), and Éider Arévalo (men's 20 km walk). Among other high-profile injury withdrawals were women's 1500 m world record holder Genzebe Dibaba, 10,000 m world record holder Almaz Ayana, two-time shot put world champion David Storl, Olympic women's pole vault medallist Eliza McCartney, 2017 world sprint hurdles medallist Pamela Dutkiewicz, world champion in the relay Chijindu Ujah, world decathlon runner-up Rico Freimuth, and former European champions Arthur Abele, Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad, Timur Morgunov, and Morhad Amdouni. World medallist Eilidh Doyle was absent due to pregnancy. The following athletes were also absent due to injury: Lisa Mayer, German relay sprinter Laura Müller, German relay sprinter Cynthia Bolingo, Belgian sprinter (Achilles tendon) Jonathan Borlée, Belgian sprinter Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch, German high jumper (foot injury) Giorgio Rubino, Italian racewalker Gregor Traber, German hurdler (back injury) Sofia Ennaoui, Polish 1500 m runner Hima Das, Indian 400