SBS has named world champion Tamsyn Manou, renowned commentator David Basheer, and veteran sports commentator Bruce McAvaney to its commentary team for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The event, regarded as the third-largest sports event in the world by global reach, will be broadcast live and free on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand from September 13 to 21, 2025.

The World Athletics Championships will showcase 14 sessions of arena and road events. Viewers will have access to daily extended highlights, short clips, and full replays via the World Athletics Championships Hub on SBS On Demand.

"We’ll be bringing the best in the world to an Australian audience, and highlighting our great Australian athletes. I’ve never been more excited by the prospects of the Australian athletics team, not even before the Sydney Olympics. This team has everything – established champions, great young sprinters and incredible middle distance talent. You might have heard me say this before, but this is going to be special," said McAvaney.

Manou, a triple Olympian and 2008 world indoor champion in the 800m, will bring her athlete's insight and extensive knowledge of the sport to the commentary team.

"I’m delighted to be joining Bruce and David in the SBS commentary team for one of my favourite events on the sports calendar, at a really exciting time for Australian athletics," she said. "The World Athletics Championships is just pure athletics and as a fan you can really immerse yourself in the sport. I think this is going to be one of the most watched world championships we have had, because the fans can sense that there’s something special happening with the Australian team.

"For me, the best thing about these championships is the journey that the athletes take from the heats to the semi-finals to the finals. By broadcasting every session live, SBS will take everyone on that journey from start to finish, and that will allow us to show how amazing these athletes are and to tell their stories. I can’t wait for it to start."

Basheer, with 30 years of experience commentating on international sporting events for SBS, including five World Athletics Championships and 10 FIFA World Cups, expressed his enthusiasm for the event. "It’s a golden generation of Australian track and field athletes - I’m looking forward to telling some compelling stories and working with a fabulous team," he stated.

The Australian athletics team is coming off its most successful Olympic Games since 1956, having won seven medals in Paris last year. The team includes emerging talents such as 17-year-old Gout Gout and 21-year-old Lachie Kennedy, who recently secured Australia's first-ever 60m medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships.

The event will take place at Japan's National Stadium, with participation from over 200 nations.

SBS Director of Sport, Ken Shipp, said: "SBS has broadcast ten editions of the World Athletics Championships since 2001 and we’ve assembled an expert commentary team for Tokyo that can take our audience right inside the action and tell the stories of the athletes with unmatched depth and enthusiasm. Australian athletics fans won’t miss a moment of one of the world’s great sporting events on SBS."