The shoes. The hair. The finish. At the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Shelly-Ann, a five-time world champion, ended her career her way.

Sofieke van Bilsen is a 29-year-old Dutch photographer with a passion for storytelling through imagery. She is the in-house photographer for the German women's national football team, and was team photographer for the German Olympic Team in Paris 2024. She works closely with Nike athletes such as Faith Kipyegon, Eliud Kipchoge and Sifan Hassan.In her photography, she aims to create compelling visual narratives, focusing on the deep connection between emotion and athleticism. She strives to capture the raw moments behind the scenes, the untold stories of the journey and everything in between, bringing the spirit of sport to life.Sofieke's personality creates instant connections with people, and she is loved by the athletes she works with. Her relaxed and enthusiastic personality complements an incredible skill level and the ability to work in high-pressure environments for athletes.

Sofieke van Bilsen

Photo essay

Icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran her final 100 metre on her terms

Last year's 800-metre gold medallist has found her championship form again after a year of injuries. Integral to her comeback are the people and places she holds close.

For the win

To get back to Tokyo, Keely Hodgkinson found her way back home

The American hurdler will go for his first gold medal at the World Championships in Tokyo. His many identities—as an individual and teammate, as the son of Caribbean immigrants and as a proud American—are what ground his success.

Rai Benjamin is in a world of his own

On 14 September, MJW concluded her perfect season by winning gold in Tokyo, running a 10.61 in the 100m, good for a championship record and fourth-place all time in the event.

For Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, there's no place like first place

The 16-year-old half-miler will run in Tokyo as Team USA's youngest-ever competitor, but his capacity as a leader has been long in the making.

How I got here

Cooper Lutkenhaus is already leading the pack

The middle-distance champion on her dominant career, the intersection of motherhood and running identity, and more.

How Faith Kipyegon empowers herself—and all women runners

Explore Nike, Converse and Jordan collaborations with Megan Thee Stallion, Patta, AMBUSH and more.

Collaborations

Nike x Tomo Koizumi debut a bold, vibrant expression of the Air Superfly

Partnership

Nike celebrates Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the most decorated 100-metre sprinter in history

Explore Nike, Converse and Jordan footwear and apparel design stories featuring Nike Air Force 1, Nike Air Jordan, Nike Air Max and more.

Design

Running history meets modern performance in the new Nike International Running Pack

Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall join Nike's decorated roster of athletes

Company

Nike reintroduces "Just Do It" to today's generation with "Why Do It?" campaign

On the track, court, pitch, street and beyond, Nike serves the world's best with unparalleled product innovation, leveraging its proprietary Nike Air, the power of new digital tools and the incomparable data collected in its Nike Sport Research Lab.

Innovating for athletes

<ul><li>No one understands athletes like Nike. New research, advanced capabilities and a bold innovation agenda led the company to evolve its super-shoe Alphafly line to the <a href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-alphafly-3-official-images-release-date" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alphafly 3</a>—a&nbsp;shoe to serve all marathoners; now Nike is optimising its proprietary Air technology, one of its key super-shoe ingredients, to&nbsp;bring outsized performance results to athletes on the track, court and pitch.</li><li>Nike has optimised Air by leveraging its computational power and incomparable athlete data set from the Nike Sport Research Lab to create footwear that helps make athletes' dreams real.</li><li>With that science-backed and sport-specific research, precision and creativity, Nike introduces updated spikes to track athletes, the Nike Victory 2 and Nike Maxfly 2; a new basketball shoe, the Nike G.T. Hustle 3; and its most premium boot for footballers to date, the 2024 Nike Air Zoom Mercurial.</li><li>The Nike Alphafly 3 launched in January 2024, with new colourways hitting shelves, Nike.com and selected retailers. The new Nike Victory 2 and Nike Maxfly 2 are available now in limited quantities on Nike.com. The G.T. Hustle 3 and 2024 Air Zoom Mercurial will be available at Nike.com and selected retailers in July. The Nike Alphafly 3, Nike Victory 2 and Nike Maxfly 2 are available now at Nike.com and selected retailers. </li></ul>

Nike Air is the athlete's advantage, from the track to the court to the pitch

For the world-champion middle-distance runner, winning is a family business.

Nike exists to serve the complete athlete, and shares their winning mentality. As a champion for athletes and sport, Nike partners with athletes who share the belief that sport can break barriers, push limits, spark change and move the world forwards.

Brand of athletes

Jakob Ingebrigtsen on beating his brothers—and everybody else

The champion shares how preserving her sense of realness comes from surrounding herself with the loved ones who'll tell it to her straight, how she views the role of honesty in sport and the thrill she takes in defying the haters.

Why we love athletics