A different kind of annual preview: 25 stars celebrating their 25th birthday in 2025

Happy New Year from Olympics.com!

As we step into 2025, we’re turning the spotlight on 25 athletes from around the world who will be celebrating their 25th birthday this year.

So, what makes these athletes born in the year 2000 stand out?

Discover why 2025 is shaping up to be an unforgettable year for this remarkable group, and find out when and where you can catch them in action!

Starpower in the Athletics class of 2000

We’re kicking off with the most versatile athletes on our birthday list: Germany’s decathlete Leo Neugebauer, who captured hearts with his standout performance at the Olympic Games Paris 2024

The silver medalist made history as Germany's first podium finisher in this discipline in 28 years. Now, he's gearing up to dominate at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, set to take place from 13-21 September.

But Neugebauer isn’t the only global athletics star born in 2000.

Here are five more medal-winning standouts from Paris:

Sha’Carri Richardson is ready for a dramatic rematch against Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred at the World Championships in Japan. The American sprint sensation claimed silver in Paris, a testament to her incredible success. But her gold medal in the women’s 4x100m relay provided the perfect consolation.

Femke Bol (Netherlands) also brought home a complete collection of medals: gold in the 4x400m mixed relay, silver in the women’s 4x400m relay, and bronze in the 400m hurdles.

Norway's reigning 5,000m Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen will celebrate his 25th birthday during the World Championships on 19 September.

Beatrice Chebet (Kenya) continues to dominate the long-distance scene. In Paris, she achieved a golden double, winning both the 5000m and 10,000m, and she holds the world record in the latter at 28:54.14.

On 31 December, Chebet shattered her own 5-kilometre road world record, setting a time of 13:54 to become the first woman ever to break the 14-minute barrier.

Selemon Barega (Ethiopia) will also join this 25 club. Born on 20 January, this 10,000m Olympic champion from Tokyo 2020 competed fiercely in Paris, finishing seventh.

Pole vault phenomenon Armand “Mondo” Duplantis just missed the cut for this group, having turned 25 on 10 November 2024. The Olympic champion and world record holder continues to soar to new heights.

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen knows how to bring the party.

The charismatic alpine skier lights up the finish area with his infectious energy after every successful run. When the mood strikes, the Norwegian-born star even busts out some samba moves, a nod to his Brazilian heritage.

But Braathen isn’t just about celebrations; he’s making history. As the most successful Brazilian in alpine skiing history, he’s poised for an unforgettable season.

The 2025 Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach (4–19 February) are fast approaching, and Braathen will have his sights set on the giant slalom, his signature event. The 24-year-old is a top contender for the gold. And if everything goes according to plan, he’ll cap off his season with a well-earned birthday bash on 19 April.

The "Round of 25" of winter sports: Highly-decorated snowboard superstars ready to take on the world championships.

Just four days after Braathen's victory, another winter sports icon entered the world: Chloe Kim, a two-time Olympic snowboarding champion.

The halfpipe star is a fan favorite in the USA, where she claimed gold in her signature event at Pyeongchang 2018 and again at Beijing 2022, all before turning 18.

Her fellow American Redmond "Red" Gerard also made waves in 2018, winning slopestyle gold in the Republic of Korea.

These former prodigies are now seasoned stars. Their key events this season include the Winter X Games in the USA (23–25 January) and the 2025 Snowboard and Freestyle Skiing World Championships (16–30 March) in Switzerland's Engadin Valley.

The world stage will be especially meaningful for Mathilde Gremaud, a Swiss freestyle skier. As an Olympic slopestyle champion, she also boasts a big air bronze from Beijing 2022. However, don’t expect a massive party for her 25th birthday on 8 February, she’ll be focused on preparing for her home World Championships, now just a month away.

Another athlete dreaming of home-soil glory is Tommaso Giacomel, last season’s top U25 biathlete. With the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 on the horizon, Giacomel is already a rising star in Italy’s skiing scene.

On the ice, Japanese figure skating sensation Kaori Sakamoto has already achieved greatness at home, clinching gold at the 2023 World Championships in Saitama. This March (24–30), she’ll head to Boston aiming for her fourth consecutive world title, a feat last accomplished by American legend Carol Heiss with five titles between 1956 and 1960.

Boston’s TD Garden, home of the NHL’s Boston Bruins, will host this year’s Figure Skating World Championships. It’s a familiar venue for NHL star Rasmus Dahlin. Drafted first overall in 2018, the Swedish defenseman has grown into one of the league’s premier players with the Buffalo Sabres.

Dahlin’s home country is buzzing about his potential appearance at the 2025 Ice Hockey World Championships (9–25 May), which will take place in Sweden and Denmark. However, the timing often coincides with the NHL playoffs, limiting participation from top North American players.

Meanwhile, Tyrese Haliburton is celebrating in his own unique way. Born on 29 February 2000, the NBA star technically turns 24 this year. After helping Team USA reclaim basketball gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics alongside legends like LeBron James, the Indiana Pacers guard will enjoy a relatively quiet summer as the NBA takes its usual break from July to September.

World Stars born in 2000: major highlights across the globe guaranteed

The European sports calendar brings its own excitement this year. The FIBA EuroBasket 2025 tournaments for men and women are among the most anticipated events.

For Leonie Fiebich, it’s another opportunity to shine. The WNBA champion with the New York Liberty could once again suit up for the German national team this summer. Fiebich helped lead Germany to the quarterfinals at Paris 2024, their first Olympic basketball appearance.

Meanwhile, the FIFA Club World Championship will debut its new format this summer, hosted in the USA from 14 June to 13 July. Real Madrid, the record holders with five Club World Cup titles, are among the 32 teams competing. With FIFA World Player of the Year Vini Jr. leading their star-studded roster, they are strong favorites. Should Madrid reach the final, Vini Jr. might celebrate his 25th birthday (13 July) with a trophy.

For Sophia Smith and the US women’s soccer team, the SheBelieves Cup 2025 (20-27 February) marks their first test after their Olympic triumph last summer.

The spotlight is already on the Tour de France 2025 (5-27 July). Belgian double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel and Eritrean sprinter Biniam Girmay will look to build on their 2024 successes, where Evenepoel won the young rider classification and Girmay the sprint classification. Evenepoel, recovering from a training crash in December, faces a challenging comeback, while Girmay can focus on the Road Cycling World Championships in Kigali (20-27 September).

For the first time, Africa will host this prestigious event, and Girmay’s popularity on the continent rivals that of Australia’s Ariarne Titmus. The four-time Olympic swimming champion is as determined as her Canadian counterpart Margaret "Maggie" Mac Neil, who is eyeing the World Swimming Championships in Singapore (3-9 October).

Brazil’s skateboarding sensation Augusto Akio, born in 2000, is expected to dominate the 2025 World Games in Chengdu (7-17 August) after clinching gold at the 2024 World Championship and bronze in Paris 2024.

Three other athletes turning 25 this year are poised for big seasons.

Jade Carey, Paris 2024’s artistic gymnastics team champion, will aim high at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta (19-25 October).

China’s table tennis star Sun Yingsha will defend her dominance at the World Table Tennis Championships in Doha (11 to 17 May). Her results will determine whether she remains atop the rankings when she celebrates her next birthday (4 November).

Canada’s tennis ace Felix Auger-Aliassime is another standout in this age group. His focus remains on the Grand Slams this season:

• Australian Open in Melbourne (hard court): 12 - 26 January
• Roland Garros (French Open) in Paris (clay): 25 May - 8 June
• The Championships Wimbledon in London (grass): 30 June - 13 July
• US Open in New York (hard court): 25 August - 7 September.

More Stars

In addition to the 25 chosen for our list, there are numerous top athletes who will be celebrating their 25th birthday in the next 365 days.

For example, there's the football star Erling Haaland (Manchester City/Norway), British water jumper Noah Oliver Williams (silver medal winner in the 10m synchronized diving at Paris 2024 alongside Tom Daley), New Zealand's Olympic canoeing champion Alicia Hoskin, Australian skateboarding icon Poppy Star Olsen and short track ace Maame Biney from the USA.