| MEN | ||||
| Event | Name | Country | Result | Date (d.m.y) |
| 100 metres | Ato Boldon | TRI | 9.88 | 13.07.01 |
| 200 metres | Frank Fredericks | NAM | 19.82 | 05.07.96 |
| 400 metres | Michael Johnson | USA | 43.86 | 21.07.95 |
| 800 metres | Sebastian Coe | GBR | 1:42.4 (1:42.33) | 05.07.79 |
| 1000 metres | Sebastian Coe | GBR | 2:12.18 | 11.07.81 |
| 1500 metres | Hicham El Guerrouj | MAR | 3:29.12 | 09.07.98 |
| 1 Mile | Hicham El Guerrouj | MAR | 3:44.90 | 04.07.97 |
| 2000 metres | John Walker | NZL | 4:51.4 (4:51.52) | 30.06.76 |
| 3000 metres | Haile Gebrselassie | ETH | 7:27.42 | 09.07.98 |
| 2 Miles | Rod Dixon | NZL | 8:15.2 | 17.07.79 |
| 5000 metres | Kenenisa Bekele | ETH | 12:52.26 | 27.06.03 |
| 6 Miles | Ron Clarke | AUS | 26:47.0 | 14.07.65 |
| 10000 metres | Haile Gebreslassie | ETH | 26:31.32 | 04.07.97 |
| 110 metres hurdles | Allen Johnson Stanislav Olijars |
USA LAT |
13.14 | 04.07.97 27.06.03 |
| 400 metres hurdles | Edwin Moses | USA | 47.67 | 17.07.79 |
| 2000 metres steeplechase | Krzysztof Wesolowski | POL | 5:20.00 | 28.06.84 |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | Moses Kiptanui | KEN | 8:03.36 | 21.07.95 |
| Long Jump | James Beckford | JAM | 8.33 | 30.06.99 |
| Triple Jump | Jonathan Edwards | GBR | 18.01 | 09.07.98 |
| High Jump | Javier Sotomayor | CUB | 2.37 | 01.07.89 |
| Pole Vault | Tim Lobinger | GER | 6.00 | 30.06.99 |
| Shot Put | Werner Günthör | SUI | 22.02 | 06.07.91 |
| Discus Throw | Lars Riedel | GER | 69.12 | 05.07.96 |
| Javelin Throw, Old Type | Michael Wessing | GER | 94.22 | 03.08.78 |
| Javelin Throw, New Type | Raymond Hecht | GER | 92.60 | 21.07.95 |
| Hammer Throw | Jurij Tamm | EST | 81.14 | 16.07.85 |
| Decathlon | Bob Mathias | USA | 7346 pts | 28-29.07.49 |
| 3000 metres walk | Werner Hardmo | SWE | 12:07.0 | 30.09.45 |
| 5000 metres walk | Erling Andersen | NOR | 20:27.0 | 03.08.79 |
| 10000 metres walk | Erling Andersen | NOR | 40:50.0 | 03.08.79 |
| 15000 metres walk | John Mikaelsson | SWE | 1:04:7.6 | 30.09.45 |
| 20000 metres walk | Erling Andersen | NOR | 1:27:56.8 | 23.08.81 |
| 25000 metres walk | Sune Carlsson | SWE | 2:05.56.1 | 26.09.37 |
| 30000 metres walk | Tore Brustad | NOR | 2:35:45.6 | 20.07.70 |
| 50000 metres walk | Per Ola Sverre | NOR | 4:42:10.0 | 09.08.74 |
| WOMEN | ||||
| 100 metres | Marion Jones | USA | 10.82 | 09.07.98 |
| 200 metres | Gwen Torrence | USA | 21.94 | 22.07.94 |
| 400 metres | Tatjana Kocembova | TCH | 49.23 | 23.08.83 |
| 800 metres | Jarmila Kratochvilova | TCH | 1:55.04 | 23.08.83 |
| 1500 metres | Suzy Favor-Hamilton | USA | 3:57.40 | 28.07.00 |
| 1 Mile | Sonia O'Sullivan | IRL | 4:17.25 | 22.07.94 |
| 3000 metres | Gabriela Szabo | ROM | 8:27.21 | 30.06.99 |
| 5000 metres | Meseret Defar | ETH | 14:16.63 | 15.06.07 |
| 10000 metres | Ingrid Kristiansen | NOR | 30:13.74 | 05.07.86 |
| 100 metres hurdles | Gail Devers | USA | 12.53 | 28.06.02 |
| 400 metres hurdles | Deon Hemmings | JAM | 53.18 | 04.07.97 |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | Eunice Chepkorir | KEN | 9:19.44 | 15.06.07 |
| Long Jump | Heike Drechsler | GER | 7.29 | 22.07.94 |
| Triple Jump | Yamila Aldama | CUB | 15.11 | 27.06.03 |
| High Jump | Stefka Kostadinova | BUL | 2.05 | 04.07.87 |
| Pole Vault | Yelena Isinbayeva | RUS | 4.85 | 15.06.07 |
| Shot Put | Nunu Abashdize | UKR | 20.24 | 06.07.91 |
| Discus Throw | Galina Savinkova | RUS | 71.00 | 16.07.85 |
| Javelin Throw, Old Type | Fatima Whitbread | GBR | 76.34 | 04.07.87 |
| Javelin Throw, New Type | Trine Hattestad | NOR | 69.48 | 28.07.00 |
| Hammer Throw | No competitions held | |||
| 3000 metres walk | Frøydis Hilsen | NOR | 13:45.7 | 23.08.81 |
| 5000 metres walk | Anita Blomberg | NOR | 22:59.6 | 17.06.88 |