In World Championship Athletics, players can customize their characters and engage in a career mode, competing in 28 different athletic disciplines such as hurdles, high diving, javelin, and pole vault. The game emphasizes precision, as millimeters and split seconds determine the outcomes of events.

The storyline of World Championship Athletics revolves around the journey of an aspiring athlete striving for gold medals and personal bests, navigating through various competitions and challenges to achieve greatness.

World Championship Athletics stands out with its compatibility with the Wii Balance Board, allowing for innovative controls that simulate real athletic events, and offering multiplayer options for up to four players in split-screen or hotseat modes.