(compiled by Tom Lewis)
There are 13 athletes who belong to a very special club: during a calendar year in which they were collegians they also won a World Championships gold medal outdoors (this compilation does not address indoors).
11 of the 13 were NCAA champions. Of the other 2, Donald Thomas was 3rd in the NCAA and Ryan Brathwaite was the National JC champ.
The 13 athletes who have turned the trick, through the ’23 WC:
| Year | Athlete | Nation | School | Class | Event |
| 1987 | Abdi Bile | Somalia | George Mason | Jr | 1500 |
| 1991 | Samuel Matete | Zambia | Auburn | Sr | 400 Hurdles |
| 1995 | John Godina | USA | UCLA | Sr | Shot |
| 2003 | Perdita Felicien | Canada | Illinois | Sr | 100 Hurdles |
| 2005 | Tianna Madison | USA | Tennessee | So | Long Jump |
| 2007 | Donald Thomas | Bahamas | Auburn | Sr | High Jump |
| 2009 | Ryan Brathwaite | Barbados | Barton County | So | 110 Hurdles |
| 2011 | Christian Taylor | USA | Florida | Jr | Triple Jump |
| Kirani James | Grenada | Alabama | So | 400 | |
| 2013 | Brianna Rollins | USA | Clemson | Jr | 100 Hurdles |
| 2015 | Shawn Barber | Canada | Akron | Jr | Pole Vault |
| 2019 | Grant Holloway | USA | Florida | Jr | 110 Hurdles |
| Anderson Peters | Grenada | Mississippi State | So | Javelin |