Who Are the World Athletics' Athletes of the Year?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Duplantis set multiple world records in pole vaulting.
- McLaughlin-Levrone broke a long-standing record in the women's 400m.
- Both athletes received accolades for their outstanding performances.
- The awards ceremony underscored the significance of athletics in global sports.
- Emerging talents were recognized alongside established stars.
Monaco, Dec 1 (NationPress) Armand Duplantis, the Swedish pole vault sensation, alongside Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the renowned American sprinter, has been honored as the World Athletes of the Year during the illustrious 2025 World Athletics awards ceremony.
In 2025, Duplantis shattered the men's pole vault world record on four occasions and maintained an unbeaten streak across all 16 events he participated in, clinching both the indoor and outdoor world titles.
As noted by World Athletics, the 26-year-old has achieved the remarkable feat of being the first male pole vaulter in modern athletics to remain undefeated in a single event for two consecutive years.
McLaughlin-Levrone triumphed in the women's 400m event in Tokyo, clocking in at 47.78 seconds, thus breaking a 42-year-old World Championships record. She made history as the first athlete to claim world titles in both the 400m flat and the 400m hurdles. Additionally, she played a crucial role in securing gold for Team USA in the 4x400m relay at the Tokyo Worlds, as reported by Xinhua.
Duplantis was also named the men's field athlete of the year, while McLaughlin-Levrone earned the title of women's track athlete of the year.
Meanwhile, Spanish racewalker Maria Perez and Kenyan long-distance runner Sabastian Sawe were recognized as the out-of-stadium athletes of the year, while Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi received the accolade for men's track athlete of the year, and Australia's Nicola Olyslagers was honored as the women's field athlete of the year.
This year’s Rising Stars awards went to world medalists Edmund Serem of Kenya and China's Zhang Jiale. Notably, Zhang set a new world U20 hammer record at 77.24m during the Chinese Championships in Quzhou and earned a bronze medal at the World Championships in Tokyo.
Serem also secured a bronze in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Tokyo Worlds, finishing as runner-up in the Diamond League final and achieving top-four finishes in four other Diamond League events throughout the season.
During the awards ceremony, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe expressed gratitude to all athletes for their invaluable contributions to a memorable 2025, highlighted by the crescendo of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, which marked the most extensively covered and commercially impactful edition of the event in history.