World Champions Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Peres Jepchirchir, and Sebastian Sawe, all from Kenya, have been nominated in the final shortlist for the World Athletics Athlete of the Year award.
Wanyonyi, who won gold in 800 m at the 20th World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in September, also set a new championship record of 1:41.86, and will be competing for the gong alongside London and Berlin Marathon winner Sebastian Sawe from Kenya, world champions Noah Lyles of the USA, Martia Furlani of Italy, Swedish Mondo Duplantis and Alphonce Simbu from Tanzania.
Jepchirchir, who won the marathon world title, is vying for the women’s award alongside fellow world champions Femke Bol of the Netherlands, the American duo of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Tarra Davis-Woodhall, Australian Nicola Olyslagers, and Maria Perez of Spain.
Wanyonyi has also been nominated for the Men’s Track Athlete of the Year award against Lyles.
Jepchirchir has been shortlisted for Women’s Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year against Perez, while Sawe is competing for the Men’s Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year award against Simbu.
Multi-world championships medallists Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon are conspicuously missing from the shortlist.
A final round of voting – cast by fans of the sport – will now take place between 4 and 9 November to help select the overall women’s and men’s World Athlete of the Year.
The top two athletes in each category, track, field, and out of stadium, have been chosen from the first round of voting, which comprised votes from the World Athletics Council, the World Athletics Family, and a public vote on social media. One of the two athletes will take the crown in their category.
Finalists
Women’s track athlete of the year
Femke Bol (NED) is the world 400m hurdles champion.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) is the world 400m champion.
Men’s track athlete of the year
Noah Lyles (USA) – world 200m champion
Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) – world 800m champion
Women’s field athlete of the year
Tara Davis-Woodhall (USA) – world long jump champion
Nicola Olyslagers (AUS) – world high jump champion
Men’s field athlete of the year
Mondo Duplantis (SWE) – world pole vault champion
Mattia Furlani (ITA) – world long jump champion
Women’s out-of-stadium athlete of the year
Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) – world marathon champion
Maria Perez (ESP) – world 20km and 35km race walk champion
Men’s out-of-stadium athlete of the year
Sebastian Sawe (KEN) – London Marathon and Berlin Marathon champion
Alphonce Simbu (TAN)—World Marathon Champion
The Athletes of the Year in each category, as well as the overall winners, will be revealed at a ceremony in Monaco on Sunday, 30 November, as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025.
