Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Mondo Duplantis were named the World Athletics Athletes of the Year after record-breaking performances in 2025.
McLaughlin-Levrone won the award for a second time (2022) after winning the world 400m title in the second-fastest time in history (47.78 seconds), plus adding 4x400m relay gold.
McLaughlin-Levrone broke Sanya Richards-Ross’ 19-year-old American record in the flat 400m in her first full season racing the event after so much success in the 400m hurdles.
Duplantis, a Swede born and raised in Louisiana, won men’s Athlete of the Year outright for a third time. The only man or woman to win Athlete of the Year outright more than three times was Usain Bolt, who won six.
Duplantis broke the men’s pole vault world record four times this year, bringing his total to 14 world records in the event.
Duplantis has won all eight global titles in the pole vault since 2021, including world indoor and outdoor titles in 2025.
The World Athlete of the Year finalists in track, field and out of stadium events were determined from votes from the World Athletics Council, World Athletics Family and the public on social media.
A final round of fan voting helped select the overall women’s and men’s Athletes of the Year.
In addition to McLaughlin-Levrone winning female track athlete of the year and Duplantis winning male field athlete of the year, the winners were: Kenyan 800m runner Emmanuel Wanyonyi (men’s track), Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers (women’s field), Kenyan marathoner Sabastian Sawe (men’s out of stadium) and Spanish race walker María Pérez (women’s out of stadium).
In 2024, the overall Athletes of the Year were Olympic marathon gold medalist Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands and Olympic 200m gold medalist Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.
