World Athletics has announced the finalists for the prestigious World Athlete of the Year awards

World Athletics has announced the 10 finalists for the prestigious World Athlete of the Year awards. The winners will be announced at the traditional World Athletics Awards ceremony in Monaco on November 29.

The shortlist, selected by an international panel of athletics experts, includes 10 athletes each for the women’s and men’s categories. The nominations highlight the most notable achievements of an exceptionally strong season, which included the inaugural Ultimate World Championships, the World Series, the Diamond League, prestigious road marathons and major international events.

Nominations for male World Athlete of the Year

Alison dos Santos (Brazil)
Set a world record in the 400m hurdles of 45.80 seconds and won the Ultimate title in 45.98 seconds (third fastest time ever). He remained undefeated in all 11 hurdles starts this year, including the Diamond League final.

Andy Diaz Hernandez (Italy)
Won the triple jump titles at the World Indoor Championships, Diamond League and European Championships. Cleared 18.15 meters, which ranked fourth in the all-time rankings.

Ja’Kobe Tharp (USA)
Break the world record in the 110m hurdles, registering 12.75 seconds at the US Collegiate Championships.

Josh Kerr (Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
World record holder in the 1 mile with a time of 3:42.66, including a world best time of the season in the 1500m (3:27.62). Ultimate 1500m champion, world indoor 3000m champion and Commonwealth Games 1 mile champion.

Kenny Bednarek (USA)
Won two Ultimate Championship sprint titles (100m in 9.85s and 200m with a personal best and season best of 19.52s). Added the Diamond League trophy in the 200m with a time of 19.62s.

Collen Kebinatshipi (Botswana)
Ultimate 400m champion with a time of 43.39s (fifth fastest time ever). Diamond League trophy winner with three tournament record adjustments to 43.40 seconds and a season-high six sub-44.00 runs.

Kristjan Ceh (Slovenia)
Diamond League winner in the discus throw with a Van Damme Memorial record of 71.29 meters. Defended his European Championship title with a new championship record of 72.51 meters.

Armand Duplantis (Sweden)
Bettered his own world record in the pole vault, raising the bar to 6.31 meters. Won the Ultimate Championship title, the World Indoor Gold and the European title during the season.

Rumesh Tharanga (Sri Lanka)
Dominates the javelin throw, winning first places in the Ultimate, Diamond League, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Set a national record and the year’s leading attempt of 92.62 metres, winning 13 of his 14 races.

Sabastian Sawe (Kenya)
Triumphed the London Marathon with a world record of 1:59:30, becoming the first athlete in history to break the two-hour barrier on an official course.

A special committee of eight statisticians – two representatives from World Athletics and one from each of the six continental associations – has now determined the list of nominees. The final ranking from first to tenth place will be decided by a combined four-country vote, which ends on Saturday, 17 October, at midnight CET.

Each of the four voting panels will form exactly 25% of the final result:

World Athletics fans, who cast their votes via a special poll; Athletes who participated in World Athletics Series events in 2026; Accredited media representatives, including television and radio commentators, writers and digital content creators who covered the 2026 events; The World Athletics family – Council and Commission members, athlete representatives, Local Organising Committee Chairs, Diamond League, Golden World Indoor Tour and Golden Continental Tour event directors, as well as national federation presidents, official partners and staff.

The six finalists – three for the men and three for the women in the Athlete of the Year category – will be officially revealed on 10 and 11 November. They will be invited to the glamorous World Athletics Awards Gala in Monaco on 29 November, where the winners will be announced live on stage.

Other prestigious awards will also be presented during the ceremony, including the “Rising Star” awards for men and women, “Coach of the Year”, “President’s Award”, as well as the new “Moment of the Year” category.