World Athletics has announced the winners of the World Athletes of the Year, handed since 1988 to the best athletes, male and female, in track, field, and out of stadium categories. Mondo Dupantis, the Swedish pole vaulter who has broken his own world record several times this year, won the best Men's field athlete and the overall Men's World Athlete of the Year award for the third time.
The American hurdler and sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won the award for Women's World Athlete of the Year as well as the Women's Track. She has undefeated for two years in both the 400m flat, which was her main event in 2025, and in the 400m hurdles, with a win streak in that discipline to 24 races.
Curiously, both athletes won the Rising Star awards in 2018. Seven years later, they are undoubtedly two of the greatest athletes of their generation.
Here's the full list of winners of the World Athletes of the Year for 2025:
Women's World Athlete of the Year: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA)
Men's World Athlete of the Year: Mondo Duplantis (SWE)
Women's track: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA)
Women's field: Nicola Olyslagers (AUS)
Women's out of stadium: Maria Perez (ESP)
Men's track: Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN)
Men's field: Mondo Duplantis (SWE)
Men's out of stadium: Sabastian Sawe (KEN)
Women's Rising Star: Zhang Jiale (CHN)
Men's Rising Star: Edmund Serem (KEN)