Elite Contenders Announced
World Athletics has officially unveiled the list of 20 nominees for the prestigious World Athlete of the Year awards for 2026. The selection, determined by an international panel of athletics experts, highlights the most exceptional performances seen across the sport’s global calendar this year. The winners are set to be honored at the annual World Athletics Awards ceremony, which will take place in Monaco on 29 November, according to World Athletics.
The nominees are divided into two categories—Women’s World Athlete of the Year and Men’s World Athlete of the Year—with 10 candidates selected for each. These nominations serve as a recognition of the dominance displayed during the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, various World Athletics Series events, and performance milestones achieved throughout the year’s one-day meeting circuits and Label road races.
Standout Women’s Nominations
Among the nominees for the Women’s World Athlete of the Year are several athletes who redefined performance standards in 2026. Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa enters the shortlist following a historic marathon season, which included a win in Berlin with a time of 2:11:04—the third-fastest time in history—and a women-only world record of 2:15:41 at the London Marathon.
The United States is represented by shot put powerhouse Chase Jackson, who improved the North American record twice, reaching 21.14m. Jackson’s season also included a world indoor title and the reclamation of the Diamond Trophy. Her compatriot, sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, is also nominated after securing a sprint double at the Ultimate Championship and establishing world-leading times of 10.62 in the 100m and 21.47 in the 200m. The latter performance moved her to third on the world all-time list.
Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich is recognized for a dominant season in distance running, highlighted by her victory in the world half marathon title by a 50-second margin, setting a women-only world record of 1:05:15. She also secured the world cross-country title by 42 seconds and recorded world-leading times in the 3000m and 10km events. Meanwhile, Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic earned her nomination by winning the Ultimate 400m title and successfully regaining the Diamond League title, cementing her status as a top contender in the quarter-mile event.
Institutional Context and Next Steps
The nomination process reflects an emphasis on the inaugural Ultimate Championship, which has been integrated into the evaluation criteria alongside the traditional Diamond League and road racing schedules. The panel of experts tasked with this selection reviewed data from across the 2026 calendar, ensuring that athletes who excelled in high-pressure, head-to-head championship formats were given equal consideration alongside those who broke world records in solitary or circuit-based events. The final results in Monaco will conclude the 2026 competitive cycle, providing a definitive ranking of the season’s most impactful participants.