World Athletics has announced the winners of the 2024 World Athletics Athlete of the Year Awards. In early November, the governing body of road running and track and field rolled out the finalists for each category of the award: track, field, and out-of-stadium (a fancy way of saying road events such as the marathon).
Out of each five, the top two athletes in each category were selected through an initial round of voting. This round included input from the World Athletics Council, the “World Athletics Family,” (presumably regular World Athletics event athletes and officials) and a public vote conducted via social media.
New this year was a final round of voting, which was held from Nov. 4–10 and allowed anyone to cast their votes and influence who will be named the overall World Athletics Athlete of the Year, for each male and female.
While there were countless standout performances this year, let’s see which athletes won the award in each of the three categories at this year’s World Athletics Award Ceremony, which was held Dec. 1 in Monaco.
Male Track Athlete Of The Year: Letsile Tebogo
Letsile Tebogo became a trailblazer for African sprinting in 2024, winning the Olympic gold in the 200m and setting the world lead in the event. At just 21 years old, Tebogo has already made history by becoming the first African sprinter to win an Olympic title in a short-distance event. His rapid rise in the sport has made him one of the most exciting young talents to watch, and his performances this year have solidified his place as a global star.
Why He Was Nominated:
- Olympic 200m champion
- World 200m leader
Female Track Athlete Of The Year: Sydney McGlaughlin Levrone
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone continued to rewrite the history books in 2024 by defending her Olympic 400m hurdles title in Paris. She also anchored Team USA to victory in the 4x400m relay. McLaughlin-Levrone broke her own world record in the 400m hurdles earlier this year with a time of 50.64 seconds. Her ability to seamlessly transition between the hurdles and open 400m has made her one of the most versatile sprinters in the sport. At only 25, she is already considered one of the greatest female hurdlers in history.
Why She Was Nominated:
- Olympic 400m hurdles champion
- Olympic 4x400m champion
- World 400m hurdles record
Male Out Of Stadium Athlete Of The Year: Tamirat Tola
Tamirat Tola’s 2024 season has been capped by his Olympic marathon victory, where he also set a new Olympic record, confirming his elite status in long-distance running. Tola has consistently ranked among the best in the world, previously earning the World Championships title in 2022 and maintaining top times in marathon circuits.
Why He Was Nominated:
- Olympic marathon champion
- Olympic marathon record
Female Out Of Stadium Athlete Of The Year: Sifan Hassan
Let’s be real. Sifan Hassan could have won both the track and the out-of-stadium category. While the award doesn’t technically consider her achievements on the track, they can’t not be mentioned. Hassan tripled at the Olympic Games, competing in the 5,000m, 10,000m, and the marathon, winning a medal in each event.
However, for the Dutch runner, her Olympic marathon win in Paris was the defining moment in her already storied career, where she set a new Olympic record. Known for her versatility, Hassan has competed and excelled across multiple distances on the track and road. Not to mention, she’s also won in London and in Chicago in 2023.
Why She Was Nominated:
- Olympic marathon champion
- Olympic marathon record
- Olympic bronze medal, 5,000m
- Olympic bronze medal, 10,000m
Alongside the three categories of Athlete of the Year, World Athletics mustered up the courage to do what they couldn’t do last year and named an Overall Athlete of the Year for both males and females.
The winners were chosen from the three category winners, with Sifan Hassan winning among the women and Letsile Tebogo winning among the men.
