Duplantis and McLaughlin-Levrone Sweep World Athlete of the Year Awards
Pole Vault Star Breaks World Record Four Times; American Sprinter Achieves Historic 400m Double
MONACO: Sweden’s pole vault sensation, Armand Duplantis, and American sprint star, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, were crowned the 2025 World Athletes of the Year at the annual World Athletics awards ceremony. Both 26-year-old athletes delivered seasons marked by historic dominance and record-breaking performances.
Duplantis had an unparalleled year in the pole vault, breaking the men’s world record four times and remaining unbeaten in all 16 of his competitions, securing both the indoor and outdoor world titles. This run makes him the first male pole vaulter in modern athletics history to remain undefeated in a single event for two consecutive years. He was also named the men’s field athlete of the year.
McLaughlin-Levrone, after shifting focus to the flat 400 meters, won the world title in Tokyo with a time of 47.78 seconds, breaking a 42-year-old World Championships record. Her victory made her the first athlete in history to win world titles in both the 400-meter flat and the 400-meter hurdles. She was also recognized as the women’s track athlete of the year.
Other top honors went to Spain’s Maria Perez and Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe as the out-of-stadium athletes of the year, while Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers claimed the men’s track and women’s field athlete awards, respectively.
