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World Athlete of the Year 2026: How Do You Choose Between These Performances?

World Athlete of the Year 2026: How Do You Choose Between These Performances?

When was the last time the World Athlete of the Year nominees were this stacked?

Oct 15, 2026 by Nia Gibson
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Clayton Young Joins The Meet Up + Chicago Marathon Recap | The Meet Up57:21

When was the last time the World Athlete of the Year nominees were this stacked?

From the track to the field to the road, making a case for the standout performance of the year might be more difficult than ever. Take a closer look at the nominees, and it becomes clear that there may not be a wrong answer.

On the track, the women's nominees include Masai Russell and Audrey Werro, while the men's side features Alison dos Santos and Josh Kerr. Each has delivered performances that could define a season, from record-breaking times to dominant championship victories.

In the field, Chase Jackson improved her own North American shot put record twice this season, while Andy Díaz Hernández continued to push the boundaries of the triple jump, reaching 18.15 meters and moving to fourth on the all-time list.

Then there's the road. Tigst Assefa ran the third-fastest marathon in history in Berlin (rupturing her achilles in the final kilometers of the race) after winning the London Marathon in a women-only world record of 2:15:41. Meanwhile, Sabastian Sawe made history in London, becoming the first man to break two hours in a record-eligible marathon with his world-record performance of 1:59:30.

And those are just a few of the names in the conversation.

The question is no longer simply who had the best season. It's how we measure greatness when so many athletes have produced performances that could stand on their own as the defining moment of 2026.

How much weight should be given to historical significance? Does cultural impact factor into the decision? Should an athlete who breaks a world record automatically have an advantage over someone who dominates an entire season? And how do we measure the difficulty of one record-breaking performance against another?

It's a difficult comparison to make, and in my opinion, nearly impossible to approach with complete objectivity. The nominees represent different disciplines, different challenges and different definitions of excellence. Comparing them requires more than looking at a time, distance or championship title.

With that in mind, here's a closer look at the nominees for the 2026 World Athletes of the Year and the accomplishments that earned them a place in the conversation.


2026 Women's World Athlete of the Year Nominees

Listed in alphabetical order.

Tigst Assefa, Ethiopia

Won the Berlin Marathon in 2:11:04, the third-fastest time in history after setting a women-only world record of 2:15:41 in London.

Chase Jackson, USA

Improved her North American shot put record twice, reaching 21.14m, while winning the world indoor title and reclaiming the Diamond Trophy.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, USA

Swept the 100m and 200m at the Ultimate Championship, setting world leads of 10.62 and 21.47, respectively, with the latter ranking third all-time.

Agnes Ngetich, Kenya

Dominated the world half marathon and cross-country championships, setting a women-only world half marathon record of 1:05:15 and world leads in the 3000m and 10km.

Marileidy Paulino, Dominican Republic

Won the Ultimate Championship and Diamond League 400m titles, remaining unbeaten and setting a world-leading Diamond League record of 48.48.

María Pérez, Spain

Set the inaugural world half marathon race walk record of 1:30:06, winning the European title by 58 seconds.

Camryn Rogers, Canada

Set a North American hammer throw record of 81.13m, moving to second all-time, and retained her Commonwealth Games title.

Masai Russell, USA

Set a world 100m hurdles record of 12.09, recorded nine of the season's 10 fastest times and completed an unbeaten campaign with Ultimate Championship and Diamond League titles.

Audrey Werro, Switzerland

Won the Ultimate Championship, Diamond League and European 800m titles, lowering her world-leading time to 1:53.70 and third on the all-time list.

Yan Ziyi, China

Opened her season with a 71.74m javelin throw, setting Asian and world U20 records to rank second all-time, before winning Diamond League and Asian Games titles.

2026 Men's World Athlete of the Year Nominees

Listed in alphabetical order.

Kenneth Bednarek, USA

Won the Ultimate Championship 100m and 200m double, running 9.85 and a world-leading personal best of 19.52, before claiming the Diamond League 200m title.

Kristjan Čeh, Slovenia

Won the Diamond League discus title with a meeting record of 71.29m and defended his European crown with a championship-record throw of 72.51m.

Andy Díaz Hernández, Italy

Won world indoor, Diamond League and European triple jump titles, reaching 18.15m to move to fourth on the world all-time list.

Alison dos Santos, Brazil

Set a world 400m hurdles record of 45.80, won the Ultimate Championship in 45.98 and went undefeated across 11 races.

Mondo Duplantis, Sweden

Raised his world pole vault record to 6.31m while winning Ultimate Championship, world indoor and European titles.

Collen Kebinatshipi, Botswana

Won the Ultimate Championship 400m title in 43.39 and the Diamond League crown, setting a Diamond League record of 43.40 and recording six sub-44-second races.

Josh Kerr, Great Britain & Northern Ireland

Set a world mile record of 3:42.66, with a world-leading 1500m split of 3:27.62, while winning Ultimate Championship, world indoor and Commonwealth Games titles.

Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, Sri Lanka

Won four major javelin titles, set a national record of 92.62m and claimed victory in 13 of his 14 competitions.

Sabastian Sawe, Kenya

Made marathon history in London, running a world record of 1:59:30 to become the first man to break two hours in a record-eligible marathon.

Ja’Kobe Tharp, USA

Set a world 110m hurdles record of 12.75 at the NCAA Championships, won Ultimate Championship and Diamond League titles, and broke 13 seconds six times.


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