World champions Mondo Duplantis and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone have been announced as the World Athletes of the Year, receiving top honours in Monaco in recognition of their standout achievements in 2025.
Sweden&rsquo;s&nbsp;pole vault star&nbsp;Duplantis&nbsp;and&nbsp;USA&rsquo;s&nbsp;sprint sensation&nbsp;McLaughlin-Levrone&nbsp;were the final winners to be revealed&nbsp;at the&nbsp;World Athletics Awards 2025 on Sunday (30),&nbsp;on an evening that saw six athletes crowned in three categories &ndash; track, field and out of stadium &ndash; before the two&nbsp;overall&nbsp;winners were&nbsp;confirmed.
Before being named as the World Athletes of the Year, Duplantis was announced as the men&rsquo;s field athlete of the year and McLaughlin-Levrone as the women&rsquo;s track athlete of the year. Spain&rsquo;s Maria Perez and Kenya&rsquo;s Sabastian Sawe were confirmed as the out of stadium athletes of the year, while Kenya&rsquo;s Emmanuel Wanyonyi received the men&rsquo;s track athlete of the year honour and Australia&rsquo;s Nicola Olyslagers the women&rsquo;s field athlete of the year accolade.
This year&rsquo;s Rising Stars were also celebrated, those honours going to world medallists Edmund Serem of Kenya and Zhang Jiale of China.
<h3>World Athletes of the Year for 2025</h3>
Women&rsquo;s World Athlete of the Year:&nbsp;Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone&nbsp;(USA) Men&rsquo;s World Athlete of the Year:&nbsp;Mondo Duplantis (SWE)
Women&rsquo;s track:&nbsp;Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) Women&rsquo;s field:&nbsp;Nicola Olyslagers (AUS) Women&rsquo;s out of stadium:&nbsp;Maria Perez (ESP) Men&rsquo;s track:&nbsp;Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) Men&rsquo;s field:&nbsp;Mondo Duplantis (SWE) Men&rsquo;s out of stadium:&nbsp;Sabastian Sawe (KEN)
Women&rsquo;s Rising Star: Zhang Jiale&nbsp;(CHN) Men&rsquo;s Rising Star: Edmund Serem (KEN)
&ldquo;The World Athletics Awards is a celebration of the very best of our sport. Tonight, we honour our greatest men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s athletes and rising stars across track, field and out of stadium,&rdquo; said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe during the awards ceremony.
&ldquo;If there&rsquo;s a motto for this year&rsquo;s Awards, it is &lsquo;for the athletes, by the athletes&rsquo; and the recipients tonight will aptly receive their prizes from some of our most storied Awards winners down the years.
&ldquo;I want to thank all the athletes present for their inseparable contribution to a memorable 2025, with its crescendo World Athletics Championships in Tokyo &ndash; the most widely covered and commercially impactful edition of our sport&rsquo;s flagship event in its history.&rdquo;
Duplantis and McLaughlin-Levrone both won Rising Star awards in 2018 and have gone on to become two of the most successful athletes in the sport.
In 2025, Duplantis set four world pole vault records and was undefeated in 16 competitions, his wins including world titles both indoors and outdoors. The 26-year-old is the first male pole vaulter in modern history to go undefeated for two successive years.
He set world records of 6.27m in Clermont-Ferrand, 6.28m in Stockholm, 6.29m in Budapest and 6.30m at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, and won a fifth consecutive Diamond League title.
"Thank you so much. This is such a huge honour. Thank you to the jury and World Athletics for voting me in yet again," said Duplantis. "I hope to keep pushing it. I hope to keep irritating everyone who has to vote for me for years to come. I'm proud to represent everyone who supports me &ndash; my family and my future wife. It's really important for me to win this for the field eventers. It's very special, I'm going to really cherish this one.
"I genuinely try to be the best version of myself that I can possibly be. I have a lot of joy that I hope to spread when I'm on the track; I have an immense passion and joy for what I do. I'm so obsessed with pole vaulting and I love pushing myself. I hope that I can inspire the next generation to try athletics, and even pole vaulting. If I can inspire even just a few people to do it, then I feel I'm doing my job."
McLaughlin-Levrone has also been undefeated for two years in both the 400m flat, which was her main event in 2025, and in the 400m hurdles, extending her win streak in that discipline to 24 races.
The 26-year-old won the world 400m title in Tokyo in a North American record of 47.78, breaking a 42-year-old championship record with the second-fastest 400m of all time. As a result, she became the first athlete to have ever won world titles in both the 400m flat and 400m hurdles, following her win in the latter in Oregon in 2022. She also formed part of USA&rsquo;s victorious 4x400m team in Tokyo.
"Wow, I&rsquo;m honestly blown away to win this. Thank you so much, World Athletics, for this honour and recognition," said McLaughlin-Levrone. "The culmination of the season in Tokyo was a really special moment. I&rsquo;m so thankful for everyone who supported, watched, voted and who was there throughout this whole process.
"Track and field is, I believe, the best sport in the world. I want to continue to show the world that we are some of the best athletes around. For me, 2025 was a year of stepping outside of the comfort zone and pushing the bounds of what was mentally and physically possible. I want to continue pushing boundaries in 2026."
Her fellow track athlete of the year, Wanyonyi, won world and Diamond League titles in the 800m and achieved four of the top six performances of the year, including a world lead of 1:41.44 in Monaco.
Olyslagers, who joined Duplantis in being named field athlete of the year, won world high jump titles indoors and outdoors and became the Diamond League champion and world leader with an Oceanian record of 2.04m.
Both out of stadium athletes of the year were unbeaten in 2025. The wins by Perez included world titles in both the 20km race walk and the 35km race walk at the World Championships in Tokyo, while Sawe won the London Marathon and the Berlin Marathon, the latter in a world lead of 2:02:16.
The six category awards were handed out by previous World Athletes of the Year. Letsile Tebogo awarded the track athlete of the year honours, Valerie Adams the field honours and Paula Radcliffe the out of stadium honours, before His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco announced McLaughlin-Levrone as the Women&rsquo;s World Athlete of the Year and Coe handed Duplantis his Men&rsquo;s World Athlete of the Year trophy.
<h2>Serem and Zhang named Rising Stars of 2025</h2>
Despite still being U20 athletes, both 17-year-old Edmund Serem and 19-year-old Zhang Jiale made an impact on the senior stage in 2025.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/692ca5a24e7bc73aae2a011a.jpg" alt="Rising Stars Edmund Serem and Zhang Jiale" />
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Rising Stars Edmund Serem and Zhang Jiale (&copy; World Athletics <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> Chiara Montesano)
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Zhang improved the world U20 hammer record to 77.24m at the Chinese Championships in Quzhou and clinched bronze at the World Championships in Tokyo, throwing 77.10m to secure a spot on the podium alongside Canada&rsquo;s Camryn Rogers and her Chinese compatriot Zhao Jie.
Serem also became a world bronze medallist as he finished third in the 3000m steeplechase behind New Zealand&rsquo;s Geordie Beamish and Morocco&rsquo;s Soufiane El Bakkali in Tokyo. He was runner-up in the Diamond League final and achieved top four finishes in four other Diamond League meetings during the season.
Keeping to the theme of the evening of &lsquo;for the athletes, by the athletes&rsquo;, 2018 Rising Star winner Duplantis presented the awards to Serem and Zhang.
<h2>McAvaney&nbsp;wins President&rsquo;s Award</h2>
The winner of the President&rsquo;s Award was also announced in Monaco on Sunday, the honour going to Australian broadcaster Bruce McAvaney in recognition of his tireless contribution to sports media and commentary, and the philanthropy he brings to athletics.
&ldquo;The recipient of this year&rsquo;s President&rsquo;s Award is one of very few people who can say they achieved the dream they had at the age of five,&rdquo; said Coe. &ldquo;Bruce has been involved in international sport at the highest level, broadcasting to the widest possible audience over five decades.
&ldquo;His drive for knowledge, combined with the ability to recognise performance in a historical context, and a genuine respect and regard for individuals has led him to be acknowledged as one of Australia&rsquo;s greatest sports commentators.&rdquo;
After receiving his award in Monaco, McAvaney said: &ldquo;Athletics has been the central thread of my career at Seven and is a sport I hold incredibly close to my heart. To be honoured in this way, and by someone I have such enormous admiration for in Sebastian Coe, is truly one of the highlights of my career.
"I've been incredibly fortunate to work across many major events and sports, but nothing compares to athletics at the highest level. The opportunity to call those defining, once-in-a-lifetime moments are what fuel my passion and make my job as a broadcaster so special.&rdquo;
The President's Award, first awarded in 2016, recognises and honours exceptional service to athletics.
<h2>Other award winners</h2>
Woman of the Year <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/ruth-jepchumba-bundotich-woman-of-the-year-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ruth Jepchumba Bundotich</a>
Coaching Achievement Award <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/michael-oconnor-coaching-achievement-award-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael O&rsquo;Connor</a>
Photograph of the Year <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/vegard-grott-2025-photograph-of-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vegard Grott</a>
Member Federation Award <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/china-wins-2025-member-federations-award" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China</a>
Fair Play Award <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/tim-van-de-velde-international-fair-play-award-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Van de Velde</a>
World Athletics
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World champions Mondo Duplantis and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone have been announced as the World Athletes of the Year, receiving top honours in Monaco in recognition of their standout achievements in 2025

Duplantis and McLaughlin-Levrone named World Athletes of the Year

Belgian steeplechaser Tim Van de Velde has been selected as the winner of the International Fair Play Award following his selfless act to help another athlete during competition at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
Following nominations from fans, members of the International Fair Play Committee (CIFP) and World Athletics formed a jury to decide on a shortlist of fair play moments in athletics from 2025, before Van de Velde was declared the winner.
Van de Velde&rsquo;s fair play moment occurred during the 3000m steeplechase heats at the World Championships in Tokyo.
Colombia&rsquo;s Carlos San Martin was injured during a fall earlier in the race and, as they approached the finish line, Van de Velde decided to turn back to help San Martin to cross the finish line &ndash; fully aware that it might lead to his disqualification &ndash; in a true demonstration of sportsmanship and humanity.
&ldquo;The more I look back on the moment, the more I can actually enjoy it,&rdquo; said Van de Velde. &ldquo;I never had to think twice during the race to make the decision to turn back and support him.
&ldquo;It was a day in which we both suffered as Carlos crashed into a barrier and I fell at the water jump, but somehow, we made memories for a lifetime. Through our moment we have been able to share those initial feelings of disappointment and that has been a big help in coping with it all. Intense is the right word for that day, but the intensity has made room for a very positive story in the long run. Never could I have imagined getting so much recognition for something that felt very natural to me.
&ldquo;For me, this award is something bigger than just sports or performance. It focuses on the human side of things and that is something I have always been trying to promote, especially when it comes to mental health. A couple of years ago, I might have focused on records, but this is worth much more than that. I consider it an honour to become a part of the history of this award, and I will continue to cherish the moment Carlos and I shared in Tokyo.&rdquo;
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m thrilled that our sport continues to highlight the very best of fair play. This year&rsquo;s Fair Play Award winner has shown that true success comes not just from performance, but from integrity and respect. He exemplifies the strong belief that how we compete matters just as much as the result, and I congratulate him on this well-deserved honour.&rdquo;
International Fair Play Committee President Sunil Sabharwal said: &ldquo;The International Fair Play Committee is honoured to bestow this prize upon Tim Van de Velde. His unselfish act in the 3000m steeplechase at the Tokyo World Championships transcended competition, offering a powerful, instantaneous reminder that compassion outweighs consequence.
&ldquo;The global resonance of this moment &ndash; from significant media coverage to tremendous positive social engagement &ndash; stands as undeniable proof that the world yearns for such living embodiment of fair play. We thank World Athletics for its long-term partnership, enabling us to celebrate the true spirit of friendship and courage that illuminated the exceptional Tokyo 2025 championships.&rdquo;
The CIFP was established more than 60 years ago to promote the principles of fair play in sport: fair competition, respect, friendship, team spirit, equality and sport without doping. It honours those who respect the written and unwritten rules of sport, which include integrity, solidarity, tolerance, care, excellence and joy, and who set an example for others, on and off the field. The CIFP&rsquo;s first collaboration with World Athletics dates back to the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris. Twelve awards have been handed out since then.
World Athletics

Belgian steeplechaser Tim Van de Velde has been selected as the winner of the International Fair Play Award following his selfless act to help another athlete during competition at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25

Belgium’s Van de Velde wins International Fair Play Award

Ruth Jepchumba&nbsp;Bundotich&nbsp;has been announced as the recipient of the 2025 World Athletics Woman of the Year Award, honouring her outstanding leadership, commitment to athlete development and exceptional contributions to the growth of women&rsquo;s athletics in Kenya and beyond.&nbsp;
A trailblazer in the coaching community,&nbsp;Bundotich&nbsp;has become one of Kenya&rsquo;s most influential figures in youth and women&rsquo;s athlete development. Through her work with Ikaika Sports Agency and Adidas Running, she has helped create a sustainable and supportive pathway for&nbsp;emerging&nbsp;talents, ensuring young athletes, particularly girls, are empowered both on and off the track.&nbsp;
Her&nbsp;holistic approach&nbsp;has been widely credited with shaping the environments that produced breakout stars such as world record-holder Agnes Ngetich, whose achievements helped spotlight the wider ecosystem&nbsp;Bundotich&nbsp;has built.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I am deeply honoured by this recognition from World Athletics,&rdquo; said&nbsp;Bundotich. &ldquo;This acknowledgement reflects not just one athlete's journey but the collective commitment to nurturing,&nbsp;developing&nbsp;and safeguarding young talents, particularly young girls in athletics.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I want to especially acknowledge Athletics Kenya for inspiring, motivating and recognising my work. My work with Ikaika Sports Agency and Adidas Running has always centred on creating sustainable pathways for young athletes to thrive, both on and off the track.&nbsp;It's&nbsp;gratifying to see these efforts recognised at this level.&nbsp;
&ldquo;While Agnes Ngetich&rsquo;s achievements, among others, have brought visibility to this work, her success&nbsp;represents&nbsp;something much larger: a collaborative approach to athlete development.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It takes an ecosystem of committed people to nurture talents responsibly and sustainably. This recognition truly belongs to a village of more than 15 individuals &ndash; coaches, support staff, family&nbsp;members&nbsp;and mentors who have each played a vital role.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I am grateful for this honour and remain committed to continuing this work, ensuring that young athletes have the support, protection and guidance they need to reach their full potential.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Bundotich&nbsp;becomes the latest in a distinguished line of recipients recognised for driving progress and equity in athletics. The Woman of the Year Award celebrates individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the sport, particularly in advancing opportunities for women and girls.&nbsp;
The&nbsp;Woman of the Year&nbsp;Award is celebrated as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025. Further announcements will be made this weekend, with the World Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars being revealed at the awards ceremony in Monaco on 30 November.&nbsp;
World Athletics&nbsp;

Ruth Jepchumba Bundotich has been announced as the recipient of the 2025 World Athletics Woman of the Year Award

Kenya's Jepchumba Bundotich named Woman of the Year

Irish combined events coach Michael O&rsquo;Connor has been named the recipient of the 2025 Coaching Achievement Award, recognising his outstanding commitment to athlete development.&nbsp;
With a coaching career spanning more than two decades, O&rsquo;Connor&rsquo;s path into the sport began through a degree in construction and a postgraduate certificate in education &ndash; a route that equipped him with skills in planning, structure and long-term&nbsp;goal-setting&nbsp;that now shape the foundation of his coaching philosophy.&nbsp;
A committed lifelong learner, O&rsquo;Connor has surrounded himself with world-class practitioners and sought mentorship from some of the most respected figures in global coaching. This network has helped him stay at the forefront of performance&nbsp;methodology, continually refining his approach to elevate the athletes he works with.&nbsp;
A standout highlight of his career has been the long-term development of his daughter, Kate O&rsquo;Connor, whom he has coached for 15 years. Their journey &ndash; marked by resilience, careful&nbsp;planning&nbsp;and a shared commitment to excellence &ndash; culminated this season in Kate earning silver medals at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo and the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, becoming the first Irish athlete to earn senior global medals in combined events.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I am truly surprised and deeply grateful to receive this honour,&rdquo; said O&rsquo;Connor. &ldquo;My coaching journey has taken many twists and turns, and&nbsp;I&rsquo;ve&nbsp;been fortunate to be supported along the way by many exceptional coaches and practitioners, many of whom&nbsp;I&rsquo;m&nbsp;privileged to still work alongside today. Their&nbsp;expertise, dedication, and unwavering belief continue to shape and elevate the work we do every day.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It has been a privilege and a joy to coach this athlete and to witness her achieve extraordinary things in recent years,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;I am humbled by this recognition and profoundly thankful to my current coaching and support network, whose commitment makes achievements like this possible, and to everyone who has been part of the journey.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Known for his meticulous approach, O&rsquo;Connor is equally focused on technical detail and long-term strategic planning. His athlete-centred philosophy ensures not only performance excellence but a supportive environment for continuous growth &ndash; both for his athletes and himself as a coach.&nbsp;
The Coaching Achievement Award is celebrated as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025. Further announcements will be made this weekend, with the World Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars being revealed at the awards ceremony in Monaco on 30 November.&nbsp;
World Athletics

Irish combined events coach Michael O’Connor has been named the recipient of the Coaching Achievement Award, recognising his outstanding commitment to athlete development

Ireland's O’Connor honoured with Coaching Achievement Award

Vegard Grott&rsquo;s evocative image of athletes competing in the Dream Mile has been selected as the 2025 World Athletics Photograph of the Year.&nbsp;
The photograph, titled &lsquo;Shadows&rsquo;,&nbsp;captures the dramatic movement of athletes competing at the&nbsp;Bislett&nbsp;Games Diamond League meeting in Oslo. As in past years, the World Athletics Photograph of the Year shines a spotlight on exceptional images captured by professional photographers around the globe.&nbsp;
From the 141 images that were submitted, a panel of judges &ndash; comprising two-time world 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson, four-time world triple jump champion Christian Taylor, photographer and Paris 2024 photo chief Pascal Rondeau, and World Athletics digital creative manager Christel El Saneh &ndash;&nbsp;selected Grott&rsquo;s image for its emotional impact and powerful portrayal of athletic endeavour.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m truly honoured to receive this,&rdquo; said Grott. &ldquo;This year the&nbsp;Bislett&nbsp;Games was held over two days, and&nbsp;I&rsquo;d&nbsp;shot some similar images on day one. On day two, the sun was a bit stronger and there was a packed crowd. I shot two laps of the race before the sun&nbsp;disappeared&nbsp;and this image ended up being one of them.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I've been shooting this event in Oslo for almost 15 years, but this was the first time the sun had been perfect for this kind of shot,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;It's&nbsp;also about intuition.&nbsp;I've&nbsp;seen some similar&nbsp;images, but&nbsp;had never taken one myself.&nbsp;It was one of those moments where everything comes together.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I shoot&nbsp;mainly football, but also a lot of athletics. Personally &ndash; and I&nbsp;can't&nbsp;say this to my football colleagues &ndash; I prefer athletics, so winning this&nbsp;is a big deal&nbsp;and an honour.&nbsp;Thank you to the judges and to World Athletics.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Grott has been working as an agency photographer since 2011 and joined the ranks of&nbsp;Bildbyr&aring;n&nbsp;in 2017. Over the years, he has chronicled major sporting events &ndash; including multiple Olympic Games &ndash; and has served as team photographer for the Norwegian football team. On three separate occasions, his work has been recognised among the world&rsquo;s best by Pictures of the Year International and the National Press Photographers Association.&nbsp;
This year&rsquo;s honour will be recognised at the 2025 World Athletics Awards &ndash; to be held in Monaco on 30 November &ndash; alongside other accolades celebrating excellence in athletics worldwide.&nbsp;
World Athletics

Vegard Grott’s evocative image of athletes competing in the Dream Mile has been selected as the 2025 World Athletics Photograph of the Year

Norwegian Grott wins World Athletics Photograph of the Year

China has been named as winner of the Member Federation Award, as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025.
The Member Federation Award recognises a Member Federation that has distinguished itself in its accomplishments throughout the year and, as a result, positively contributed to the growth and profile of the sport. Six federations were shortlisted for this year&rsquo;s award, each nominated by one of the six Area Associations, before China was selected by the World Athletics Executive Board as the winner.
&ldquo;We would like to express our sincere gratitude to World Athletics for awarding this award to the Chinese Athletics Association,&rdquo; said the winning federation. &ldquo;This honour is a full recognition of our work.
&ldquo;In 2025, the successful hosting of the Nanjing World Athletics Indoor Championships and the Guangzhou World Athletics Relays demonstrated to the world China's professional event-organising capabilities and boundless passion for athletics. Looking ahead, we will fully assist and support the organising committees of Beijing and Yangzhou in preparing for the World Athletics Congress and the World Athletics Championships to be held in Beijing, and the World Athletics Road Running Championships to be held in Yangzhou, in 2027. We will cherish this honour, make persistent efforts, and work with colleagues around the world to promote the development of global athletics.&rdquo;
The Chinese Athletics Association demonstrated progress across five key areas in 2025: institutional innovation, event enhancement, youth development, gender equality and commercial collaboration.
Two World Athletics Series events &ndash; the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25 and the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 &ndash; were capably and efficiently held in China, and Beijing hosted the final Continental Tour Gold meeting of the season. Two Diamond League events took place in Xiamen and Shaoxing/Keqiao, while China also welcomed athletes for three Platinum Label road races and one World Race Walking Tour Gold event.
Hundreds of track &amp; field and road events were organised by the Chinese Athletics Association, attracting more than six million participants in total.
The World Athletics Kids' Athletics Relay Around the World Challenge had its finale in Guangzhou, key measures to enhance athlete safety and rights protection were introduced, the representation of female athletes and officials steadily increased, and two national-level officiating training courses were conducted, resulting in 346 officials obtaining World Athletics Bronze Level certification.
In partnership with China Mobile, the federation enhanced numerous top-tier road races in branding, technology and communication, establishing a new model for association-corporate collaboration.
Further World Athletics Awards announcements will be made this weekend, with the World Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars revealed on Sunday (30 November).
World Athletics

China has been named as winner of the Member Federation Award, as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025

China wins Member Federation Award

Sander Skotheim described fair play as &ldquo;one of the best foundations of sport&rdquo; as he received an award at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne for his actions during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The Norwegian decathlete had been in contention for a medal in Paris, but no-heighting in the pole vault dashed his dreams of a podium place. Despite that disappointment, Skotheim decided to continue competing. In the process he supported his compatriot and the eventual winner Markus Rooth, helping his teammate in the final discipline &ndash; the 1500m.
That act saw Skotheim declared the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/fair-play-award-2024-sander-skotheim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">winner of the International Fair Play Award as part of the World Athletics Awards 2024</a> and more recently the world indoor champion received recognition in Lausanne, as one of three winners of the CIFP&rsquo;s Fair Play Awards, in conjunction with the Olympic Games.
&ldquo;I view fair play as one of the best foundations of sport. You&rsquo;re out there and you&rsquo;re competing but it&rsquo;s not only you competing &ndash; you&rsquo;re all there competing together and to have that respect for each other is truly one of the foundations of sport that I live most up to,&rdquo; he said.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/691dbd377c2555dcd480e54d.jpg" alt="Sander Skotheim at the Fair Play Awards in Lausanne" />
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Sander Skotheim at the Fair Play Awards in Lausanne (&copy; World Athletics <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> Delphine Maiarelli)
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Reflecting on his award, he added: &ldquo;I feel truly honoured. It means a lot to me to get this award for something that for me felt very natural in the moment. It was a great experience and very inspiring for me to be there to enjoy part of his (Rooth&rsquo;s) moment in becoming the Olympic champion.&rdquo;
After being named the Fair Play Award winner as part of the World Athletics Awards in 2024, Skotheim now forms part of the jury judging on the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/fair-play-award-finalists-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fair play moments nominated for the 2025 award</a>.
Three finalists &ndash; Emmanouil Karalis, Josh Kerr and Tim Van De Velde &ndash; were announced on Monday (17). The winner will be decided following votes from the jury and from fans on social media, and will be announced as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025.
World Athletics
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The decathlete received recognition in Lausanne, as one of three winners of the CIFP’s Fair Play Awards

Skotheim: 'fair play is a foundation of sport'

As the countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2025 continues, a digital exhibition has been created featuring the 10 images shortlisted for World Athletics Photograph of the Year.
From the 141 images that were submitted, a panel of judges &ndash; comprising two-time world 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson, four-time world triple jump champion Christian Taylor, photographer and Paris 2024 photo chief Pascal Rondeau, and World Athletics digital creative manager Christel El Saneh &ndash; selected the below 10 shortlisted images and then the three finalists.
The <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/finalists-2025-photograph-of-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">finalists were announced on 13 November</a> and the winning photograph will be announced on World Athletics&rsquo; platforms on 28 November as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025.
<h2>Digital exhibition of shortlisted images</h2>
<h3>&lsquo;Speed silhouette&rsquo;</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/691db621a022568f8c1c69c7.jpg" alt="Photo of the Year exhibition - Speed silhouette" /></div>
A hurdler in action during training at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial Continental Tour Gold meeting in Budapest Photo by David Balogh 
<h3>&lsquo;Champions under the flag&rsquo;</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6915a69d364ea40dd602ee01.jpg" alt="Photo of the Year finalist - Champions under the flag" /></div>
Men&rsquo;s 100m bronze medallist Noah Lyles of the USA celebrates with his teammate Tara Davis-Woodhall, gold medallist from the women's long jump, at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 Photo by Fabrizio Bensch / Reuters 
<h3>&lsquo;Perseverance&rsquo;</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6915a74f364ea40dd602ee04.jpg" alt="Photo of the Year finalist - Perseverance" /></div>
Geordie Beamish of New Zealand avoids the foot of Jean-Simon Desgagnes of Canada as he falls to the ground during the men's 3000m steeplechase heats on day one of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 Photo by Emilee Chinn / Getty Images 
<h3>&lsquo;Winner&rsquo;</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/691db688a022568f8c1c69d0.jpg" alt="Photo of the Year exhibition - Winner" /></div>
Jamaica&rsquo;s Oblique Seville, the world 100m champion, at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 Photo by Ales Graf 
<h3>&lsquo;Shadows&rsquo;</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6915a779364ea40dd602ee07.jpg" alt="Photo of the Year finalist - Shadows" /></div>
Narve Gilje Nordas of Norway, Samuel Pihlstrom of Sweden and athletes compete in the men&rsquo;s Dream Mile during the Bislett Games Diamond League competition in Oslo, Norway Photo by Vegard Gr&oslash;tt / Bildbyr&aring;n 
<h3>&lsquo;The struggle&rsquo;</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/691db6a9a022568f8c1c69d3.jpg" alt="Photo of the Year exhibition - The struggle" /></div>
Doris Lemngole of Kenya falls over Norah Jeruto of Kazakhstan as Sembo Almayew of Ethiopia competes during the women's 3000m steeplechase final at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 Photo by Mate Ladjanszki 
<h3>&lsquo;Clearing the bar in style&rsquo;</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/691db6c8a022568f8c1c69d6.jpg" alt="Photo of the Year exhibition - Clearing the bar in style" /></div>
Decathlon champion Leo Neugebauer clearing the bar and celebrating during the decathlon pole vault at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 Photo by Stefan Mayer 
<h3>&lsquo;The 100ml final from another perspective&rsquo;</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/691db5f8a022568f8c1c69c4.jpg" alt="Photo of the Year exhibition - The 100ml final from another perspective" /></div>
Men&rsquo;s 100m medallists Oblique Seville, Kishane Thompson and Noah Lyles in action at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 Photo By Victor Seco / @vsmphotoevents 
<h3>&lsquo;Friendship&rsquo;</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/691db66da022568f8c1c69cd.jpg" alt="Photo of the Year exhibition - Friendship" /></div>
Serbia's Angelina Topic and Australia's Eleanor Patterson shelter from the rain during the women&rsquo;s high jump final at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 Photo by Aleksandra Szmigiel / Reuters 
<h3>&lsquo;In sync&rsquo;</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/691db64da022568f8c1c69ca.jpg" alt="Photo of the Year exhibition - In sync" /></div>
Athletes jumping over hurdles in a line during the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles heats at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25&nbsp; Photo by Eric Wu for the World Athletics Media Academy
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A digital exhibition has been created featuring the 10 images shortlisted for World Athletics Photograph of the Year

Digital exhibition: 2025 World Athletics Photograph of the Year shortlisted images

Six nominees have been announced for the Member Federations Award ahead of the World Athletics Awards 2025.
The Member Federations Award recognises a Member Federation that has distinguished itself in its accomplishments throughout the year and, as a result, positively contributed to the growth and profile of the sport. The shortlisted federations were nominated by each of the six area associations.
The winner &ndash; as decided by the World Athletics Executive Board &ndash; will be announced on World Athletics&rsquo; platforms on 28 November, as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025.
The six nominees, listed alphabetically, are:
<h3>Botswana (Botswana Athletics Association, Africa)</h3>
At the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, Botswana&rsquo;s athletes delivered historic performances that elevated the country&rsquo;s profile on the global stage. Collen Kebinatshipi became world 400m champion and helped his nation to gold in the 4x400m. This collective triumph reflected the success of Botswana&rsquo;s long-term investment in talent development and high-performance programmes. Botswana&rsquo;s year was characterised by exceptional performance, both individual and collective, backed by robust coaching, sound federation management and athlete support systems. The country proved its ability to combine discipline, innovation and teamwork.
<h3>China (Chinese Athletics Association, Asia)</h3>
The Chinese Athletics Association demonstrated progress across five key areas in 2025: institutional innovation, event enhancement, youth development, gender equality and commercial collaboration. This involved hosting several high-level World Athletics events including the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25, the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 and a Continental Tour Gold event in Beijing, as well as Kids&rsquo; Athletics initiatives, key measures to enhance athlete safety and rights protection, steadily increasing the representation of female athletes and officials, and conducting two national-level officiating training courses.
<h3>Ecuador (Federacion Ecuatoriana de Atletismo, South America)</h3>
Ecuador&rsquo;s achievements in 2025 were guided by its strategic plan, with a key objective of increasing participation. This included Kids&rsquo; Athletics, restructuring the educational and certification systems for judges and coaches, and continuing the &lsquo;Chasqui Kids&rsquo; project to support young athletes from vulnerable backgrounds. The country won two historic medals at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25: women&rsquo;s javelin gold by Juleisy Angulo and women&rsquo;s 35km race walk bronze by Paula Torres. The federation also introduced comprehensive safeguarding policies and a code of conduct, underscoring its commitment to integrity, inclusivity and athlete welfare.
<h3>New Zealand (Athletics New Zealand, Oceania)</h3>
It has been a landmark year for Athletics New Zealand, marked by achievements in high performance, community development, officiating and governance. The federation strengthened its commitment to athlete pathways, safe sport and inclusivity, while celebrating historic international success. At the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, Geordie Beamish won 3000m steeplechase gold, Hamish Kerr won high jump gold and Maddi Wesche claimed shot put bronze. A national development workforce was established, while the release of the High-Performance Plan 2025&ndash;2028 set a clear path toward success at the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Games.
<h3>Spain (Real Federacion Espanola de Atletismo, Europe)</h3>
Spain delivered strong results in 2025, including a record medal haul at the European U20 Championships in Tampere and a competitive presence at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. The country hosted the European Team Championships 1st Division in Madrid, while it expanded youth and community athletics initiatives across regions. Under new leadership, the federation enhanced governance and modernisation practices, ensuring transparency and efficiency. It also demonstrated strong collaboration with local authorities, the media and sponsors and has actively promoted gender equality and mixed-gender team formats.
<h3>United States (USA Track &amp; Field, NACAC)</h3>
The United States topped the medal table at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 and while strong results were anticipated, what stood out was the team&rsquo;s readiness and ability to meet the significantly heightened level of global competition. Safeguarding continued to be a major priority, while significant resources were dedicated to the ongoing education and professional development of coaches and technical officials. The Women&rsquo;s Commission led several dynamic initiatives and the launch of the 2026 USATF Tour &ndash; which aims to streamline and strengthen domestic competitions across the United States &ndash; was announced.
World Athletics

Six nominees have been announced ahead of the World Athletics Awards 2025

Nominees announced for 2025 Member Federations Award

World Athletics is pleased to announce the three finalists for the International Fair Play Award, celebrated as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025.
Earlier this year, the International Fair Play Committee (CIFP), in partnership with World Athletics, invited fans across the world to nominate moments that epitomise fair play with a view to recognising one standout athlete or moment.
A jury was empanelled to review the nominations and fans can now cast their votes through the World Athletics social media channels for the shortlisted moment that they feel best exemplifies fair play. These votes will be combined with votes from the panel members to decide the overall winner. The winner will be announced on 29 November.
<h2>Finalists</h2>
<h3>Emmanouil Karalis</h3>
Emmanouil Karalis displayed respect and camaraderie throughout the pole vault competition at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. He supported fellow athletes after their falls, retrieved their poles, encouraged the crowd and took the time to thank the officials. Earlier in the season, Karalis also exemplified true sportsmanship by agreeing to share the gold medal with Menno Vloon at the European Indoor Championships. 
<h3>Josh Kerr</h3>
Josh Kerr, who was determined to finish the 1500m final at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 despite injury, proved his dedication to fans by spending time after his races giving autographs and selfies. He also gave his spikes to fans. 
<h3>Tim Van De Velde</h3>
Tim Van De Velde decided to help the injured athlete Carlos San Martin cross the finish line during the 3000m steeplechase at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 &ndash; fully aware that it might lead to his disqualification &ndash; in a true demonstration of sportsmanship and humanity. 
The CIFP was established more than 60 years ago to promote the principles of fair play in sport: fair competition, respect, friendship, team spirit, equality and sport without doping. It honours those who respect the written and unwritten rules of sport, which include integrity, solidarity, tolerance, care, excellence and joy, and who set an example for others, on and off the field. The CIFP&rsquo;s first collaboration with World Athletics dates back to the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris. Twelve awards have been handed out since then.
<h3>Jury members</h3>
Mark Butler &ndash; athletics statistician Paula Radcliffe &ndash; former world marathon record-holder Jon Ridgeon &ndash; World Athletics CEO Anna Ryzhykova &ndash; member of the Athletes&rsquo; Commission Sunil Sabharwal &ndash; President of the International Fair Play Committee Sander Skotheim &ndash; winner of the 2024 Fair Play Award
World Athletics

World Athletics is pleased to announce the three finalists for the International Fair Play Award

Finalists announced for Fair Play Award

Three finalists for the Photograph of the Year award have been selected ahead of the World Athletics Awards 2025.
From the 141 images that were submitted, a panel of judges &ndash; comprising two-time world 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson, four-time world triple jump champion Christian Taylor, photographer and Paris 2024 photo chief Pascal Rondeau, and World Athletics digital creative manager Christel El Saneh &ndash; narrowed the entries to 10 shortlisted images before deciding on the three finalists.
Photographers from 41 countries across all six continental areas submitted entries.
The shortlisted images will form part of a digital exhibition on the World Athletics website that will go live later this month.
The winning photograph will be announced on World Athletics&rsquo; platforms as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025.
<h3>The finalists</h3>
Fabrizio Bensch 'Champions under the flag'
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6915a69d364ea40dd602ee01.jpg" alt="Photo of the Year finalist - Champions under the flag" />
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Photo of the Year finalist - Champions under the flag (&copy; World Athletics <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch)
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Men&rsquo;s 100m bronze medallist Noah Lyles of the USA celebrates with his teammate Tara Davis-Woodhall, gold medallist from the women's long jump, at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 
Emilee Chinn 'Perseverance'
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6915a74f364ea40dd602ee04.jpg" alt="Photo of the Year finalist - Perseverance" />
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Photo of the Year finalist - Perseverance (&copy; World Athletics <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Geordie Beamish of New Zealand avoids the foot of Jean-Simon Desgagnes of Canada as he falls to the ground during the men's 3000m steeplechase heats on day one of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 
Vegard Grott&nbsp; 'Shadows'
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6915a779364ea40dd602ee07.jpg" alt="Photo of the Year finalist - Shadows" />
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Photo of the Year finalist - Shadows (&copy; World Athletics <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> Vegard Gr&oslash;tt / Bildbyran)
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Narve Gilje Nordas of Norway, Samuel Pihlstrom of Sweden and athletes compete in the men&rsquo;s Dream Mile during the Bislett Games Diamond League competition in Oslo, Norway 
<h3>About the photographers</h3>
Fabrizio Bensch (GER)
Fabrizio Bensch studied political science at the Freie Universitat Berlin and started his career as a photojournalist in 1989, several months before the Berlin Wall came down. He has worked for the Reuters Newspictures Service, based in Berlin, since 1992, covering breaking news, politics and sports around the world. He has covered conflicts in former Yugoslavia, Israel, Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Emilee Chinn (USA)
Emilee Chinn is a staff sports photographer for Getty Images based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Her work covers major US professional sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA) and collegiate athletics. She won the 75th College Photographer of the Year competition for her sports portfolio along with awards of excellence and was recognised in 2023 on the 'Forbes 30 Under 30' for her work with the Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati sports.
Vegard Grott (NOR)
Vegard Grott has worked as an agency photographer since 2011 and was employed by Bildbyran in 2017. He has covered numerous Olympics and other major sporting events, in addition to being the team photographer for Norway&rsquo;s national football team. On three occasions, Grott has been named one of the best sports photographers in the world by Pictures of the Year International and the National Press Photographers Association Best of Photojournalism.
World Athletics
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Three finalists for the Photograph of the Year award have been selected ahead of the World Athletics Awards 2025

Finalists announced for 2025 World Athletics Photograph of the Year

World Athletics is pleased to announce the three finalists for the 2025 Women's Rising Star Award, which will recognise this year's best U20 athlete at the World Athletics Awards 2025.
The nominations reflect some of the standout performances that the sport has witnessed this year, at events including the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
The winner of the 2025 Women's Rising Star Award will be announced on 30 November.
<h3>The finalists are:</h3>
Birke Haylom, Ethiopia &bull; world U20 3000m record &bull; world indoor 3000m fifth place
Yan Ziyi, China &bull; world U20 javelin record &bull; national champion
Zhang Jiale, China &bull; world U20 hammer record &bull; world hammer bronze
The finalists for the Men's Rising Star Award were <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/finalists-announced-2025-men-rising-star" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced yesterday</a>.
As well as the Rising Star honours, the 2025 World Athletics Awards includes the World Athlete of the Year awards, Coaching Achievement Award, Woman of the Year, Photograph of the Year, Member Federation Award and President&rsquo;s Award.
World Athletics&nbsp;

The Women's Rising Star Award will recognise this year's best U20 athlete at the World Athletics Awards 2025

World track athlete of the year Emmanuel Wanyonyi – in his words

World out of stadium athlete of the year Maria Perez – in her words

World Athlete of the Year Mondo Duplantis – in his words

World Athlete of the Year Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone – in her words

World Athletes of the Year 1988-2025