World Athletics Announces Additional Nominees for Athlete of the Year

Although her achievements could have easily secured her a place among the finalists, Cuban triple jumper Leyanis Pérez was notably absent today from the list of five nominees released by World Athletics (WA) for the Field Athlete of the Year award.

This omission stands out considering Pérez’s extraordinary season, during which the athlete from Pinar del Río captured both indoor and outdoor world titles, triumphed in the Diamond League final, and achieved the top performances of the year — with four jumps exceeding 14.90 meters. Her most recent success, at the World Championships in Tokyo, came with the year’s best mark of 14.94 meters.

Nevertheless, the list unveiled this Monday for public voting through WA’s social media platforms includes a group of female athletes with outstanding results, all of whom claimed gold medals in Tokyo. The nominees are Americans Valarie Allman (discus), Tara Davis-Woodhall (long jump), and Anna Hall (heptathlon), Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers (high jump), and Canada’s Camryn Rogers (hammer throw).

Unlike the track nominees, none of these field athletes hold a world record. The men’s list, however, features several record-setters, led by Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, who dominated the season with two world titles, a Diamond League victory, and four world records set in 2025. Completing the men’s field are Italy’s Mattia Furlani (long jump), Ethan Katzberg of Canada (hammer throw), New Zealander Hamish Kerr (high jump), and Cuba-born Portuguese athlete Pedro Pablo Pichardo (triple jump).

The voting period for field event specialists is set to close on October 26, while nominees in the off-track categories will be announced on October 27. In each division — track, field, and off-track — two finalists per gender will be selected to compete for the ultimate honor. The overall World Athletes of the Year, male and female, will be revealed during the World Athletics Awards Gala scheduled for November 30 in Monaco.