Mondo Duplantis of Sweden and American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone were chosen the 2025 overall Male and Female World Athlete of the Year, respectively. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said that the awards by the track and field body honored the sport’s greatest male and female athletes across track, field, and out of stadium categories and that the two athletes were recognized for their standout achievements throughout the year.
Duplantis received top honors in recognition of his dominance Here’s a look at the highlights of his achievements:
• Four pole vault World Records that included clearances of 6.27m in Clermont-Ferrand, 6.28m in Stockholm, 6.29m in Budapest, and 6.30m at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo this year.
• Undefeated in all 16 competitions he entered.
• Wins that included world titles indoors and outdoors.
• The first male pole vaulter in modern history to remain undefeated over two successive years.
• The fifth consecutive Diamond League title for the 26-yr-old.
Outside Her Comfort Zone
McLaughlin-Levrone was honored for her standout achievements, particularly her successful transition from her dominance in the 400m hurdles to dominance in the 400m flat event. Her accomplishments make her a two-time winner of the title.
Her performance highlights include:
• Undefeated for two years in both the 400m flat (her main event in 2025) and the 400m hurdles. She extended her win streak in the 400m hurdles to 24 races.
• Won the world 400m title in Tokyo in a North American record time of 47.78secs, which broke a 42-year-old championship record and stands as the second-fastest 400m of all time.
• The first athlete to win World titles in both the 400m flat and the 400m hurdles (following her win in the latter in Oregon in 2022).
• A member of USA’s victorious 4x400m team in Tokyo.
McLaughlin-Levrone noted that 2025 was a year of stepping outside of her comfort zone and pushing the boundaries of what was mentally and physically possible.