Tue | Oct 14, 2025

Jamaicans miss out on Athlete of the Year Awards

Published:Tuesday | October 14, 2025 | 12:12 AMSharla Williams/Gleaner Writer
World champion in the men’s 100m Oblique Seville (left) celebrates the win with teamate and silver medallist Kishane Thompson at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 at the Japan National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, September 14.
World champion in the men’s 100m Oblique Seville (left) celebrates the win with teamate and silver medallist Kishane Thompson at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 at the Japan National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, September 14.

DESPITE SEEING a sort of revival, especially in men’s sprinting, there is still no Jamaican among World Athletics shortlist for Athlete of the Year Awards.

This is the second consecutive year that no Jamaican has made the list.

The announcement comes weeks after the World Athletics Championships where Jamaica won a total of 10 medals, including a gold in the men’s 100 metres, where Oblique Seville relegated world number one Kishane Thompson to second.

The performance, a first for Jamaica since Usain Bolt’s retirement in 2017, was not good enough to secure a place among the five men vying for the male award.

The male nominees include American Noah Lyles, who is the World 200m and 4x100m champion and 100m bronze medallist and is unbeaten in the 200m, including the Diamond League title.

The United States Rai Benjamin, who is the world 400m hurdles champion and who has two of the top three 400m hurdles performances of the year, also made the list.

Another American, Cordell Tinch, who is the world and Diamond League 110m hurdles champion and has four of the top six performances of the year, is also among the nominees.

French runner Jimmy Gressier also makes the list after winning the world 10000m title and copping a bronze medal in the 5000m. He was also the Diamond League 3000m champion.

Closing out the list is Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya — world and Diamond League 800m champion — who has four of the top six performances of the year.

Among the women, there is also no Jamaican. Shericka Jackson was the last woman to be nominated in 2023.

The list of nominees includes two Americans — Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who is the world 100m, 200m and 4x100m champion — and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who is the world 400m and 4x400m champion.

Jeferson-Wooden is undefeated in the 100m with the top five performances of the year, while McLaughlin-Levrone — undefeated in the 400m and 400m hurdles this season — produced the fastest 400m in 40 years at the World Athleetics Championships.

Two impressive Kenyans are also in the race with Beatrice Chebet — the world 5000m and 10,000m champion, who also broke the world record in the former this year — is being joined by Faith Kipyegon, the world 1500m champion and 5000m silver medallist. Kipyegon also holds the 1500m world record.

Femke Bol of Netherlands is the final nominee among the women.

She dominated the 400m hurdles this year winning world and Diamond League titles in an unbeaten season that included the top three performances of the year.

Voting for the Track Athlete of the Year is now open on World Athletics’ social media platforms until October 19.

The nominees for the Field Athlete of the Year awards are set to be announced on October 20 and the nominees for the Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year on October 27.

The World Athlete of the Year award winners will be selected from among the track, field and out of stadium category winners, according to World Athletics.