Athlete of the Year Awards: Botswana sprinter Letsile Tebogo and Dutch marathon runner Sifan Hassan, both 2024 Paris Olympics champions, were named ‘Athletes of the Year’ by World Athletics in Monaco on Sunday.
Tebogo became Botswana’s first Olympic gold medallist at Paris 2024, shattering his own African record with a time of 19.46. The 21-year-old was also named Male Track Athlete of the Year apart from Male World Athlete of the Year.
“It feels amazing to know that the fans are always there for us athletes. It was a great year,” an elated Tebogo said.
“This means a lot. It’s not just about the team that is around you, there are a lot of fans out there that really want us to win something great for the continent. It was a real surprise to hear my name because I didn’t expect this.”
On the other hand, Hassan from the Netherlands won the Female World Athlete of the Year award. Hassan won the women’s marathon in an Olympic record time of 2.22:55. She also claimed bronze medals in the 10,000m and 5000m events. She became the first athlete since Emil Zatopek to win medals in the 5000m, 10,000m and marathon at the same Olympic Games.
The 31-year-old also claimed the Female Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year award with Ethiopia’s men’s marathon gold medallist Tamirat Tola taking the men’s category.
“Thank you to the fans, to everybody who voted,” Hassan said.
“I never thought I was going to win this one. This year was crazy. It’s not only me, all the athletes have been amazing. I’m really grateful. What more can I say?”
USA’s Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won the Female Track Athlete of the Year award after breaking her own world record for the second time in 2024 to retain her Olympic 400m hurdles title in Paris.
Ace pole vaulter Armand Duplantis of Sweden raised his own world record three times to retain his Male Field Athlete of the Year award.
Ukraine’s Yaroslva Mahuchikh took the Female Field Athlete of the Year award after winning Olympic gold and breaking Stefka Kostadinova’s 37-year-old high jump world record.
The Male Rising Star of the Year award was bagged by Italian teenager Mattia Furlani who took long jump bronze in Paris. The female category was won by Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew after her fifth place in the Olympic 3000m steeplechase final.
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World Athletics Awards 2024: Winners
- Women’s World Athlete of the Year: Sifan Hassan (NED)
- Men’s World Athlete of the Year: Letsile Tebogo (BOT)
- Women’s track: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA)
- Women’s field: Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR)
- Women’s out-of-stadium: Sifan Hassan (NED)
- Men’s track: Letsile Tebogo (BOT)
- Men’s field: Armand Duplantis (SWE)
- Men’s out-of-stadium: Tamirat Tola (ETH)
- Women’s Rising Star: Sembo Almayew (ETH)
- Men’s Rising Star: Mattia Furlani (ITA)
