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Armand Duplantis has capped a remarkable 2025, in which he broke four world records and won another world title, by being named World Athletics’ male athlete of the year.
Immediately after picking up the award, the Swedish pole vaulter took aim at Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track, which collapsed earlier in the summer and is still yet to pay athletes their full prize money.
“There was another tour that tried to exclude field events,” Duplantis said to an audience that included multiple athlete stars as well Prince Albert II of Monaco. “That didn’t didn’t go so well, did it? I am very proud to represent field eventers.”
That received applause and laughter in the room, and there was more when Duplantis, who was unbeaten in 16 competitions in 2025, said he was “delighted and honoured to win the award – I just love pushing myself and pushing boundaries.”
The female athlete of the year award was won by the American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who won world 400m gold in Tokyo in a time of 47.78sec – the second fastest time in history.
For good measure, McLaughlin-Levrone, who is now unbeaten in 24 races, also won the women track athlete of the year too. She also became the first athlete to have won world titles in both the 400m flat and 400m hurdles, and was part of the US’s gold medal-winning 4x400m team in Tokyo.
“Honestly I am blown away,” she said. “I don’t feel deserving to be honest. But Tokyo was a really special moment and I am so thankful for this honour and recognition.”
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Elsewhere, the Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers won the women’s field award, while the 800m world champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya won the men’s track world honour.
The London marathon winner Sabastian Sawe won the out of men’s stadium athlete of the year, while the Spanish race walker María Pérez won the women’s award.
