Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas and Noah Lyles are among the top American athletes who have been nominated for the 2024 World Athletics - Track Athlete of the Year awards across the male and female categories. They were picked based on their outstanding performances at the Paris Olympics, where McLaughlin-Levrone secured two gold, Thomas bagged three, and Lyles won the gold in the men's 100m event.
Besides the aforementioned athletes, the United States’ Grant Holloway and Rai Benjamin have also made it to the list of nominees in the male category for the Track Athlete of the Year award. Both Holloway and Benjamin too won gold medals at the quadrennial games.
A total of six athletes have been nominated each in male and female in the track category for the Track Athlete of the Year awards. Out of these six, two will be selected as finalists. From there, one will be named the winner as separate recognition will be given to athletes in track, field, and out-of-stadium events, just like the previous edition. However, what makes this edition’s award different is that an overall winner in both male and female category will also be announced.
Other notable nominees in the track categories include Letsile Tebogo, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi on the men's side, and Beatrice Chebet, Faith Kipyegon, Julien Alfred, and Marileidy Paulino on the women’s side.
Here are all the nominees for the Track Athlete of the Year in the Male category -
Noah Lyles (USA)
Grant Holloway (USA)
Letsile Tebogo (Botswana)
Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway)
Rai Benjamin (USA)
Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Kenya)
Here are all the nominees for the Track Athlete of the Year in the Female category -
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA)
Gabby Thomas (USA)
Beatrice Chebet (Kenya)
Faith Kipyegon (Kenya)
Julien Alfred (Saint Lucia)
Marileidy Paulino (Dominican Republic)
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Noah Lyles have previously won the ‘World Athlete of the Year’ award
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Noah Lyles have previously won the World Athlete of the Year awards in 2022 and 2023, respectively. In 2022, McLaughlin-Levrone was named the Female Athlete of the Year, following her exploits at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. In the 400m hurdles, she established another world record with an impressive 50.68s in the final.
Meanwhile, Noah Lyles had an incredible 2023 season as he completed a historic treble by winning gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay events at the World Athletics Championships. Following this, Lyles was announced as one of the six athletes to be honored with the World Athlete of the Year award in 2023.