World Athletes of the Year: Sifan Hassan and Letsile Tebogo
Sifan Hassan and Letsile Tebogo were crowned World Athletes of the Year at the World Athletics Awards 2024 in Monaco. Hassan reflected on her “crazy year” and expressed gratitude, while Tebogo highlighted the importance of fan support and the pride of representing his continent. Tebogo also secured the Men’s Track Athlete of the Year award, with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone taking the women’s honor. (World Athletics)
Rising Stars: Almayew and Furlani
Sembo Almayew and Mattia Furlani received Rising Star Awards for their impressive 2024 seasons. Almayew finished fifth in the Olympic steeplechase final and won the U20 world title, while Furlani set a U20 long jump world record (8.38m) and earned multiple senior medals. (World Athletics)
Valencia Marathon Delivers World-Class Performances
- Men: Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe won in 2:02:05, the fastest marathon debut ever, ranking fifth all-time. Tadesse Abraham set a Swiss record (2:04:40) in fifth, while Samwel Fitwi (2:04:56) and Yohanes Chiappinelli (2:05:24) achieved German and Italian records. (World Athletics)
- Women: Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu triumphed in 2:16:49. Stella Chesang broke Uganda’s record (2:18:26), and Moira Stewartová set a Czech record (2:23:44). Sara Hall achieved a US Masters record (2:23:45). (World Athletics)
Gabby Thomas Joins Grand Slam Track League
Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas signed with the Grand Slam Track League, set to compete in Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. The League announced it has 10 Racer spots and 48 Challenger positions remaining. (Grand Slam track)
European Cross Country Championships: UK Teams Announced
UK Athletics confirmed strong teams for the European Cross in Antalya, with reigning champions Innes FitzGerald (U20) and Will Barnicoat (U23) returning. Senior teams are led by trials winners Kate Axford and Tomer Tarragano. (British Athletics)
Taylor Duo Takes Austrian Athletics Roles
Christian and Beate Taylor have been appointed as Sports Directors of the Austrian Athletics Federation. Christian, a triple jump legend, will bring expertise in jumping disciplines, while Beate, a former hurdler, will focus on developing regional talent.
World Athletics Honors and Awards
- Federation Award: USA Track & Field for its development program.
- Woman of the Year: Renee Washington for promoting gender equity.
- Photograph of the Year: Michael Steele’s image of Tigist Assefa and Sifan Hassan’s marathon collision.
- President’s Award: Nike co-founder Phil Knight.
- Coaching Achievement: Trevor Painter for his work with Keely Hodgkinson and other athletes.
