Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands has been crowned World Athlete of the Year, a recognition of her extraordinary accomplishments at the Paris Olympics, where she delivered a record-breaking marathon performance and medaled across three events.
The awards were presented in Monaco, celebrating the year’s top achievements in track and field.
A Record-Breaking Marathon and Triple Medal Haul
Hassan’s most notable victory came in the women’s marathon, where she set an Olympic record time of 2:22:55.
Her endurance and versatility shone as she also claimed bronze medals in the 10,000m and 5,000m events, cementing her place as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
Expressing her gratitude during the ceremony, Hassan said:
“Thank you to the fans, to everybody who voted. 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.”
In addition to her World Athlete of the Year title, Hassan was also named Women’s Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year, further highlighting her dominance in distance running.
Letsile Tebogo’s Historic Year Recognized
Although the spotlight of the evening was on Hassan, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo also received accolades for his groundbreaking achievements.
Tebogo made history in Paris as the first African to win the Olympic men’s 200m title and Botswana’s first-ever Olympic gold medal. He also contributed to Botswana’s silver-medal-winning 4x400m relay team and set a national record in the 100m.
Tebogo, who was named Men’s Track Athlete of the Year, shared his gratitude, saying:
“It feels amazing to know that the fans are always there for us athletes. It was a great year. This means a lot… There are a lot of fans out there that really want us to win something great for the continent.”
Sifan Hassan’s unparalleled feats at the Paris Olympics and Letsile Tebogo’s historic wins exemplify the spirit of Black excellence in athletics.
