Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson is among 11 athletes nominated for Women’s World Athlete of the Year.
The athletes were selected by an international panel of athletics experts, comprising representatives from all six continental areas of World Athletics.
In what has been another memorable year for the sport, the nominations reflect some of the standout performances achieved at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, one-day meeting circuits, Label road races and other events around the world.
In August, Jackson, 29, won her second 200m title at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest where she also won silver medals in the 100m and 4x100m relay. She capped off her impressive season by winning Diamond League trophies in both 100m and 200m at the season-ending meet in Eugene, Oregon.
The impressive list of nominees also includes Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, winner of the Berlin marathon winner and who set the world marathon record this past season.
Femke Bol of the Netherlands won the 400m hurdles in Budapest and set a world indoor 400m record during the season.
The strong favourite to walk away with the award this year is Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, the World 1500m and 5000m champion, who set world records 1500m, mile and 5000m in 2023.
Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi is the World champion at the javelin. She is also the Diamond League champion.
Also among the nominees is Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine who is the World champion and Diamond League champion at the high jump.
Spain’s Maria Perez is the World 20km and 35km race walk world champion, who established a new world record at the 35km race walk.
Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay is the World 10,000m champion, who won the Diamond League 5000m title with a new world record.
The USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson is the newly crowned World champion at 100m and bronze medallist at 200m.
Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas won her fourth consecutive world title at the triple jump and also added the Diamond League title to her extraordinary exploits during the season.
Bahrain’s Winfed Yavi is the 3000m steeplechase World champion, who also won the Diamond League title with a world-leading performance.
A three-way voting process will determine the finalists.
The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast their votes by email, while fans can vote online via the World Athletics social media platforms. Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube this week; a 'like' on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube or a retweet on X will count as one vote.
The World Athletics Council’s vote will count for 50 per cent of the result, while the World Athletics Family’s votes and the public votes will each count for 25 per cent of the final result.
Voting for the World Athletes of the Year closes at midnight on Saturday 28 October. At the conclusion of the voting process, five women and five men finalists will be announced by World Athletics on 13-14 November.
The winners will be revealed on World Athletics’ social media platforms on 11 December.
Smith produces season’s best to win long jump at Texas Invitational
Texas junior Ackelia Smith produced an NCAA leading performance to take top spot on day one of the Texas Invitational at the Mike A. Myers Stadium on Friday.
The 22-year-old reigning NCAA champion produced a season’s best 7.10m, her first jump over 7m this season, to win ahead of Trinidadian Puma athlete Tyra Gittens (6.72m) and UTSA’s Ida Breigan (6.65m).
This is a welcome return to form for Smith who suffered a torn hamstring at the NCAA Indoor Championships in early March.
Smith was Jamaica’s national champion in the long jump in 2022 and was a finalist in both the long and triple jump at that year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Paulino extends 400m winning streak to seven in Shanghai
Dom Rep’s Marileidy Paulino followed up her triumph at the season’s Diamond League opener in Xiamen last week with another victory at the Shanghai Diamond League on Saturday.
The reigning World champion produced 50.89 to win ahead of American Talitha Diggs who ran 51.77 and Bajan two-time World Championship bronze medallist Sada Williams who ran 52.00 in third.
Paulino’s winning streak in the 400m has now stretched to seven races.
It was déjà vu in the women’s 100m hurdles as reigning Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho Quinn just pipped World Indoor 60m hurdles champion and world record holder Devynne Charlton on the line, just as it played out in Xiamen last week.
Camacho-Quinn ran 12.63 compered to Charlton’s 12.64. Two-time World champion Danielle Williams was third in 12.74.
The men’s 110m hurdles saw American Daniel Roberts get his second win in a row to kick off the Diamond League season. His winning time was 13.12, comfortably ahead of Japan’s Shunsuke Izumiya (13.23) and Olympic champion Hansle Parchment’s season’s best 13.26.
Edwin Allen second in Champions of America girls’ 4x800m as Union Catholic sets National Record
Edwin Allen had to settle for second position in the Championships of America high school girls’ 4x800m, as they were soundly beaten by New Jersey-based favourites Union Catholic in the final on day two of the 128th Penn Relays at the Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Friday.
Not only did Union Catholic defend their title, but the team of Jimmiea King, Peyton Hollis, Sophia Thompson, and Paige Sheppard did so in emphatic fashion, clocking a National Record of 8:41.20. They lowered the previous mark of 8:43.12 set in 2008 by Roosevelt.
Edwin Allen’s quartet of Tanesia Gardiner, Monique Stewart, Kevongaye Fowler, and Rickeisha Simms, gave a credible effort in second at 8:50.76, while Virginia-based South Lakes (8:50.8), were third.
The other Jamaican schools, Holmwood Technical (8:58.94) and Alphansus Davis (9:13.83), placed fifth and ninth respectively.
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