St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred has been announced as one of only two finalists for the Women’s Track Athlete of the Year, joining a select group of elite athletes recognized for their extraordinary achievements at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Alfred, who made history as the Olympic 100m champion, shares the nomination with America’s Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the 400m hurdles gold medalist, in one of the most prestigious categories of the World Athletics Awards.

Alfred’s selection is a testament to her incredible season and historic achievements, as she became the first St. Lucian to capture Olympic gold, blazing her way into the record books and capturing the pride of her nation and the Caribbean region.

In the men’s track category, Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo stand as finalists for their outstanding performances. Ingebrigtsen, who won gold in the Olympic 5000m, showcased his tactical mastery and resilience in a fiercely contested race. Tebogo, meanwhile, surged to victory in the 200m final, demonstrating remarkable speed that highlighted his arrival on the global stage as one of the world’s top sprinters.

In the field events, Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam are recognized for their Olympic victories in high jump and heptathlon, respectively. Mahuchikh thrilled audiences with her powerful jumps that secured her the Olympic high jump title, while Thiam’s exceptional all-around abilities earned her a gold in the heptathlon, marking yet another milestone in her storied career.

For the men’s field category, Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis and Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou were selected as finalists. Duplantis, the Olympic pole vault champion, continued his dominance in the event with yet another gold, while Tentoglou captured the long jump title, showcasing his skill and consistency with a leap that secured him Olympic glory.

In out-of-stadium events, Kenyan marathon record-holder Ruth Chepngetich and Netherlands’ Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan are both celebrated for their monumental achievements on the road. Chepngetich has been a powerhouse in marathon running, while Hassan, already an established name on the track, made a remarkable transition to the marathon with her victory in Paris.

On the men’s side, Ecuador’s Brian Pintado and Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola are finalists for their triumphs in the Olympic 20km race walk and marathon, respectively. Pintado’s endurance and technique earned him gold in race walking, while Tola’s marathon victory in Paris reaffirmed his standing among the world’s premier distance runners.

The World Athletics Awards ceremony will celebrate these champions, recognizing their dedication and outstanding achievements that have pushed the boundaries of the sport. For Julien Alfred, this nomination highlights an unforgettable year, as her Olympic victory resonates deeply within her homeland and across the Caribbean, inspiring a new generation of athletes.

St Lucia's Julien Alfred and the Dominican Republic's Marileidy Paulino have been named among the six nominees for the 2024 World Athletics Women’s Track Athlete of the Year, following their remarkable achievements during the season. This nomination is part of the World Athletics Awards 2024, which recognizes the year’s top performers across various disciplines.

Alfred, who had a stellar year, claimed the Olympic 100m gold in Paris and also secured the World Indoor 60m title earlier in the year. She is also the Diamond League 100m champion. Her nomination is a testament to her exceptional performances that have solidified her as one of the premier sprinters on the global stage.

Paulino, the Dominican Republic’s 400m star, also earned her spot on the list with her dominant displays throughout the season. Unbeaten in 2024, Paulino clinched the Olympic 400m title in Paris and was crowned the Diamond League 400m champion, a testament to her consistency and strength over the quarter-mile distance.

Joining Alfred and Paulino as nominees are Kenya's Beatrice Chebet, the Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion; Faith Kipyegon, another Kenyan who set the World 1500m record and took Olympic gold in the same event; Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the USA, the Olympic 400m hurdles and 4x400m champion; and Gabby Thomas of the USA, who won the Olympic 200m and was part of the gold-medal-winning 4x100m and 4x400m teams.

The finalists for the Track Athlete of the Year will be determined through public voting on World Athletics' social media platforms, with voting set to close on October 27. This year’s nominees highlight some of the most memorable performances at major events like the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the World Athletics Indoor Championships, and the one-day meeting circuits.

In addition to the impressive list of female nominees, World Athletics has also announced the contenders for the 2024 Men’s Track Athlete of the Year. These nominees represent some of the most outstanding performances from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and other major events across the season.

The nominees for 2024 Men’s Track Athlete of the Year are:

Rai Benjamin (USA)

Olympic 400m hurdles and 4x400m champion

World 400m hurdles leader

 Grant Holloway (USA)

Olympic 110m hurdles champion

World indoor 60m hurdles champion and world record holder

 Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway)

Olympic 5000m champion

World 3000m record

 Noah Lyles (USA)

Olympic 100m champion

Olympic 200m bronze medalist

 Letsile Tebogo (Botswana)

Olympic 200m champion

World 200m leader

 Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Kenya)

Olympic 800m champion

Diamond League 800m champion

 These nominees reflect the incredible depth of talent in men’s track and field, with standout performances in multiple disciplines, including sprints, hurdles, middle-distance, and long-distance events.

Voting is now open on World Athletics' social media platforms and will close on October 27. The finalists for both the men’s and women’s awards will be selected based on public votes, and the winners will be revealed at the World Athletics Awards later this year.

New world champion Josh Kerr knew he would break Jakob Ingebrigtsen as he stormed to 1500 metres gold and revealed he played mind games with the Norwegian.

The Scot clocked three minutes and 29.38 seconds to stun Ingebrigtsen, forcing the overwhelming favourite to settle for silver at the World Championships in Budapest.

Kerr emulated Jake Wightman’s win in Eugene last year and, with the injured Wightman missing in Hungary, Ingebrigtsen – second in 2022 – was denied the world crown again.

“I felt him break and I just needed to stay strong,” said Kerr, who adds to his Olympics bronze.

“I was looking up at the screen making sure no one was coming on my outside but with 50m to go I knew I had it.

“I felt there was a slight weakness with 200m to go, I had to be in lane two for a minute but I’m going to fight all the way to the end, regardless whether I broke him or not.

“I’ve been in four major championship finals and come away with only a bronze. I knew it was my turn. When you’re the underdog you have to come and take what’s yours, you’re not handed anything. It was about going there and taking what’s mine.”

Kerr, fifth last year, admitted he tried to psyche Ingebrigtsen out on Wednesday after wearing a similar vest to the one Wightman wore in Eugene.

“I’m not saying I wore the specific one to bring back some nightmares but I needed every single ounce I had. This was the vest I chose,” he added.

Wightman, watching from the BBC studio at the National Athletics Centre, labelled his Edinburgh AC club-mate the Terminator after victory.

“I like it (the Terminator nickname), back-to-back world champions, it’s not something anyone has ever done before,” said Kerr.

“Especially in back-to-back years because it’s not been possible. Great Britain has something in the water. We have to keep producing world champions.”

Ingebrigtsen made his move inside the final lap, only for Kerr to retaliate with around 200m remaining – almost a carbon copy of Wightman’s win in America.

Ingebrigtsen was unable to fight back down the final straight as Kerr held off his challenge to win his first major global title.

The 25-year-old, who trains in Seattle, also revealed he cuts off communication in the build up to the Championships to focus on his goal.

“I don’t have my phone for about two weeks beforehand. Only about eight people or so,” he said. “I’m not a big social media guy when it comes to World Champs.

“You just have to have belief in yourself. My fiancee has my phone if anything big comes up, I have my other phone for the people who are massively important in this process.

“It’s been the same phone since 2021, it’s about making sure I’m focusing on the plan. All I have is the Premier League app, which I’m doing incredibly well on, and Duolingo as I’m trying to learn Spanish.”

Wightman, who has been forced to miss the Championships with a foot problem, saluted Kerr.

“Our little club in Edinburgh has had two back-to-back world champions,” he said.

“That’s hard to believe. Jakob Ingebrigtsen is going to start hating us Brits ain’t he? I think Josh Kerr knew what to do there. You saw when he came on Jakob’s shoulder.

“He showed so much promise for so long, that medal in Tokyo was just the start of this. When Josh Kerr gets it right and when he’s running well, he absolutely flies. I think Ingebrigtsen underestimated how well he was running at the moment.”

Ingebrigtsen said he had a sore throat this week and was feeling “not good”, adding: “I just wasn’t good enough.”

Asked how he views Kerr as a global rival now, he added: “It’s totally different. We have been competitors for a long time, he is a great runner but it is what it is.”

Neil Gourley, who finished ninth in the final, said: “I am really happy for Josh, I could tell this was coming, I knew he would be right up there, the margins are fine at this level.

“I knew he would give Jakob a run for his money this week. The way he has carried himself, the way he has been looking, he has been full of confidence.”

Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Molly Caudery finished fifth in the pole vault, victory shared by Australia’s Nina Kennedy and the USA’s Katie Moon, with a personal best of 4.75m, while Karsten Warholm took the 400m hurdles title.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is the lone Caribbean athlete so far to have contributed an artefact to the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA).