Mondo, Sydney shine as Athletes of the Year

MONACO (AFP) — Swedish pole vault star Armand “Mondo” Duplantis and American track sensation Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone were named Athletes of the Year by World Athletics in Monaco on Sunday.

Duplantis, 26, set four pole vault records in 2025 as he won world titles both indoors and outdoors.

He was unbeaten in 16 competitions and became the first men's pole vaulter in modern history to go undefeated for two successive years.

Duplantis cleared 6.30 meters in the World Championships in Tokyo after successfully retaining his title as he broke the world record for the 14th time in his career.

It is the third time that Duplantis has scooped the overall prize for the world's top athlete. He also won it in 2020 and 2022.

McLaughlin-Levrone ran the second-fastest time ever on her way to claiming the world 400m title.

She smashed the championship record and nearly eclipsed a 40-year-old world record set by Marita Koch of the former East Germany.

Already a double Olympic 400m hurdles champion, McLaughlin-Levrone became the first woman since 1985 to break the 48-second barrier in the 400m in Tokyo after fully turning her attention to the flat race. She also won the 4x400m.

Her time of 47.78sec trails only the 47.60sec run by Koch four decades ago, a record that is widely viewed with suspicion because of a state-sponsored doping program at the time. Koch never failed a drug test and has always maintained she did nothing wrong.

McLaughlin-Levrone, 26, has not been beaten in either the 400m or 400m hurdles for two years. She is the first athlete to win world titles in both events.

The American previously won the overall athlete of the year accolade in 2022.

Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi won the men's track award after adding the 800m world title to his Olympic gold, with McLaughlin-Levrone taking the equivalent female award.

Australia's Nicola Olyslagers joined Duplantis in being named field athlete of the year after winning high jump titles indoors and outdoors.

Kenyan long-distance runner Sabastian Sawe took the men's outdoor stadium prize following his wins at the London and Berlin marathons.