Olympic Champions Honored for Historic Performances in Track and Field
MONACO (BG) – Olympic champions Sifan Hassan and Letsile Tebogo have been named World Athletes of the Year at the 2024 World Athletics Awards, held in Monaco on Sunday.
The announcement was made by World Athletics, celebrating an exceptional year in track and field.
The awards ceremony recognized six athletes across three categories—track, field, and out-of-stadium—before Hassan and Tebogo were awarded the top honors. Hassan was named women’s out of stadium athlete of the year, while Tebogo was recognized as men’s track athlete of the year.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won the women’s track award, and Tamirat Tola took the men’s out-of-stadium honor. Field athlete accolades went to Mondo Duplantis and Yaroslava Mahuchikh, while the Rising Star awards were presented to Sembo Almayew and Mattia Furlani.
Hassan, from the Netherlands, made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics by securing medals in the 5000m, 10,000m, and marathon—becoming the first woman to achieve such a feat.
Meanwhile, Tebogo, from Botswana, became his country’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist by winning the 200m in a record 19.46 seconds. He also contributed to Botswana’s silver medal in the men’s 4x400m relay.
“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. What more can I say?” Hassan said upon receiving her award.
Tebogo echoed his gratitude, adding, “It feels amazing to know that the fans are always there for us athletes.”
“This means a lot,” he added. “It’s not just about the team that is around you, there are a lot of fans out there that really want us to win something great for the continent. It was a real surprise to hear my name because I didn’t expect this.”
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe praised the honorees for their achievements. “These athletes have set new standards in athletics, redefining what is possible in the sport,” Coe said.
