The series begins. The International Athletics Federation (World Athletics) has unveiled a first list of nominees for its annual trophies. It concerns the specialists of the field events – jumps and throws – men and women. Unsurprisingly, the ten nominees, five men and five women, are all at least Olympic champions at the Paris 2024 Games, several of them adding to this title a victory in the Diamond League. In the women's category, the trophy for athlete of the year 2024 in the field events will be played between Valarie Allman (United States, discus), Tara Davis-Woodhall (United States, long jump), Nina Kennedy (Australia, pole vault), Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukraine, high jump), Nafi Thiam (Belgium, heptathlon). A favorite: the Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who broke the old world record in the high jump in June in Paris by achieving 2,10 m. In the men's category, World Athletics has selected Ryan Crouser (United States, shot put), Jordan Diaz (Spain, triple jump), Mondo Duplantis (Sweden, pole vault), Ethan Katzberg (Canada, hammer throw), Miltiadis Tentoglou (Greece, long jump). Once again, Mondo Duplantis should dominate the competition. Voting to designate the two finalists for this first category is already open on the organization's social networks. It will close on October 20. The nominees for the title of athlete of the year, men and women, in the track events will be revealed on Monday, October 21. For the last of the three categories, the non-stadium events, it will be necessary to wait until Monday, October 28. The votes of the World Athletics Council will count for half of the vote, those of the public (25%) and the athletics family (25%) making up the other half. All the finalists will be announced on November 4, the date on which the voting for the winners will begin. Until last year, World Athletics only awarded one trophy for the male and female athletes of the year, without making any distinction between the families of disciplines.
