Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Mondo Duplantis were collectively named the 2025 World Athletics Athletes of the Year, an announcement made in Monaco recognizing their exceptional achievements during the year. This prestigious award ceremony, the World Athletics Awards 2025, confirmed them as the overall winners after six athletes were initially crowned across three categories: track, field, and out of stadium.

Upon receiving the honor, American hurdling queen Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone expressed genuine humility, admitting she didn't "feel deserving" of the award. Her sentiments interestingly resonated with some fans' reactions, especially after she was announced as the women's track athlete of the year over other perceived deserving athletes like Femke Bol. In her acceptance speech, McLaughlin-Levrone conveyed gratitude, acknowledging the tough season and the immense talent in her field that pushed her to new heights. She also thanked World Athletics for the recognition and her supporters, apologizing for her absence at the Monaco event.

The 26-year-old McLaughlin-Levrone's 2025 season was marked by historic success. She secured the world 400m title in Tokyo with a North American record of 47.78 seconds, a performance that broke a 42-year-old championship record and stands as the second-fastest 400m of all time. This achievement made her the first athlete ever to win world titles in both the 400m flat and the 400m hurdles, following her 2022 win in the latter event in Oregon. Additionally, she was a crucial member of USA’s victorious 4x400m team in Tokyo. McLaughlin-Levrone has maintained an impressive undefeated streak for two consecutive years in both the 400m flat, her primary event in 2025, and the 400m hurdles, extending her winning streak in that discipline to 24 races. Looking ahead, she aims to continue giving her best and bringing more positive attention to track and field, believing it to be the "best sport in the world" and committing to pushing boundaries in 2026.

Swedish pole vault icon Mondo Duplantis also celebrated a remarkable 2025 season, matching McLaughlin-Levrone in being named World Athlete of the Year. Duplantis's year saw him set four new world pole vault records: 6.27m in Clermont-Ferrand, 6.28m in Stockholm, 6.29m in Budapest, and 6.30m at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025. He remained undefeated across all 16 of his competitions, securing world titles both indoors and outdoors, and claimed his fifth consecutive Diamond League title. This consistent dominance establishes him as the first male pole vaulter in modern history to go undefeated for two successive years.

Both McLaughlin-Levrone and Duplantis have now joined an elite group of athletes who have won the World Athlete of the Year award multiple times. Duplantis joins legends like Usain Bolt (6 wins) and Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj (3 wins) as men who have achieved this feat three or more times. McLaughlin-Levrone, for her part, became the first woman to win the award multiple times since American 400m legend Sanya Richards-Ross. Their double recognition was further solidified by Duplantis being announced as the men’s field athlete of the year and McLaughlin-Levrone as the women’s track athlete of the year, underscoring their comprehensive dominance in their respective disciplines.