MONACO – St Lucia’s Olympic gold medalist Julien Alfred missed out on being named World Athletics Track Athlete of the Year, losing out to the United States’ Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone when the awards ceremony was held on Sunday.
Alfred had a stellar year, winning gold in the women’s 100 metres and silver in the 200 metres at the Paris Olympics, winning the 60 metres at the World Indoor Championships as well as the 100 metres title at the Wanda Diamond League.
Those performances saw her win awards from the Association of National Olympic Committees, the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees, and Athletics Weekly.
However, it was not enough to give her the edge over McLaughlin-Levrone, who had an unbeaten season, which included setting two World records and an Olympic record.
McLaughlin-Levrone was also voted World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year in 2022.
Meanwhile, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands was named Female Athlete of the Year and Out Of Stadium Female Athlete of the Year.
Hassan’s medal treble at the Olympics in Paris was capped by her winning the final athletics gold medal of the Games with her triumph in the marathon in an Olympic record of 2:22:55.
That performance came just 37 hours after Hassan claimed bronze in the 10,000m, and six days after her first medal in the French capital – also bronze – in the 5,000m.
As a result, she became the first woman to win medals in the 5000m, 10,000m, and marathon at the same Games, and the first athlete since Emil Zatopek, who won all three men’s titles in Helsinki in 1952.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Urkaine was adjudged Field Events Female Athlete of the Year.
CMC
