Jefferson-Wooden, Russell, Werro Named Women’s World Athlete Of The Year Finalists
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Masai Russell of the USA, alongside Switzerland’s Audrey Werro, have been named finalists for the 2026 Women’s World Athlete of the Year award.
The trio emerged from a four-way vote involving fans, athletes, media representatives and the World Athletics Family, topping an initial list of 10 nominees selected by an international panel of athletics experts.
Jefferson-Wooden won the sprint double at the Ultimate Championship and recorded world-leading times of 10.62 seconds in the 100m and 21.47 in the 200m, the latter ranking third on the world all-time list.
Russell set a world 100m hurdles record of 12.09 seconds and recorded nine of the season’s 10 fastest times. She also won the Ultimate Championship and Diamond League titles, completing an unbeaten season in the event.
Werro claimed the Ultimate Championship, Diamond League and European 800m titles. She broke the Diamond League record three times, improving the world-leading mark to 1:53.70, the third-fastest time in history.
The remaining nominees finished in the following order: Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia, Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich, Chase Jackson of the USA, China’s Yan Ziyi, Spain’s María Pérez and Canada’s Camryn Rogers.
The winner will be announced at the World Athletics Awards in Monaco on November 29. Other honours to be presented include the men’s and women’s Rising Star awards, Coach of the Year, the President’s Award and the inaugural Moment of the Year award.
