Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Mondo Duplantis win World Athlete of year awards

• World Athlete of the Year honors goes to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Mondo Duplantis.
• The American hurdler broke the 400m world record twice this year.
• The Swedish pole vaulter set three world records in addition to winning two world titles.

Monday’s World Athlete of the Year honors went to American hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis.

This year, McLaughlin-Levrone broke the 400m hurdles world record twice, while Duplantis set three new world records.

Duplantis, a Swede of American descent, won the award for the second time in three years after setting three world records in 2022, in addition to winning the men’s world indoor title in March and the world outdoor title in July.

“Going into the year, I had really high expectations of myself and I had some really big goals,” 23-year-old Duplantis said.

“I wanted to win the world indoors, the world outdoors, the Europeans, the Diamond League final, and I wanted to break the world record a few times,” he added.

Both wins were won at world record heights of 6.20 and 6.21 meters, and he also won the European gold medal in Munich.

He won 18 of 19 tournaments and 23 times cleared six meters or higher.

McLaughlin received her first World Athlete of the Year title after clocking an astounding 50.68 seconds in July, shattering her previous world mark by more than half a second.

“All of my goals were accomplished this year,” McLaughlin-Levrone said.

“We were able to accomplish everything we set out to do.

“It couldn’t have been any better,” she added.

‘Sky’s the limit’

The 23-year-old is described as a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy and has said she may switch to the 400m flat.

In August, she will be one of the most closely watched athletes at the global championships in Budapest.

“My coach thinks there’s a lot more to be done,” she said.

“The sky’s the limit for sure,” she said in July.

McLaughlin also won Olympic gold in Tokyo in a then-record time last year.

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