Finalists for the 2025 Member Federations award
Six nominees have been announced for the Member Federations Award ahead of the World Athletics Awards 2025.
The Member Federations Award recognises a Member Federation that has distinguished itself in its accomplishments throughout the year and, as a result, positively contributed to the growth and profile of the sport. The shortlisted federations were nominated by each of the six area associations.
The winner – as decided by the World Athletics Executive Board – will be announced on World Athletics’ platforms on 28 November, as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025.
The six nominees, listed alphabetically, are:
Botswana (Botswana Athletics Association, Africa)
At the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, Botswana’s athletes delivered historic performances that elevated the country’s profile on the global stage. Collen Kebinatshipi became world 400m champion and helped his nation to gold in the 4x400m. This collective triumph reflected the success of Botswana’s long-term investment in talent development and high-performance programmes. Botswana’s year was characterised by exceptional performance, both individual and collective, backed by robust coaching, sound federation management and athlete support systems. The country proved its ability to combine discipline, innovation and teamwork.
China (Chinese Athletics Association, Asia)
The Chinese Athletics Association demonstrated progress across five key areas in 2025: institutional innovation, event enhancement, youth development, gender equality and commercial collaboration. This involved hosting several high-level World Athletics events including the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25, the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 and a Continental Tour Gold event in Beijing, as well as Kids’ Athletics initiatives, key measures to enhance athlete safety and rights protection, steadily increasing the representation of female athletes and officials, and conducting two national-level officiating training courses.
Ecuador (Federacion Ecuatoriana de Atletismo, South America)
Ecuador’s achievements in 2025 were guided by its strategic plan, with a key objective of increasing participation. This included Kids’ Athletics, restructuring the educational and certification systems for judges and coaches, and continuing the ‘Chasqui Kids’ project to support young athletes from vulnerable backgrounds. The country won two historic medals at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25: women’s javelin gold by Juleisy Angulo and women’s 35km race walk bronze by Paula Torres. The federation also introduced comprehensive safeguarding policies and a code of conduct, underscoring its commitment to integrity, inclusivity and athlete welfare.
New Zealand (Athletics New Zealand, Oceania)
It has been a landmark year for Athletics New Zealand, marked by achievements in high performance, community development, officiating and governance. The federation strengthened its commitment to athlete pathways, safe sport and inclusivity, while celebrating historic international success. At the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, Geordie Beamish won 3000m steeplechase gold, Hamish Kerr won high jump gold and Maddi Wesche claimed shot put bronze. A national development workforce was established, while the release of the High-Performance Plan 2025–2028 set a clear path toward success at the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Games.
Spain (Real Federacion Espanola de Atletismo, Europe)
Spain delivered strong results in 2025, including a record medal haul at the European U20 Championships in Tampere and a competitive presence at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. The country hosted the European Team Championships 1st Division in Madrid, while it expanded youth and community athletics initiatives across regions. Under new leadership, the federation enhanced governance and modernisation practices, ensuring transparency and efficiency. It also demonstrated strong collaboration with local authorities, the media and sponsors and has actively promoted gender equality and mixed-gender team formats.
United States (USA Track & Field, NACAC)
The United States topped the medal table at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 and while strong results were anticipated, what stood out was the team’s readiness and ability to meet the significantly heightened level of global competition. Safeguarding continued to be a major priority, while significant resources were dedicated to the ongoing education and professional development of coaches and technical officials. The Women’s Commission led several dynamic initiatives and the launch of the 2026 USATF Tour – which aims to streamline and strengthen domestic competitions across the United States – was announced.
World Athletics
