Important decisions regarding World Athletics&rsquo; World Plan, working groups and competition rules were among those made at the 233rd World Athletics Council Meeting in Monaco on 7-8 December.
In his summary of the year, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe highlighted the success of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 held in August; a first-rate event that left stakeholders and fans in no doubt that athletics is a sport that is punching its weight and on the move.
Recognising the exceptional performances by the stars in our sport, Coe also gave credit to their efforts off the field of play, as athletes have become increasingly active and engaged in promoting athletics at all levels, including an upcoming Netflix documentary &ndash; initiated by World Athletics.
Coe reflected on the strength of the new Executive Board and Council, demonstrated in the discussions that have taken place over the past couple of months, and the restructuring of the World Athletics Headquarters team to support World Athletics&rsquo; agenda of innovation.
Looking forward, Coe added: &ldquo;The year 2024 is going to be one of change. In a decade from now, I want people to look back at 2024 and say the decisions the sport made that year not only future proofed athletics, but significantly accelerated its popularity and value.&rdquo;
The World Athletics Council reached the following decisions during its two-day meeting:
<h2>World Plan Implementation Taskforce</h2>
The World Athletics Council approved the establishment of a World Plan Implementation Taskforce to build on the milestones already achieved in the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/53rd-world-athletics-congress-ambitious-course-sport" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Plan for Athletics 2022-2030</a> and continue to promote and build on this momentum throughout the duration of the plan.
The World Plan Implementation Taskforce will be chaired by Council Member Willie Banks, who was Chair of the World Plan Implementation Working Group. The membership will build on the previous Working Group, with both Council Members and Member Federations represented.
The terms of reference for the World Plan Implementation Taskforce have been approved by Council and once the membership is also agreed will be published in the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/documents/member-federation-resource-centre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Library</a>.
<h2>Working groups and commissions updates</h2>
Working Group on Gender Diverse Athletes
Following Council approval of the establishment of a Working Group on Gender Diverse Athletes for a period of one year, terms of reference have been set and its membership confirmed.
The Working Group on Gender Diverse Athletes is an expert advisory body appointed by the Council and charged with keeping abreast of developments in law, science, sports and society concerning gender diverse athletes. Its mission is to enable World Athletics to be thorough and considered about the implications of any such developments for its programming, eligibility rules and educational initiatives as the organisation upholds its core commitments to its elite global community.
The members of the Working Group are:
&bull; Doriane Coleman &ndash; Independent Chair &bull; Jimmy Lindberg &ndash; Independent Athlete &bull; Jan Swinhoe &ndash; Member Federation Official &bull; Antoine Bruneau &ndash; Member Federation Official &bull; Aisha Praught-Leer &ndash; Athletes&rsquo; Commission &bull; Donna Raynor &ndash; Council Member &bull; Sylvia Barlag &ndash; Council Member &bull; Raul Chapado &ndash; Vice President &bull; Ximena Restrepo &ndash; Senior Vice President &bull; Stephane Bermon &ndash; World Athletics Health and Science Director (non-voting)
The Working Group will present its final report to World Athletics&rsquo; Council before December 2024.
Working Group on the status of Russians / Belarusians in International Competition and Events
The World Athletics Council has also confirmed the members of the Working Group on the status of Russians / Belarusians in International Competition and Events.
The members of the Working Group are:
&bull; Francis Dodoo &ndash; Chair &bull; Beatrice Ayikoru &ndash; Council Member &bull; Anna Riccardi &ndash; Council Member &bull; Ami Baran &ndash; Member Federation Official &bull; Lea Sprunger &ndash; Athletes&rsquo; Commission
The Working Group&rsquo;s role is to advise and recommend to Council on matters including the following (among others):
&middot; Whether the sanctions are sufficient or if they should be replaced, added, or varied with other sanctions to be imposed pursuant to Article 13 of the World Athletics Constitution
&middot; Consider the conditions and criteria that would need to be in place to permit at some point in the future participation of Russian and Belarusian Athletes, Athlete Support Personnel, Member Federation Officials and other Officials to participate and/or attend World Athletics Series Events or the Olympic Games
All decisions relating to recommendations from the Working Group still lie with the Council.
Both the Russian Athletics Federation and Belarus Athletic Federation have been informed of the role of the Working Group and its members.
The membership and/or terms of reference have also been approved for the 2023-2027:
&bull; Athletes&rsquo; Commission &bull; Competition Commission &bull; Development Commission &bull; Governance Commission
All terms of reference documents for the above-mentioned groups will be published in the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/documents/member-federation-resource-centre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Library</a> once available.
<h2>Human Rights Policy</h2>
As part of World Athletics&rsquo; Human Rights Strategy, the Council has approved the Human Rights Policy presented by the Governance Commission.
The Human Rights Policy, which reiterates World Athletics&rsquo; commitment to respecting all internationally proclaimed human rights, will be disseminated to all Member Federations and Area Associations, and contains principles such as:
&middot; Recognising the dignity and worth of every person participating in Athletics
&middot; Using the power of sport to engage and drive change for a better world
&middot; Promoting equality, in particular equality of opportunity between the sexes, dignity, and fairness in sport competitions and sport governance
The policy sits alongside World Athletics&rsquo; <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletics-better-world/sustainability/world-athletics-sustainability-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainability Policy</a> and its <a href="https://worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/documents/member-federation-resource-centre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Safeguarding Policy</a>, and forms part of World Athletics&rsquo; entire suite of Rules and Regulations relating to good governance.
The Policy will be published in the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/documents/member-federation-resource-centre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Library</a> in due course.
<h2>Safeguarding Taskforce</h2>
The Council received a detailed update in relation to progress made in relation to safeguarding. This included plans to update the World Athletics Safeguarding Policy, the safeguarding materials World Athletics will be producing for Area Associations to use, safeguarding plans for World Athletics Series events and the roll out of the World Athletics Safeguarding Essentials course. The Council also approved the appointment of Jean Gracia to the Safeguarding Taskforce in place of Karin Grute-Movin. In addition, they agreed to the addition of two members of the Athletes&rsquo; Commission to the Taskforce.
<h2>Competition updates</h2>
Timetables confirmed for Antalya and Lima
The World Athletics Council has approved the competition timetables for the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24 and the World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24.
The World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24 will be held on 21 April 2024.
Like the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21, the World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24 will take place across five days, from 27-31 August 2024.
There will be morning and afternoon sessions on the first four days, then one session on the last day with 13 finals spread throughout the three-hour programme.
The timetable can be accessed <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/657356eab8649bf5f80265cb.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Dates confirmed for World Athletics Road Running Championships San Diego 25 and World Athletics Cross Country Championships Tallahassee 26
The Council also confirmed the dates for the World Athletics Road Running Championships San Diego 25 and World Athletics Cross Country Championships Tallahassee 26. The date for the World Athletics Road Running Championships San Diego 25 has been approved as 26-28 September 2025, and the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Tallahassee 26 will take place on 10 January 2026.
World Athletics consulted with several athletes who would be expecting to compete in these championships, and they were overwhelmingly in favour of being able to complete the season as soon as possible after the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
Bahamas 24 seeding approach for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
The World Athletics Council also approved that seeding for the first round of relay competition at the Paris Olympic Games be determined at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24. The event in The Bahamas will automatically qualify 14 teams to Paris, but Council has confirmed that the finishing order of the top eight teams in the Bahamas finals will, additionally, determine first round seeding rights to the best lanes for Paris 2024.
Other competition decisions
In other competition decisions, it was confirmed that the substitutions policy for the mixed 4x400m, which currently allows one substitution at the World Athletics Championships, will be extended to apply to all World Athletics Series events.
At major competitions, the Chief Race Walking Judge has the power to disqualify an athlete in the last 100m of the race if in breach of Race Walking Rules and regardless of any red cards received. The proposal that this power be extended to all World Rankings Competitions has been approved by the World Athletics Council.
An update regarding difference in composition in high stress areas of the competition infield has also been approved. In the Construction of the Track in the Track &amp; Field Facilities Manual, rules for the thickness requirements of the track are set. High stress areas on the infield will now be able to have slightly different tensity and durability properties in comparison to the running oval, in recognition of this difference in composition.
<h2>World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules</h2>
The World Athletics Council also approved a recommendation from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to strengthen Rule 15 of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules &ndash; specifically as it relates to the minimum testing requirements for athletes from Category A Member Federations prior to major events.
The Council has approved strengthening Rule 15.5.1(c) to the following:
1. That the first out-of-competition test of the required three occurs at least 12 weeks prior to the event; and
2. That all required testing for the purposes of the Rule be completed just prior to final entries &ndash; at the deadline for refusal of quota places &ndash; rather than right up to the start of the event.
The view of the AIU Board is that the right balance is that the minimum starting point for testing under Rule 15.5.1(c) be 12 weeks, with the matter kept under review. The Athletes&rsquo; Commission was consulted on this proposal and shared the view of the AIU Board.
World Athletics

Important decisions regarding World Athletics’ World Plan, working groups and competition rules were among those made at the 233rd World Athletics Council Meeting in Monaco on 7-8 December

Decisions made at 233rd World Athletics Council Meeting in Monaco

The Abbott World Marathon Majors has been awarded the President&rsquo;s Award as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe recently shared the news with Dawna Stone, CEO of Abbott World Marathon Majors.
The Abbott World Marathon Majors is a series of six of the largest and most renowned marathons in the world: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York. Not only do they showcase the world&rsquo;s best elite road runners, the series also caters to the masses with each race welcoming thousands of recreational runners every year.
Since 1970, the race directors of these six annual events have pioneered the mass running movement which has now become the No.1 recreational sport in the world. Their investment in anti-doping, sustainability and reviving community-based running coming out of the global pandemic has been inspirational.
&ldquo;I am beyond honoured to accept the World Athletics President&rsquo;s Award on behalf of Abbott World Marathon Majors, our six races and our six board members,&rdquo; said Stone. &ldquo;Thank you to Sebastian Coe and everyone at World Athletics for this prestigious award. We&rsquo;re so delighted to accept it and so grateful for the recognition.&rdquo;
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In announcing the award, Coe outlined the impact the organisation has made on the sport.
&ldquo;The contribution Abbott World Marathon Majors have made to one of our core pillars in the sport, namely participation &ndash; and those numbers are just indelible and frankly outstanding &ndash; have helped to make us the most accessible and most participated sport in the world,&rdquo; said Coe. &ldquo;This is a very modest token of my respect for everything the World Marathon Majors have done.&rdquo;
The President's Award, first awarded in 2016, recognises and honours exceptional service to athletics. Past winners of the award include the Ukrainian Athletics Association, British journalist Vikki Orvice, Swiss meeting director Andreas Brugger, Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt, and 1968 men&rsquo;s 200m medallists Tommie Smith, Peter Norman and John Carlos for their iconic moment on the podium in Mexico.
It is the fifth award announced as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023. Other winners already announced include Laurent Meuwly (Coaching Achievement Award), Falilatou Tchanile-Salifou (Woman of the Year), Mattia Ozbot (Photograph of the Year) and Athletics Australia (Member Federation Award). Further announcements will be made in the coming days, with the World Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars being revealed on Monday 11 December.
World Athletics

The Abbott World Marathon Majors is a series of six of the largest and most renowned marathons in the world

Abbott World Marathon Majors wins President's Award

Italy&rsquo;s European indoor 60m champion Samuele Ceccarelli will take on Britain&rsquo;s European 100m bronze medallist Jeremiah Azu at the Czech Indoor Gala, the second World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting of 2024, in Ostrava on 30 January.
Azu is the defending men&rsquo;s 60m champion, having clocked 6.58 &ndash; 0.02 off his PB &ndash; to win in Ostrava earlier this year. Ceccarelli will make his debut at the meeting during a season in which he will look to build on the PB of 6.47 he set to win his continental title in Istanbul in March. He is no stranger to racing in Ostrava, however, having finished second at the Golden Spike meeting outdoors in June when he ran 10.15 in the 100m.
They will line up alongside home favourites Jan Veleba, who won at the Czech Indoor Gala in 2022, and national indoor champion Zdenek Stromsik.
"The Czech Indoor Gala is my favourite meeting. It's the biggest indoor race in the Czech Republic and I usually do quite well there, so I'm looking forward to it,&rdquo; said Veleba. &ldquo;I'm especially curious about Ceccarelli, who had an amazing indoor season. We'll see if he can follow it up.
&ldquo;I believe that I will come to Ostrava in good shape so that I can compete with the best. It will be my last indoor season, so I want to get the best out of myself.&rdquo;
The men&rsquo;s 800m will feature a battle between Britain&rsquo;s Max Burgin and Elliot Giles.
Burgin has fond memories of Ostrava and he will be keen for that to continue as he prepares for a debut indoor season. The 21-year-old has faced injury challenges the past few years but in 2021 he set a European U20 record of 1:44.14 to win at the Golden Spike meeting and the following year he finished third in 1:44.54, before running a PB of 1:43.52 in Turku.
Giles does have experience of the Czech Indoor Gala, having won the 1500m in a meeting record of 3:35.93 in 2022. This time he will contest the 800m, an event in which he has a 1:43.63 PB, making him the second-fastest indoor 800m runner of all time.
They will line up alongside Czech athletes Filip Snejdr and Jakub Dudycha, the European U20 champion.
Their Czech compatriots Tereza Petrzilkova and Lada Vondrova will also be in action, having already been announced for the women&rsquo;s 400m.

Italy’s European indoor 60m champion Samuele Ceccarelli will take on Britain’s European 100m bronze medallist Jeremiah Azu in Ostrava

Czech Indoor Gala announces first names for 60m and 800m

Athletics Australia has been named as winner of the Member Federation&nbsp;Award, the fourth honour announced as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023.
The Member Federation 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. Six federations were shortlisted for this year&rsquo;s award, each nominated by one of the six area associations, before Australia was selected as the winner.
&ldquo;I am delighted that Athletics Australia has been selected as Member Federation of the year,&rdquo; said Jan Swinhoe, who became the federation&rsquo;s President in 2021 and ended her nine-year maximum term on the Athletics Australia Board earlier this year. &ldquo;We are so proud, after having the opportunity for the first time ever of hosting the World Cross Country Championships, which we did in February in Bathurst. In addition, we performed very well in Budapest, our best result ever at a World Championships.
&ldquo;But all of this comes off the back of a lot of hard work, which is both within Australia but also in collaboration with a number of our other Member Federations and, of course, with World Athletics.&rdquo;
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Australia started 2023 by hosting the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, claiming a medal in the mixed relay. Oceania&rsquo;s first World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting followed a few days later as the inaugural edition of the Maurie Plant Meeting, formerly the Melbourne Track Classic, took place.
The nation had its best ever World Championships in Budapest, claiming a total of six medals &ndash; one gold, two silver and three bronze &ndash; and finishing joint eighth on the overall placing table. The gold medal was claimed by Nina Kennedy as she cleared a national outdoor record of 4.90m in the pole vault and shared the title with USA&rsquo;s Katie Moon.&nbsp;
A number of other Australian and Oceania records were set throughout the year, including an area 1500m mark of 3:56.92 by Linden Hall and a national discus record of 68.43m by Matt Denny at the Wanda Diamond League Final.
&ldquo;A couple of months ago I was given the honour of becoming the President of Athletics Australia,&rdquo; said Jane Flemming, who succeeded Swinhoe in that role in October. &ldquo;I too want to thank World Athletics for their support, particularly with the World Cross Country Championships. Also, to acknowledge the Maurie Plant Meeting in March, where we had a sell-out crowd. It was a really successful meet.
&ldquo;We have a new junior programme about to be launched and that also has the backing of World Athletics. Thank you so much to World Athletics for your support of athletics here in Australia but also to our neighbours in the Oceania region. We very much appreciate all the support that you give us.&rdquo;
Other winners already announced as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023 include Laurent Meuwly (Coaching Achievement Award), Falilatou Tchanile-Salifou (Woman of the Year) and Mattia Ozbot (Photograph of the Year). Further announcements will be made in the coming days, ahead of the World Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars being revealed on Monday 11 December.
World Athletics

The Member Federation 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

Australia wins Member Federation Award

Ukraine&rsquo;s world high jump champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh will compete at the Millrose Games for the first time when the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting returns in New York on 11 February.
The 22-year-old will want to pick up from where she left off in 2023, following a season that featured her first world outdoor title in Budapest and a second Diamond Trophy win in Eugene.
Mahuchikh cleared 2.01m to win in Budapest and add world gold to the silver medals she won in Oregon and Doha, as well as her Olympic bronze from Tokyo.
She managed a world lead of 2.03m to win at the Wanda Diamond League Final and also led the world top list indoors with a 2.02m clearance.
She will return to indoor action as the world indoor champion, having claimed gold in Belgrade in 2022, with the opportunity to defend that title in Glasgow in March.
The women&rsquo;s high jump will be contested at the Millrose Games for the first time since 2019. Already announced for the meeting at The Armory is Britain&rsquo;s world 1500m champion Josh Kerr, who will headline the men&rsquo;s two mile field.
More than 50 meetings feature on the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Tour calendar, including seven Gold level events. Other athletes confirmed for next year&rsquo;s Tour include world champions Mondo Duplantis and Gudaf Tsegay, who will compete at the Astana Indoor Meet for Amin Tuyakov Prizes on 27 January, and world gold medallists Noah Lyles, Jake Wightman and Gabby Thomas, who will race at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston on 4 February.

Ukraine’s world high jump champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh will compete at the Millrose Games for the first time when the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting returns on 11 February

Mahuchikh set for Millrose Games debut

Women&rsquo;s world road mile record 4:20.98 Diribe Welteji (ETH) Riga, 1 October
Men&rsquo;s&nbsp;world road mile record 3:56.13 Hobbs Kessler (USA) Riga, 1 October
 World records set in the road mile by Diribe Welteji and Hobbs Kessler at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 have now been ratified.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Welteji headed to the Latvian capital off the back of taking world 1500m silver in Budapest. World record-holder and world champion Faith Kipyegon started as the overwhelming favourite, and looked to be on course for victory for most of the way.
But in the second half of the race, Kipyegon started to look as though she was struggling to maintain the pace. Meanwhile, Welteji and her fellow Ethiopian Freweyni Hailu were poised to strike just a few strides behind.
In the closing stages of the race, Welteji and Hailu made their move and went past Kipyegon with Welteji kicking to victory in 4:20.98. Her performance took almost seven seconds off the previous ratified world record of 4:27.97, set by USA&rsquo;s Nikki Hiltz in Des Moines on 25 April 2023.
&ldquo;It was hard, the weather was not good for me,&rdquo; said Welteji. &ldquo;When I saw Faith in front, near the line, at that moment I decided to sprint. I could sense that she was tired, and I had it in my mind: 'I can beat her.' I came here to win, to write history and to motivate the new generations of our athletes.&rdquo;
USA&rsquo;s Kessler emerged victorious from a wide open and competitive men&rsquo;s mile in Riga.
Kenya&rsquo;s Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot led during the early stages and reached the first turn before anyone else, but the teenager was soon caught by the rest of the field. South Africa&rsquo;s Ryan Mphahlele and Kenya&rsquo;s Kyumbe Munguti then edged into the lead and passed the 1km marker in 2:29, but there were still about 20 runners in close contact.
Mphahlele continued to lead as the clock ticked over to 3:00, but more than a dozen men were still packed close behind, ready to strike. The South African eventually dropped into the pack as Kessler made a move on the outside.
With about 20 seconds of running left and the finish in sight, Kessler proved to have the better sprint finish as he broke the tape in 3:56.13, breaking the previous world record of 4:01.21 set by USA&rsquo;s Sam Prakel in Des Moines on 25 April earlier this year.
"It's been a a really up and down year and I luckily got in really good shape at the end of the season," said Kessler. "The road mile is a very American event and we're quite experienced in them. I'm very proud of myself.&rdquo;
World Athletics

Hobbs Kessler's 3:56.13 and Diribe Welteji's 4:20.98 are now in the record books

Ratified: road mile world records for Kessler and Welteji

World Athletics today opened its accreditation portal for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 (1-3 March 2024), via international Member Federations.&nbsp;
For the first time, accreditation includes a "content creators" category. This unique category is aimed at providing an appropriate level of access for those looking to produce entertaining and innovative content for social media and website audiences.&nbsp;
"The media landscape is ever changing and World Athletics needs to keep up, providing suitable working areas for all involved," commented Jamie Fox, World Athletics&rsquo; Director of Communications.
"Social media content creators are generating original and exciting content that attracts millions of views across the world, bringing a new generation of fans to athletics. So, we wanted to provide these innovators and entertainers with a space where they can embrace their creativity and develop content outside the confines of traditional media mixed zones. As we go forward, we will continue to develop and evolve this concept, delivering a best-in-class media operation for all involved."
Content creators can apply for accreditation to the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 <a href="https://eu.research.net/r/contentcreatorapplicationglasgow24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directly through World Athletics</a>.
To be eligible for this category, content creators must demonstrate a consistent and high standard of sports related content.

World Athletics Indoor Championships

The new category is aimed at providing an appropriate level of access for those looking to produce entertaining and innovative content for social media and website audiences

World Athletics introduces a content creator space for WIC Glasgow 24

World champions Mondo Duplantis and Gudaf Tsegay are the first star athletes confirmed for the &lsquo;Astana Indoor Meet for Amin Tuyakov Prizes&rsquo; &ndash; the first World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting of 2024 &ndash; in the Kazakh capital on 27 January.
Swedish pole vaulter Duplantis and Ethiopian distance runner Tsegay enjoyed superb seasons in 2023. They both won their second world titles in Budapest, having struck gold in Oregon one year prior.
Just a few weeks after the World Championships, both athletes went on to triumph at the Wanda Diamond League Final, where they each broke world records, Duplantis vaulting 6.23m and Tsegay clocking 14:00.21 for 5000m.
Another similarity between both athletes is that they excel indoors. Duplantis has set five world records indoors, while Tsegay has set a world U18 best, a world U20 record and a senior world record for the indoor 1500m during the course of her career. They both also won world indoor titles in 2022.
In Astana next month, Tsegay will compete in the mile, an even in which she holds an indoor PB of 4:16.16, making her the second-fastest woman in history for the distance behind world record-holder Genzebe Dibaba (4:13.31).
More than 50 meetings feature on the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Tour calendar, including seven Gold level events. The first of those Gold meetings is in Astana &ndash; the first ever World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Asia.

World champions Mondo Duplantis and Gudaf Tsegay will compete at the Astana Indoor Meet for Amin Tuyakov Prizes

Duplantis and Tsegay confirmed for Astana

Mattia Ozbot&rsquo;s image of German decathlete Leo Neugebauer competing at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 has been selected as the World Athletics Photograph of the Year.
The third award announced as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023, the World Athletics Photograph of the Year shines a spotlight on some of the outstanding images captured by professional photographers.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/655c96306b41caad899bab12.JPG" alt="Photograph of the Year finalist - Leo Neugebauer in the decathlon pole vault in Budapest" />
Photograph of the Year finalist - Leo Neugebauer in the decathlon pole vault in Budapest (&copy; Mattia Ozbot, World Athletics Photography Workshop)
</div>
From the 134 images that were submitted, a panel of judges &ndash; comprising Valerie Adams, Raquel Cavaco Nunes, Joel Marklund, Pascal Rondeau and Blanka Vlasic &ndash; narrowed the entries to <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/world-athletics-photograph-year-2023-digital-exhibition">12 shortlisted images</a> and <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/finalists-2023-photograph-year">three finalists</a> before deciding on the winner.
Ozbot was surprised with the honour during an assignment to photograph trophies for the World Athletics Awards, which ended up including his own.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m extremely surprised,&rdquo; said Ozbot. &ldquo;I knew the photograph was very special. It happened at a unique moment in time, but there were so many other amazing photographs by so many of my great colleagues. I&rsquo;m very surprised and incredibly happy.&rdquo;
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Ozbot&rsquo;s photograph captures Neugebauer in free fall after clearing a bar during the decathlon pole vault at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest.
&ldquo;It was a peculiar moment, because on that day there was also the marathon (taking place) and I decided not to cover the marathon in order to get the chance of an infield bib during the morning session,&rdquo; explained Ozbot. &ldquo;It was the second to last day, and it was my chance to have a little more time on the track, and particularly the infield.
&ldquo;The event was taking place around midday; the sun was high and when I saw the athlete celebrating through my lens, I thought there may be a good photo there. I was also quite lucky because I was there for 15 minutes and it happened right when I was there. So, I&rsquo;m very happy with the photo and with the award.&rdquo;
Ozbot is a freelance photographer based in Milan who specialises in sports photography and has a passion for capturing all the emotions that sport can bring. He attended the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 as part of the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/world-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-7138987/news/news/world-athletics-photography-workshop-budapest">inaugural World Athletics Photography Workshop</a>.
Other winners already announced as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023 include Laurent Meuwly (Coaching Achievement Award) and Falilatou Tchanile-Salifou (Woman of the Year). Further announcements will be made in the coming days, ahead of the World Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars being revealed on Monday 11 December.
World Athletics

Mattia Ozbot’s image of Leo Neugebauer competing at the World Championships in Budapest has been selected as the World Athletics Photograph of the Year

Ozbot captures World Athletics Photograph of the Year

Falilatou Tchanile-Salifou has been named Woman of the Year as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023.
Tchanile-Salifou receives the honour in recognition of her dedication to advancing women's rights and fostering gender equality in sport. As President of the Togolese athletics federation, Tchanile-Salifou has demonstrated outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment, with a series of transformative initiatives throughout 2023 that have left a lasting impact on Togo's sports landscape.
Campaigns have included &lsquo;Girls Together for Sport and for Life&rsquo;, which promoted women's participation in sport and raised awareness among girls in the most remote areas of Togo. The &lsquo;Programme for the Promotion of Women's Sport in Togo&rsquo; also featured a women's race, which brought together 1500 participants from across Togo.
Another project celebrated the role models who have overcome obstacles, with parents encouraged to register the births of girls and enrol them in school. For the start of the 2023 school year, this resulted in 90% of girls returning to school, compared to 40% in 2022.
Tchanile-Salifou&rsquo;s commitment to challenging stereotypes and promoting women in leadership roles culminated in the &lsquo;Feminisation of Governing Bodies&rsquo; project. This increased the number of club presidents from five to nine and established four women-led commissions within the Togolese athletics federation, fostering greater gender diversity in decision-making bodies.
Recognising the media's role in promoting gender equality, Tchanile-Salifou also organised five awareness-raising sessions, led by Togolese female athletics champions.
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&ldquo;It is a privilege and an honour for me to have been named World Athletics Woman of the Year for 2023,&rdquo; said Tchanile-Salifou.
&ldquo;It is an honour that I would like to share with all my team; together we have worked with young girls and young women to help them reach more autonomy, more leadership opportunities, more equity and more participation opportunities. This has enabled some of them to free themselves from their precarious situations and given them the opportunity to practice sports.
&ldquo;I would like to thank World Athletics and in particular President Sebastian Coe who, by introducing this award, has helped shine a light on the tireless work by women around the world. I would also like to thank my athletics family and my biological family.
&ldquo;I cannot finish without thanking my country, Togo, and its leader, the President of the State, who by his politics of peace and security has supported the development of our projects across the whole country.&rdquo;
The Woman of the Year Award gives recognition to those that have made an outstanding contribution to promoting the advancement of gender equality in athletics.
It is the second honour announced as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023. On Monday (4), Laurent Meuwly was named winner of the Coaching Achievement Award and further announcements will be made in the coming days, ahead of the World Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars being revealed on Monday 11 December.
World Athletics

Falilatou Tchanile-Salifou receives the honour in recognition of her dedication to advancing women's rights and fostering gender equality in sport

Tchanile-Salifou wins Woman of the Year Award

Laurent Meuwly has received the Coaching Achievement Award and becomes the first winner to be announced as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023.
The Swiss coach has dedicated almost three decades to guiding athletes, having started coaching at the age of just 18. He is now head of sprinting, hurdles and relays in the Netherlands, working with athletes including world 400m hurdles champion Femke Bol.
In 2023, not only did Meuwly help to guide Bol to her world title, but their work saw the Dutch star improve her European record to 51.45 &ndash; the third-fastest performance of all time behind the 50.68 and 51.41 performances achieved by world record-holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in 2022.
Bol also became a world record-holder herself in 2023, clocking 49.26 at the Dutch Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn in February to improve the 41-year-old world indoor 400m record. She ran a world indoor 500m best of 1:05.63 in Boston and ended her indoor campaign by gaining double gold at the European Indoor Championships, winning the 400m and forming part of the victorious national record-breaking 4x400m team alongside Lieke Klaver, Eveline Saalberg and Cathelijn Peeters.
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Under Meuwly&rsquo;s tutelage, Klaver also claimed European indoor 400m silver, while the Dutch men&rsquo;s 4x400m team secured bronze in Istanbul.
As well as Bol&rsquo;s world title win, Meuwly guided that same women&rsquo;s 4x400m quartet to gold and another national record at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23.
Prior to his role with the Dutch athletics federation, Meuwly was head coach for sprinting, hurdles and relays in Switzerland. He continues to work with Swiss sprinter Ajla Del Ponte, the 2021 European indoor 60m champion, while he was also coach to Swiss 400m and 400m hurdles record-holder Lea Sprunger.
Other coaches and athletes to have been mentored by Meuwly include Bram Peters, Jaroslaw Skrzyszowski, Liemarvin Bonevacia, Nick Smidt, Anna Kielbasinska, Pia Skrzyszowska, Viktoriya Tkachuk, Ayomide Folorunso, Viivi Lehikoinen and Tony van Diepen.
The Coaching Achievement Award recognises coaches who have made outstanding achievements and contributions to develop, encourage and strengthen coaching at all levels in athletics.
As well as his impact guiding some of the world&rsquo;s best athletes, Meuwly has also published multiple articles and has been a keynote speaker in many coaching events, nationally and internationally.
&ldquo;I feel really honoured to receive this special prize and I dedicate it to all the people who along these 30 years have been working with me, assisting me and supporting me, and also, of course, to all the athletes I have had the chance to work with,&rdquo; said Meuwly, who was presented with his award by Bol during a training camp in South Africa. &ldquo;I hope it is still a good sign to receive it just a year before the Olympics in Paris.&rdquo;
The Coaching Achievement Award is the first of the honours celebrated as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023. Further announcements will be made in the coming days, ahead of the World Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars being revealed on Monday 11 December.
World Athletics

Laurent Meuwly has received the Coaching Achievement Award and becomes the first winner to be announced as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023

Meuwly receives Coaching Achievement Award

Sisay Lemma set a course record of 2:01:48 to move to fourth on the men&rsquo;s world all-time list, while Worknesh Degefa ran a PB of 2:15:51 to win the women&rsquo;s race and complete an Ethiopian double at the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso &ndash; a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label event &ndash; on Sunday (3).
As scheduled, the men's race kicked off at a brisk rhythm as the pacemakers went through the opening five kilometres in 14:28. They maintained that pace through to 10km (28:56), with Lemma always nearest to the pacemakers and other favourites &ndash; including Uganda's debutant Joshua Cheptegei and Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele &ndash; in close attendance.
Shortly after reaching the 13th kilometre, the pace of the lead pack picked up and only Lemma, Tanzania's Gabriel Geay and the Kenyan duo of Kibiwott Kandie and Alexander Mutiso managed to maintain it as that quartet clocked 14:08 for that 5km split. But Ethiopia&rsquo;s Dawit Wolde and Chalu Deso plus Cheptegei re-joined them at the helm and seven men blazed through the half marathon checkpoint together in 1:00:35. By then, the experienced Bekele had decided to set his own cadence and travelled alone behind them, clocking 1:00:58 for half way.
With the clock reading 1:08, a quartet of Lemma, Geay, Deso and Wolde broke away from Kandie, Mutiso and Cheptegei. A short while later only Lemma travelled at the shoulder of the remaining pacemaker, with Kandie and Wolde a couple of seconds in arrears and the rest of the contenders some way back as that 10km section was covered in 28:38, the quickest of the race to that point. The leaders passed the 30km mark in 1:26:04, 27 seconds faster than the previous best 30km split.
The last pacemaker dropped out at 30.5km and Kandie, who had caught Lemma, ruled the race for a while with Lemma and Wolde chasing him in crocodile file. The pace dropped slightly without the pacemaker's help and the trio covered the following kilometres in the 2:55/2:57 range, running 14:36 for the 30-35km section. The key moment came some 1:42 into the race, when Lemma made his move to gradually open a sizeable margin on Wolde and Kandie, with the rest of the field far away.
Over the closing stages only Lemma was able to tick off each kilometre well under 3:00 pace to reach 40km in 1:55:12, almost a full minute ahead of Wolde, while Mutiso ran in third another half a minute adrift but ahead of a faltering Kandie.
Lemma reached the finish line unopposed in 2:01:48, just seven seconds shy of Bekele's national record. Mutiso overtook Wolde in the closing stages to take second place in a career best of 2:03:11, with Wolde completing the podium in 2:03:48, also a PB.
Bekele passed Geay and Kandie over the closing kilometres to finish a fine fourth in 2:04:19, improving his own masters record (M40). In a race of great depth, a record 13 athletes ran under 2:06 and a series of national records were set, while world 10,000m record-holder Cheptegei had to settle for 37th place in 2:08:59 on his debut over the classic distance.
&ldquo;It's incredible to win here with such a fast time, I'm over the moon,&rdquo; said Lemma.
<h2>Degefa signs successful return to lead Ethiopian 1-2-3</h2>
The women's event started at an even early pace of 3:12/km as the leaders clocked 16:00 for the opening 5km and 32:02 for 10km. Shortly afterwards, only four women &ndash; Ethiopia&rsquo;s Almaz Ayana, Degefa and Hiwot Gebrekiden, plus Germany's Melat Kejeta&nbsp;&ndash; remained at the helm.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/656c60c3a5063ed759d700d4.jpg" alt="Worknesh Degefa celebrates her Valencia Marathon victory" />
Worknesh Degefa celebrates her Valencia Marathon victory (&copy; Organisers)
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The steady pace continued over the following kilometres and that quartet reached the halfway point in 1:07:29, running with a large group of male athletes and right on schedule to give last year's women's course record of 2:14:58 a scare. By that point, Kenya's Celestine Chepchirchir was a lonesome fifth in 1:08:20.
Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba was one of the pre-race favourites but the 32-year-old former middle-distance star only stayed in the leading group for six kilometres; she reached the halfway point some two minutes behind the leaders (1:09:20) and eventually dropped out of the race at the 27th kilometre.
It was always Ayana who ran closest to the pacemakers, the tempo dropping slightly between 20-30km as the leaders passed 30km in 1:36:22, running 32:24 for the previous 10km. Degefa, returning to the marathon after almost four years following a double maternity leave, moved to the front for the first time around the 33th kilometre and broke away from the 2016 Olympic 10,000m champion Ayana.
Ayana initially managed to reel in her compatriot but then she struggled to stay with Degefa as the latter went through 35km in 1:52:34 to open a four-second advantage. Gebrekidan was another 51 seconds in arrears.
Degefa extended her lead over the next few kilometres and became a virtual winner by 40km as her margin had grown to 21 seconds.
She crossed the finish line well inside the 2:16 barrier thanks to a 2:15:51 performance that improved her previous career best of 2:17:41 from 2019 and moved her to seventh on the women's world all-time list.
Ayana, claiming the runner-up spot, also improved her previous PB by almost a minute with her 2:16:22 effort, while Gebrekidan completed an Ethiopian podium sweep in 2:17:59, 1:11 faster than her previous best.
Chepchirchir finished fourth in 2:20:46.
Local fans had plenty to cheer as Tariku Novales (2:05:48) and Majida Maayouf (2:21:27) both set Spanish records, while Turkey's Sultan Haydar (2:21:27) and Italy's Sofiia Yaremchuk (2:23:16) also broke national records.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Worknesh Degefa (ETH) 2:15:51 2&nbsp; Almaz Ayana (ETH) 2:16:22 3 Hiwot Gebrekidan (ETH) 2:17:59 4 Celestine Chepchirchir (KEN) 2:20:46 5 Majida Maayouf (ESP) 2:21:27 6 Sultan Haydar (TUR) 2:21:27 7 Desi Mokonin (BRN) 2:22:29 8 Genevieve Gregson (AUS) 2:23:08 9 Sofiia Yaremchuk (ITA) 2:23:16 10 Isobel Batt-Doyle (AUS) 2:23:27&nbsp;
Men 1 Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:01:48 2 Alexander Mutiso (KEN) 2:03:11 3 Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:03:48 4 Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 2:04:19 5 Gabriel Geay (TAN) 2:04:33 6 Kibiwott Kandie (KEN) 2:04:48 7 Chalu Deso (ETH) 2:05:14 8 Mohamed Esa (ETH) 2:05:40 9 Mehdi Frere (FRA) 2:05:43 10 Gashau Ayale (ISR) 2:05:46

Sisay Lemma set a course record of 2:01:48 to move to fourth on the men’s world all-time list, while Worknesh Degefa ran a PB of 2:15:51 to win the women’s race and complete an Ethiopian double