Right now, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is celebrating a very different kind of win! She is stepping into motherhood, focusing on herself, and getting ready to welcome her baby. But it feels like the sports world has not moved on from her.

Even during the break, she has been nominated for the Laureus World Sports Awards 2026. And she is not alone.

Fellow track and field star Melissa Jefferson-Wooden is also on the shortlist after her strong season. Still, fans quickly noticed that names like Julien Alfred and Gabby Thomas, and more, are missing. But who else made the list?

On March 3, at a ceremony in Madrid, the 1,300 members of the Laureus Global Media Panel had selected six athletes in each major category, including World Sportswoman of the Year. The full shortlist is stacked!

Aitana Bonmatí is back after becoming the first woman to win three Ballon d’Or awards. Faith Kipyegon continues her dominance with a fourth World Championships gold medal in the 1500m. Katie Ledecky added 30 medals to her already historic collection at the World Aquatics Championships. Aryna Sabalenka held her ground at the top of tennis with a US Open title and multiple Grand Slam final appearances.

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Then there is Jefferson-Wooden, who completed a rare sprint Triple Crown in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. And McLaughlin-Levrone, who in her first championships after moving from hurdles to the flat 400m, broke the championship record and won relay gold. Interestingly, Sydney was a nominee for this award in 2023 and again in 2025.

But as of 2025, she has not won the Laureus award.

In the 2025 ceremony, the award went to Simone Biles.

With all these, fans also noticed who is not there.

Julien Alfred started 2025 on fire, winning in Monaco and later finishing third in the 100m at the World Championships after posting the fastest heat time. Meanwhile, Gabby Thomas showed great form early in the year across the 100m and 200m, even testing herself in the 400m.

Still, injuries played a part.

Alfred dealt with physical setbacks later in the season, and Thomas had to miss the World Championships because of an Achilles issue. Those interruptions made the difference.

Now all eyes turn to April 20 in Madrid, when the winners will be announced. The final call will not be made by fans.

After the media panel creates the shortlist, the decision goes to the Laureus World Sports Academy, a group of about 68 retired sporting legends who vote by secret ballot.

It is not just the World Sportswoman category that feels exciting this year! The men’s race is just as gripping, with another major track and field star quietly sitting on that list.

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year race heats up as one star keeps raising the bar

The men’s race for Laureus World Sportsman of the Year is stacked, too.

We have Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner splitting Grand Slams and building one of the best rivalries in tennis. Then, there is Tadej Pogačar dominating the Tour de France again. Marc Márquez is returning to the top in MotoGP. Ousmane Dembélé is leading a historic season for his club. And with the presence of Mondo Duplantis, things get even more interesting.

Duplantis is not just winning competitions. He is raising the bar every single time he competes.

In 2025, he stayed unbeaten and broke the men’s pole vault world record four times. He opened the year with 6.27 meters, pushed it higher twice more, and then cleared 6.30 meters at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. That jump marked the 14th world record of his career and his fourth in just one season.

At those same World Championships, he won his third straight outdoor world title. He broke the world record on the biggest stage.

Mondo Duplantis has already won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award once at the 2025 Laureus Awards in Madrid. That win came after he had been nominated three times in previous years but hadn’t won until 2025. He became only the second track-and-field athlete ever to win the award, joining Usain Bolt.

So when people ask if Duplantis can win again, it is not a wild idea. If you stay unbeaten, defend your world title, and keep breaking your own world records, it becomes very hard for anyone else to make a stronger case.