With the conclusion of the 2025 season, World Athletics has now announced the nominations for the Track Male Athlete of the Year Award. The star-studded list includes the names of Rai Benjamin, Jimmy Gressier, Noah Lyles, Cordell Tinch, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi. Following this, the track fans stood in support of their favorites as the voting window opened. And when voters started to choose their sides, Benjamin had to take a stand for himself when a track enthusiast criticized his nomination. 

The fan claimed that out of five nominees, three are Americans. He further commented that Benjamin’s nomination isn’t justified. He wrote, “i got to ask [World Athletics] yall rlly be up in the Americans a*s right cause how does this person get a nomination, there are others far more deserving especially the other individual performace.” To this, Benjamin responded by adding, “lol I’m literally world Champion.. what are you on about?”

The world 400m hurdles champion also targeted all the trolls on the internet hating on him and posted, “Some of y’all need to get that hate out ya heart… you’ll be happier for it!”

In fact, Rai Benjamin’s nomination was made based on the spectacular season he had. After clinching a gold in 4oomH with a season’ best time of 46.52 seconds, he went on to bag a silver for Team USA in 4x400m relay. More so, he delivered two of the top three 400m hurdles performances of the year.

However, some fans even argued that Bostwana’s Collen Kebinatshipi should have been chosen instead, highlighting his impressive performance in Tokyo, which included gold medals in both the 400m and 4x400m men’s relay. On the other hand, many questioned the World Athletics for not including Mondo Duplantis to the list.

Amid the negative trolls, some fans even cited the reasons as to why the Americans dominated the list of nominations.

Rai Benjamin, Noah Lyles, and Cordell Tinch show American dominance on the nomination list

Noah Lyles has continued his reign as the face of global sprinting. He defended his 200 m world crown, added a bronze in the 100 m, and led the U.S. 4×100 m relay to gold. With an unbeaten streak in the 200 m and a 19.51 seconds of 2025 world leading time, his dominance across the sprint spectrum remains unrivaled. And winning four back-to-back 200m world championships simply puts him above everyone else in the spectrum this season. And Benjamin has often defended Lyles as the man who “changed the game forever.” 

Then came Cordell Tinch, the breakthrough sensation of the season. His 12.87s in the 110 m hurdles placed him as the world leader this season, while his world title (12.99 seconds in Tokyo) and Diamond League triumph (12.92 meet record in Zurich) showcased rare consistency and composure. Together, Benjamin, Lyles, and Tinch embodied mastery, making them deserving contenders for the track’s highest individual honor.

However, Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi also is a strong contender with his impressive 2025 season. He cemented his position as the world’s premier 800m runner, and secured both the World Championships and Diamond League titles. His championship record of 1:41.86 in Tokyo helped him stand atop the podium. More so, the French middle-distance runner Jimmy Gressier took the gold in the 10,000m at the World Championships, securing France’s first-ever win over the distance.

Who do you think should win this season’s Track Athlete of the Year award? Let us know all about it in the comments down below.