To mark ‘World Coaches’ Day’, the global governing body has introduced a revamped recognition scheme featuring an initial selection and voting process, with the recipient to be revealed at its annual honours ceremony in Monaco on 29 November.
The ‘Coach of the Year’ replaces the former Coaching Achievement Award, which in recent years has been presented to a number of leading figures.
World Athletics will draw on the expertise of its new Coaches’ Commission to shine a spotlight on those who play a fundamental role in the management and development of athletes. Helena and Greg Duplantis jointly received the honour in 2020 for their work with their son Mondo, the world record-holder.
Members of the Coaches’ Commission, established at the end of 2025, will oversee a revamped voting system, first selecting a shortlist of six to eight candidates before area coaches’ associations, or designated bodies where no association exists, rank them to determine three finalists and an overall winner, ensuring representation across all six areas.
The final stage will see the three finalists announced on November 16, with the eventual winner then revealed live on stage during the World Athletics Awards.
“With this new award, the coaching community selects its ambassador of excellence. It also celebrates World Athletics’ commitment, through the new Coaches’ Commission, to recognising the immense value of coaches as architects of possibility and drivers of innovation and change,” said Frank Dick, chair of the Coaches’ Commission.
The 2026 World Athletics Awards will take place in Monaco on November 29, with other honours including ‘World Athlete of the Year’, the ‘Rising Star and President’s Award’, as well as the inaugural ‘Moment of the Year’.-Insidethegames
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