{
  "id": 19643894,
  "title": "Jefferson, Russell, and Werro make final shortlist for the Female Athlete of the Year award",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/jefferson-russell-and-werro-make-final-shortlist-for-the-female",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-12T11:07:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "KBC",
    "slug": "kbc",
    "url": "https://www.kbc.co.ke/jefferson-russell-and-werro-make-final-shortlist-for-the-female-athlete-of-the-year-award/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "American athletes Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Masai Russell, alongside Swiss runner Audrey Werro, have been named the three finalists for the prestigious 2026 Women’s World Athlete of the Year Award. The annual ceremony will be held in Monaco on November 29th, where the winner will be announced. Following a vote involving fans, athletes, media personnel, and the World Athletics community, the trio secured the top spots among 10 nominees shortlisted by a global panel of sports authorities. Jefferson secured a back-to-back victory in the sprint events at the Ultimate Championship, along with setting world records of 10.62 seconds in the 100m and 21.47 seconds in the 200m. Meanwhile, Russell also set a world record in the 100m hurdles (12.09) and claimed the Ultimate and Diamond League titles in 2026, amassing nine of the season's fastest times. Werro had an impressive campaign, claiming the Ultimate Championship and Diamond League title in the 800m event, breaking the Diamond League record three times and setting a world-leading time of 1:53.70, ranking her third on the all-time world rankings. Ethiopian runner Tigist Assefa placed fourth, while Marileidy Paulino from the Dominican Republic and Kenya's Agnes Ngetich finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Apart from the Women's and Men's World Athlete of the Year awards, other accolades to be presented during the ceremony in Monaco include the women's and men's Rising Star honors, Coach of the Year, the President's Award, and for the first time, the Moment of the Year award.",
  "summary": "The gala will be held in Monaco on November 29th, when the winner will be unveiled. The post Jefferson, Russell, and Werro make final shortlist for the Female Athlete of the Year award appeared first on KBC Digital .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}