Noah Lyles snubbed for major awards despite dominant 2025 season

Despite a commanding 2025 season that saw him clinch a fourth consecutive 200m world title in Tokyo, sprinter Noah Lyles has been overlooked for two of the sport's most prestigious honors.

The American speed king was a force to be reckoned with this year, winning the Diamond League 200m title in an undefeated streak, and in the 200m final at the world championships, he blazed to the gold medal in 19.52s after posting a world-leading 19.51s in the semifinals.

He concluded the year ranked as the world's number one in the event, earning him nominations for both the World Athletics and USATF Male Track Athlete of the Year awards. However, both nominations ended in disappointment.

The World Athlete of the Year title went to Kenyan middle-distance runner Emmanuel Wanyonyi. More recently, Lyles was passed over for the USATF Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year award, which was given to hurdler Rai Benjamin. This marks the second consecutive year Lyles has missed out on the top domestic prize.

A victory would have been historic for Lyles, who has previously won the Jesse Owens Award three times (2018, 2022, and 2023). A fourth win would have pushed him past track and field legend Michael Johnson for the most wins in the award's history.

Following the announcement, Lyles subtly reminded the world of his achievements by sharing a post on his Instagram Stories that highlighted his status as the 2025 200m world champion, world number one, and world leader.

Rai Benjamin's case for the award proved too compelling for USATF voters to ignore. In Tokyo, he overcame a dramatic initial disqualification to secure his third straight World 400m hurdles title, clocking an astonishing 46.52 seconds—one of the fastest times ever recorded. Benjamin also anchored Team USA to a silver medal in the 4x400m relay and won his sixth consecutive national title, demonstrating an unmatched level of domestic dominance.

While Lyles was snubbed, USATF did recognize another athlete overlooked by World Athletics. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who was not a finalist for the global award, was named the 2025 Jackie Joyner-Kersee Female Athlete of the Year.