Dominican Republic’s elite sprint star Marileidy Paulino has landed in fifth position in the global polling for the 2026 World Athlete of the Year honor, falling just short of a spot among the three finalists unveiled Wednesday by World Athletics’ governing body. Paulino was first named to a prestigious shortlist of 10 standout athletes, curated by a global panel of seasoned track and field specialists. The narrow selection of the final three contenders was determined via a multi-stakeholder voting process that drew input from passionate athletics fans, active professional athletes, international sports media correspondents, and registered members of the broader World Athletics community. The three athletes who advanced to the final round are U.S. sprint talent Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, her fellow American Olympic hurdles standout Masai Russell, and Swiss middle-distance rising star Audrey Werro. The ultimate recipient of the 2026 World Athlete of the Year award will be formally revealed during the official World Athletics Awards gala, scheduled to take place on November 29 in Monaco. Paulino’s fifth-place ranking puts her immediately ahead of Ethiopia’s world record-breaking distance runner Tigst Assefa, who claimed fourth place. The remaining spots on the top 10 leaderboard are filled by Kenya’s rising long-distance prospect Agnes Ngetich, American shot put champion Chase Jackson, China’s breakout race walking talent Yan Ziyi, Spain’s elite long-distance walker María Pérez, and Canadian Olympic hammer throw gold medalist Camryn Rogers. World Athletics officials specifically called attention to Paulino’s exceptional 2026 competitive campaign, where she delivered a dominant performance to claim the 400-meter crown at the Ultimate Championship, before going on to recapture the coveted Diamond League 400-meter title to cap off a stellar season.