World Athletics names three Coach of the Year finalists

World Athletics announced the three finalists for the 2026 Coach of the Year award on Wednesday 4 November: Felipe de Siqueira, Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene and Ken Harnden. The winner will be announced live on Sunday 29 November during the World Athletics Awards in Monaco.

The nominees have coached athletes who set or equalled world hurdles records during the season. The award, based on the former World Athletics Coaching Achievement Award, has a revised voting system.

De Siqueira and Alison dos Santos’s record

Brazilian Felipe de Siqueira has coached Alison dos Santos, a two-time Olympic medallist, since 2018. On 27 August in Zürich, his athlete set the 400 metres hurdles world record in 45.80 seconds.

Dos Santos took 14 hundredths of a second off the mark set by Karsten Warholm at the Tokyo Games. He also won the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, held in September in Budapest. De Siqueira’s nomination recognises the athlete’s long-term development into a world record holder.

Greene, Russell and Charlton

Bahamian Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene runs an elite programme at the University of Kentucky and coaches Masai Russell and Devynne Charlton. Russell set the 100 metres hurdles world record in 12.09 seconds in Zürich, less than 40 minutes after Dos Santos’s mark.

The American beat the 12.12 seconds set by Tobi Amusan in 2022 and won the Ultimate title. Charlton, meanwhile, equalled her own indoor 60 metres hurdles world record with 7.65 seconds when she won her third consecutive world indoor title in Toruń.

Harnden and Ja’Kobe Tharp’s progress

Zimbabwean Ken Harnden, head coach at Auburn University, works with Ja’Kobe Tharp. At the age of 20, Tharp set the 110 metres hurdles world record with 12.75 seconds in the semi-finals of the United States collegiate championship in June.

Tharp beat Aries Merritt’s 12.80 seconds, which had stood since 2012. He then won the Ultimate title in 12.94, one hundredth of a second ahead of Cordell Tinch. Harnden’s nomination recognises Tharp’s progress at Auburn, from world under-20 champion to senior world record holder.

A vote representing all six areas

The Coaches’ Commission, established at the end of 2025, drew up the initial list of candidates. Area coaches’ associations voted in order of preference to decide both the finalists and the winner; where there was no association, alternative bodies were appointed. The system ensured representation from all six areas.

The World Athlete of the Year, Rising Star and President’s Award will also be presented at the gala. The Moment of the Year will be awarded for the first time during the ceremony.