World Athletics unveiled the three images that will compete for its photograph of the year prize at its awards ceremony in Monaco on November 29.
The photos selected all evoke a sense of emotion amidst intense competition during the course of a busy 2026 season on the track and in the field and were narrowed from a shortlist of ten submissions out of a larger field of 146 images.
Photographers from 64 countries and six continents submitted entries and the initial shortlist and final three chosen were picked by a panel that included Dawn Harper-Nelson, photographers Pascal Rondeau and Dan Vernon along with World Athletics digital creative manager Christel El Saneh.
A fan vote will be held on World Athletics’ social media channels from November 9 to 15 to help choose the winner and all of the photos from the ten on the shortlist will be part of a digital exhibition on the World Athletics website.
The three finalists are:
Tom Jenkins – “Men’s 4x100m finish silhouette”
“The finish of the men’s 4x100m relay final during the athletics competition at the Scotstoun Stadium on day nine of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland,” Jenkins said.
Gaëlle Mobuchon – “Chasing light”
“Rai Benjamin of Team USA competes in the men’s 400m final at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary,” Mobuchon said.
Victor Seco Muñoz – “Your medal amidst water droplets”
“The 3,000m steeplechase final at the European Championships in Birmingham,” Muñoz said. The German athlete dominated the entire race but had the misfortune of stumbling at the final water jump. You can see her sense of helplessness as the victory – or a medal – slips away. It is a magical moment captured in the photograph, yet a truly difficult one for the athlete.”
Jenkins has been a sports photographer in the United Kingdom since 1989 and has worked for The Guardian since 1990, covering sport both nationally and internationally, while Mobuchon has been freelancing as a photographer since 2022 and primarily covers track and field. Through her own interpretation using the lens, she aims to bring “personal perspective” to each photo.
Muñoz specializes in track and field and started his career in 2019, and he mainly works at major championships, with magazines, sports brands and individual athletes.
