Ningbo teenager Yan Ziyi nominated for World Athlete of the Year
Yan Ziyi at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. [Photo/IC]
Chinese javelin thrower Yan Ziyi is among 10 nominees for the 2026 Women's World Athlete of the Year award.
The Ningbo native has enjoyed a breakthrough season on the international stage. At the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sept 27, Yan threw 70.46 meters with her first attempt, breaking the Asian Games record and securing the gold medal. Because of an injury, she did not attempt another throw.
Yan won five consecutive Diamond League meetings in 2026. At the Xiamen meeting, she threw 71.74 meters, setting new Asian and world U20 records. She went on to claim the Diamond League overall title, becoming only the fourth Chinese female thrower to win the championship, following Gong Lijiao, Lyu Huihui, and Feng Bin.
Born in Ningbo in 2008, Yan began training at age 10. She initially specialized in shot put before switching to javelin. Her rapid rise includes two gold medals at the ISF U15 Gymnasiade 2023 and a javelin title at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships at age 16.
The 2026 World Athletics Awards will be held in Monaco on Nov 29, where they will announce the Women's Athlete of the Year.
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