Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, A'ja Wilson, Simone Biles and Gabby Thomas set to compete for major women's sports honor

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, A'ja Wilson, and Simone Biles are ready to compete against each other for ESPY's best athlete award. The ESPY Award ceremony is slated to take place on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

McLaughlin-Levrone has had a good run so far in 2025, as she opened the season by competing in the inaugural edition of the Grand Slam Track in April, which took place in Jamaica. There, she ran in the 400m hurdles and the 400m flat race and secured $100,000 by standing atop the podium in both events.

Another nominee, Gabby Thomas, has also had an impressive 2025 season, as she opened her season by competing at the Texas Relays on March 29. There, she ran in the 4x100m relay, where she and her team clocked a meet record of 41.74s. Ahead of this, she dominated the Paris Olympics by winning three gold medals in the 200m, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay races.

Another contender, Biles, who has not yet commenced her 2025 season, solidified her legacy at the 2024 Summer Games, where she bagged four medals, including three gold medals and one silver medal. WNBA player A'ja Wilson also had a remarkable 2024 season as she was named the 2024 Kia WNBA MVP, marking her third MVP title.

A track insider shared news about the nomination on X, writing:

"Gabby Thomas and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone nominated for ESPYS Best Athlete - Women's Sports award with A'ja Wilson and Simone Biles."

The nominees for the award were chosen by the ESPN Nomination Select Committee, and public vote will help in determining the winners.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about running the 100m dash for the first time

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran in the 100m dash for the first time during the third stop of Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track, which took place in Philadelphia in June 2025. Ahead of securing a second-place finish in the race, she sat for an interview with The Athletics, where she made her feelings known about running in the 100m flat race and stepping out of her comfort zone.

Talking about the energy level of the race, the American hurdler said:

“It’s a completely different energy system. It’s so ballistic; shooting out of the blocks, toe dragging. To create this force in a linear line down the track is so different than the grace that the 400m gives if you don’t have the best block start. That doesn’t exist in the 100m. It’s definitely been a shift these past few weeks, but it’s been great to work on sprint mechanics, block start and hurdle technique, because those are all things — even though they aren’t as important in longer races — which can still be of benefit down the line," said Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

Recently, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone also received the honorable achievement of being inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. A few others who were inducted along with her are Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, Dana Bash, and more.

Edited by Pratham K Sharma