On Tuesday, Forbes released its highly-anticipated annual list, Forbes 30 Under 30, acknowledging the world’s most influential individuals under 30 heading into 2025. The selection consists of 30 trailblazers in each of 20 industries, including science, social media, music, education and sports. Four world-class track and field athletes were named for their accomplishments in the sport and broader influence on society: 2024 Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas, pole vault world record holder Mondo Duplantis, and power couple Tara Davis-Woodhall (Olympic long jump champion) and Hunter Woodhall (Paralympic T62 400m champion).
Gabby Thomas
American Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas’s long-awaited win at the Paris Olympics in August ended a 12-year drought for American women claiming an Olympic 200m title. The 27-year-old also became the first American track athlete in 12 years to take home three gold medals from a single Olympic Games. In September, she continued to make history as co-founder of Athlos, the all-women’s New York City track meet created to increase visibility of women’s sports.
Mondo Duplantis
The greatest pole vaulter of all time, Mondo Duplantis, was acknowledged for his countless record-breaking performances. The Swedish-American is a two-time Olympic, indoor and outdoor world champion and holds the indoor and outdoor world records. Forbes acknowledged Duplantis’s calculated tactics behind his world record attempts–increasing by mere one-centimetre increments has allowed the vaulter to beat the world record 10 times–claiming the generous prize money that accompanies the feat.
In October, Vogue Scandinavia helped Duplantis pull off a stunning surprise proposal to his long-time girlfriend, Desiré Inglander.
Tara Davis-Woodhall & Hunter Woodhall
This athletics power couple cemented their names in the history books this summer with double gold medals from Paris. Tara claimed gold in the Olympic long jump, and less than a month later, Hunter (the first double amputee to earn a DI track scholarship) became the Paralympic champion in the T62 400m.
The pair has a huge presence on social media, building a massive fan base over the past two Olympic and Paralympic cycles. Both 25-year-olds are sponsored by Lululemon, and have broadcasted their journeys as athletes overcoming adversity while building a life together. The couple’s 2022 wedding was featured in People magazine.
From one to four athletics superstars
Last year, U.S. sprinter and 2023 world 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson was the only track and field or road athlete named to the 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Richardson went on to claim Olympic gold in 4x100m relay at Paris 2024 and silver in the 100m.
