Following a dominant performance at The World Games (TWG) 2025, U.S. Women’s National Team (WNT) member Tiare Jennings has earned a nomination for The World Games Athlete of the Year.

Jennings is one of 30 candidates in the running for the prestigious honor and the winner will be determined by fan voting.

Here’s the video clip on Jennings produced by The World Games organization:

She, Jett Lambert (Waterski & Wakeboard) and Mari McCool (Lacrosse) represent the USA in their sports while Austria and Mexico also have three nominees representing their countries.

China, Japan, Taiwan and Argentina each have two representatives.

The 30 sports represented include several that are common in the United States, some that are in the Olympics and quite a few that you may have to do a Google search to see what they entail!

Below is the list of all the sports that have athletes who are eligible to be selected as The World Games Athlete of the Year

• Korfball
• Wushu
• Waterski & Wakeboard
• Underwater Sports
• Tug of War
• Squash
• Sport Climbing
• Baseball – Softball
• Sambo
• Roller Sports
• Racquetball
• Orienteering
• Muaythai
• Life Saving
• Lacrosse
• Air Sports
• Kickboxing
• Ju-Jitsu
• Gymnastics
• Flying Disc
• Floorball
• American (Flag) Football
• Fistball
• Dance Sport
• Cheerleading
• Canoe
• Boules Sports
• Billiards
• Handball
• Archery

Click HERE to see which athletes are listed, what sport and the country they’re from as well as a short clip on their accomplishments):

The voting process opens Monday, Jan. 12 at 12 a.m. GMT (6 p.m. CT) and runs through Monday, Feb. 2 at 12 a.m. GMT (6 p.m. CT)—a three week block to select the Athlete of the Year.

In each voting session, voters must select two candidates, giving two (2) votes for a first choice candidate and one (2) vote for a second choice.

On Jan. 26 at 12 a.m. GMT (6 p.m. CT), a halfway elimination round will narrow the field to the Top 10-ranked candidates, who then advance to the final stage.

More on Tiare Jennings’ 2025 World Games Resume

Jennings delivered a standout performance at The World Games 2025, tallying five RBIs, seven runs scored, eight hits and two home runs enroute to the gold medal — a feat that earned her MVP honors for the softball competition.

The U.S. Women’s National Team went undefeated at The World Games 2025, posting a 5-0 record with wins over Chinese Taipei (twice), the Netherlands, China and Japan to claim the highly touted gold medal.

Jennings proved instrumental in the Eagles’ win over world-ranked No. 1 Japan, advancing the U.S. to the Gold medal game.

In that contest, Jennings opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the first inning and later scored the winning run on a bases-loaded walk-off single.

The victory advanced the Red, White and Blue into the Gold medal match-up against Chinese Taipei, where the U.S. ultimately claimed the title. Jennings topped the tournament leaderboard in hits (8), runs scored (7) and at-bats (20), while batting .400 across five games.

Click HERE for full recaps & results from The World Games 2025 »

The World Games Athlete of the Year Award recognizes exceptional athletes for their outstanding performances and contributions to the success and visibility of their sport. Athletes finishing in the Top 3 will receive a trophy, a valuable prize and extensive promotional support.

Voting Rules

• Voting is conducted via The World Games website, with a maximum of one voting session permitted every 24 hours.
• Each voting session must include two candidates:
  • First choice: 2 votes
  • Second choice: 1 vote
• Votes cast for only one candidate will not be counted.
• On Jan. 26, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. GMT, the 10 highest-ranked candidates will advance to the final voting stage, at which point all vote totals will reset to zero.
• Vote tallies will be displayed in real time throughout the campaign.
• All voters must adhere to the principles of fair play in sport. The International World Games Association (IWGA) will closely monitor the voting process, and any irregularities will be investigated. Actions contrary to the spirit of sport may result in appropriate measures.

To learn more about the U.S. Women’s National Team program, visit USASoftball.com.