Jonathan Lukangi
Oct 15, 2023
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Five African Athletes Nominated For 2023 World Athlete of The Year

2023 World Athlete of The Year African Nominees
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By Jonathan Lukangi




World Athletics, the international athletics governing body, last week announced five African athletes to have been nominated for this year’s World Athlete of the Year award. These include 3 women and 2 men.

Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon and Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa and Gudaf Tsegay are among the 11 female athletes put forward for this year’s awards. Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum and Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali are the African male nominees.



Analysts and pundits are almost united in declaring Kipyegon as the strong favorite to win the Women Athlete of the Year award, after the 29-year-old's dominant year during which she broke three world records in the 1500m, the mile and the 5000m in the Wanda Diamond League this season.


According to the Wanda Diamond League, Kipyegon' s record-breaking season has positioned her as “the first athlete in Diamond League history to break a world record in multiple disciplines and the first to break more than one world record in a single season”.

The Wanda Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions that take place in 14 venues in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. It was first held in 2010.

Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa set a world marathon record at the Berlin marathon, in only her 3rd competitive marathon. Her compatriot Gudaf Tsegay is the 10,000m world champion, and also holds the 5,000, world record, set in Eugene at the last leg of the Diamond League. She broke the record Kipyegon had set only month’s earlier.

Kenyan-born Winfred Yavi, who switched her nationality to represent Bahrain, is also in contention for the prestigious award. She is the 3000m steeplechase world champion.



The male nominees are Soufiane El Bakkali, who is the 3,000m steeplechase world champion and undefeated in six finals; and Kenya’s marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, who won both the London and Chicago marathons.



The voting process involves the World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family casting their votes by email, while the public vote online via the World Athletics social media platforms of Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. 'Likes' on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube or a retweet on X count as one vote. Graphics for each nominee have been posted on the different platforms, and voting will close on midnight Saturday, 28th October. The winners will be revealed on World Athletics’ social media platforms on 11th December.

The World Athletics Council’s vote will count for 50% of the result, while the World Athletics Family’s votes and the public votes will each count for 25% of the final result.

Full list of nominees:

Women

Tigist Assefa, ETH, marathon · Berlin marathon winner · World marathon record

Femke Bol, NED, 400m/400m hurdles · World 400m hurdles champion · World indoor 400m record

Shericka Jackson, JAM, 100m/200m · World 200m champion and 100m silver medalist · Diamond League 100m and 200m champion

Faith Kipyegon, KEN, 1500m/mile/5000m · World 1500m and 5000m champion · World records at 1500m, mile and 5000m

Haruka Kitaguchi, JPN, javelin · World champion · Diamond League champion

Yaroslava Mahuchikh, UKR, high jump · World champion · Diamond League champion

Maria Perez, ESP, race walk · World 20km and 35km race walk world champion · World record at 35km race walk

Gudaf Tsegay, ETH, 5000m/10,000m · World 10,000m champion · Diamond League 5000m champion with world record

Sha’Carri Richardson, 100m/200m · World champion at 100m · World bronze medalist at 200m

Yulimar Rojas, VEN, triple jump · World champion · Diamond league champion

Winfed Yavi, BRN, 3000m steeplechase · World champion · Diamond League champion with world lead


Men

Neeraj Chopra, IND, javelin · World champion · Asian Games champion

Ryan Crouser, USA, shot put· World champion · World record

Mondo Duplantis, SWE, pole vault · World champion · Diamond League champion with world record

Soufiane El Bakkali, MAR, 3000m steeplechase · World champion · Undefeated in six finals

Jakob Ingebrigtsen, NOR, 1500m/mile/5000m · World 5000m champion and 1500m silver medalist · European records for 1500m, mile and 3000m

Kelvin Kiptum, KEN, marathon · London and Chicago Marathon winner · Marathon world record breaker

Pierce LePage, CAN, decathlon · World champion · World leader

Noah Lyles, USA, 100m/200m · World 100m and 200m champion · World leader and undefeated in six finals at 200m

Alvaro Martin, ESP, race walk · World 20km and 35km race walk champion · World leader 20km race walk

Miltiadis Tentoglou, long jump · World champion · European Indoor champion

Karsten Warholm, NOR, 400m hurdles/400m · World 400m hurdles champion · European indoor 400m champion

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