- Kipyegon won her second World Championship this year
- She has been named in the initial shortlist of 10 athletes
- Fellow African, Tobi Amusan also shortlisted
Faith Kipyegon has been named in the initial list of 10 athletes who will battle for the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year Award for 2022. Kipyegon has enjoyed a stellar season, which included a second world title in Oregon.
The 28-year old Kenyan clinched her second world title after clocking a winning time of 3min 52.96sec, dominating the race and edging out Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay who was second in 3:54.52, with Britain’s Laura Muir taking bronze (3:55.28).
This was also the fourth time in her career that she was on the podium of the 1500m at the Worlds, the first athlete to do so.
Apart from her imperious performance at the Worlds, Kipyegon also ran the second fastest 1500m of all time when she came to within 0.3seconds of breaking Genzebe Dibaba’s World Record.
Clocked second fastest time ever
Faith Kipyegon competing at the Monaco Diamond League
She clocked 3:50.37 at the Monaco leg of the Diamond League. Her new time now sits as the National record, the third time she has lowered the time this year. This is also consequently her new Personal best.
She also went on to win the Diamond League Trophy in the 1500m, capping off what was a wonderful season.
To earn the award, Kipyegon will have to wade through a tough competitive field that also includes Nigerian superstar Tobi Amusan. The hurdler has equally had a brilliant season, and won the Worlds.
She twice broke the World Record in the 100m hurdles at the Worlds, though the second one in the final was judged to have been wind assisted and hence did not count as a record. She had previously run 12.12 in the semis.
The Nigerian earned three titles this year, winning the Worlds, Commonwealth Games and the African title.
Fraser Pryce also listed
Shelly Anne Fraser Pryce competing in the 100m at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi.
Also shortlisted is American sprint queen Shelly Anne Fraser-Pryce, the reigning 100m World Champion. Fraser Pryce won her fifth medal at the Worlds in Oregon, and has been equally in brilliant form in the circuits at both Diamond League and Continental Tour level.
She won the Diamond Trophy and was in Nairobi for the Kip Keino Classic, a leg of the Continental Gold Tour, which she won. She has also been consistent with her time, running a world-leading 10.62 among her record seven sub-10.70 100m races of the season.
Others to be shortlisted for the award include compatriot Shericka Jackson, the 200m World and Diamond League champion, American Chase Ealey, the World Shot Put Champion, Kimberly Garcia of Peru (20km walk), Ukranian world Indoor High Jump champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh, 400m hurdles world record holder Sydney McLaughlin of USA, Bahamian 400m world champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Venezuelan triple jump superstar Yulimar Rojas.
A three-way voting process will determine the finalists.
Fans to cast votes on social media
The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast their votes by email, while fans can vote online via the World Athletics social media platforms.
Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube this week; a ‘like’ on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube or a retweet on Twitter will count as one vote.
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.
Voting for the World Athletes of the Year closes at midnight on Monday 31 October. At the conclusion of the voting process, five women and five men finalists will be announced by World Athletics.
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