- No Kenyan woman has ever won the female athlete of the year award
- Kipyegon is the frontrunner for this year’s awards
- She broke three world records in 2023
For all its success in global athletics, no Kenyan has ever won the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year Award, since its inception in 1988. More so, there have been only four African winners; South African Hestrie Cloete in 2003, Ethiopians Meseret Defar (2007), Genzebe Dibaba (2015) and Almaz Ayana (2016).
After a hugely successful season in 2023, Faith Kipyegon now stands at the door of history, and might become the first Kenyan to win the female award, when the winners are announced on December 1, by World Athletics.
Kipyegon had a brilliantly successful 2023, breaking three world records in her 1500m specialty, the track mile and the 5,000m, though the latter has since been broken by Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay.
She also went on to become the first woman to win three World Championship titles consecutively in the women’s 1500m and topped it up with the 5,000m global crown in Budapest in August.
Kipyegon also recently closed down her season with a bronze medal in the mile at the World Road Running Championships.
Leading candidate for the award
Faith Kipyegon celebrates setting a new world record in Monaco. (Photo – Diamond League Twitter)
With the success she has amassed over the year, the 29-year old Kenyan is seen as the leading candidate for the crown. Tsegay, who won the Diamond Trophy as she broke Kipyegon’s record on top of a 10,000m world title has also been nominated.
Kipyegon had a brilliantly successful 2023, breaking three world records in her 1500m specialty, the track mile and the 5,000m, though the latter has since been broken by Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay.
She also went on to become the first woman to win three World Championship titles consecutively in the women’s 1500m and topped it up with the 5,000m global crown in Budapest in August.
Kipyegon also recently closed down her season with a bronze medal in the mile at the World Road Running Championships.
With the success she has amassed over the year, the 29-year old Kenyan is seen as the leading candidate for the crown. Tsegay, who won the Diamond Trophy as she broke Kipyegon’s record on top of a 10,000m world title has also been nominated.
World Athletics council vote by mail
Faith Kipyegon breaks the 5,000m World record. PHOTO/World Athletics
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, X, Instagram and YouTube this week; a ‘like’ on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube or a retweet on X will count as one vote.
The World Athletics Council’s vote will count for 50pc of the result, while the World Athletics Family’s votes and the public votes will each count for 25pc of the final result.
Voting for the World Athletes of the Year closes at midnight on Saturday 28 October. At the conclusion of the voting process, five women and five men finalists will be announced by World Athletics on 13-14 November.
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