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Three-time Olympics champion in the females’ 1500m Faith Kipyegon, double Olympics champion in the 5000m and 10,000m Beatrice Chebet and 800m Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi have been nominated for the 2024 Track World Athlete of the Year awards.
The trio who made Kenya proud at the 2024 Paris Olympics games at the Stade de France and at other top global meets will battle out with other world beaters for the top honors.
Kipyegon, who won the 2023 title, will be hoping to retain it for the second year running after winning the Olympic gold in the 1500m and silver medal in the 5000m as well as Diamond League trophy in addition to the world record in 1500m.
Kipyegon, who starts as a favourite, broke her world record in women’s 1,500m at the Diamond League track and field meeting in Paris, in 3:49.04, surpassing her record of 3:49.11 set in 2023 in Italy.
Australia ‘s Jessica Hull finished second as Britain’s Laura Muir finished third.
Meanwhile, double Olympics champion Chebet became the first Kenyan woman to win Olympics 10,000m gold medal and wrapped it with another gold in 5000m in Paris.
She also set the world 10,000m record of 28:54.14 at the Prefontaine Classic meet in Eugene, USA, this season.
The 24-year-old who was promoted to the rank of corporal in the police force and Kipyegon will battle fellow nominees, Olympic 100m champion and World indoor 60m champion Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) (Olympic 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay champion), World 400m hurdles record holder, Marileidy Paulino (Dominican Republic); Olympic 400m champion and Diamond League 400m champion, Gabby Thomas (USA); Olympic 200m champion and Olympic 4x100m and 4x400m relay champion.
Wanyonyi, 20, who is touted as the next David Rudisha following his great performances that saw him almost break the world record (1:40.91) set by his fellow Kenyan at the 2012 Olympics in London, will also battle top athletes globally for the title.
He will be up against Olympics 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin (United States), Olympics 110m hurdles champion Grant Holloway (United States), Olympics 5000m champion and 3000m world record holder Jakob Ingebrigsten (Norway) and Olympics 200m champion Letsile Tebogo and 100m champion Noah Lyles.
Social media fans voting will count for 25 per cent of the
result, with the World Athletics Council (50 per cent) and World Athletics
Family (25 per cent).
Voting will be over the next week from October 21-27.
Other awards that will be given out at the 2024 World Athletics Awards include the Male and Female Rising Star awards, a Coaching Achievement Award, Woman of the Year, Photographer of the Year, World Athletics Member Federation Award and World Athletics President's Awards.