HomeAthleticsATHLETICS: 10 nominated for World Athletics out-of-stadium athletes of the year, with voting open to 3 November!

ATHLETICS: 10 nominated for World Athletics out-of-stadium athletes of the year, with voting open to 3 November!

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≡ ATHLETES OF THE YEAR ≡

The third group of World Athletics “Athletes of the Year” nominees was announced on Monday, for the “out of stadium” category, with five men and five women from a total of five countries selected:

Men:
● Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) ~ World Half Marathon world record
● Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) ~ World Cross Country gold medalist
● Benson Kipruto (KEN) ~ Tokyo Marathon winner; Olympic bronze
● Brian Daniel Pintado (ECU) ~ Olympic 20 km walk winner
● Tamirat Tola (ETH) ~ Olympic marathon champion

The timing of the announcement was good for Kejelcha, who set the world record for the Half on Sunday in Valencia, Spain!

Women:
● Sutume Asefa Kebede (ETH) ~ Tokyo Marathon winner
● Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) ~ World record 2:09:56 in Chicago
● Sifan Hassan (NED) ~ Olympic marathon gold medalist
● Tigist Ketema (ETH) ~ Dubai and Berlin marathons winner
● Agnes Jebet Ngetich (KEN) ~ World records in 5 km and 10 km

The 2024 selections include a remarkable three world-record setters and four world marks, with Ngetich getting the 5 km record en route and the 10 km record at Valencia on 14 January, plus the no. 2 time in history at the Valencia Half Marathon on Sunday.

Chepngetich stunned the world with her 2:09:56 world marathon record in winning the Chicago Marathon on 13 October, the first woman ever under 2:10.

Among the men, Kejelcha got the world Half Marathon record on Sunday in Valencia at 57:30, shaving one second off of Kiplimo’s 2021 mark in Lisbon (POR).

Under a new process for 2024:

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

“The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast their votes by email, while the social vote will be open on Facebook, Instagram and X. Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted later today; a ‘like’ on Facebook and Instagram or a retweet on X will count as one vote.”

The field-event nominees were announced on 14 October and the track nominees on 21 October; voting for both of those categories has closed. The winners will be announced in December.

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