Three African Runners Nominated for Women's World Athlete of the Year

World Athletics, the international governing body for athletics, has revealed its selection of nominees for the highly anticipated Women's World Athlete of the Year award. Among the eleven female athletes nominated, three outstanding African contenders have been recognized for their exceptional performances.

Kenya's Faith Kipyegon, and Ethiopian athletes Tigst Assefa and Gudaf Tsegay have been named as nominees for this prestigious award. These exceptional athletes have earned their nominations through a series of remarkable recent achievements.

Faith Kipyegon, made history in 2023 by shattering world records in the 1500m, mile, and 5000m. Notably, she became the first woman to secure titles in both the 1500m and 5000m at a single world championship event. Her season culminated with a bronze medal in the road mile at the World Road Running Championships.

Tigst Assefa achieved an extraordinary feat by winning the Berlin marathon in September while setting a new marathon world record. Gudaf Tsegay also left her mark by setting a world record in the 5000m discipline.

Among the nominees, American sprint sensation Sha'Carri Richardson, who secured gold in the 100m and 4x100m, as well as a bronze in the 200m at the August world championships, stands out. Other accomplished athletes shortlisted for the award include Dutch 400m hurdles world champion Femke Bol, Jamaican 200m champion Shericka Jackson, Japanese javelin star Haruka Kitaguchi, Ukrainian high jump sensation Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Spanish race walk champion Maria Perez, Venezuelan triple jump sensation Yulimar Rojas, and Bahrain's Winfred Yavi, who excels in the 3000m steeplechase.

Notably, Faith Kipyegon is considered a strong favorite for the award, given her dominant year, during which she set three new world records. The Wanda Diamond League recognizes 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 Women's World Athlete of the Year award will be determined through a voting process. The World Athletics Council's vote will determine 50 percent of the final result, with the World Athletics Family's votes and public votes each contributing 25%. Voting will conclude on Saturday, October 28. The next phase of the process will involve announcing five women and five men finalists by World Athletics on November 13 to 14. The winners of the Women's World Athlete of the Year award will be unveiled on December 11, following the tallying of votes from fans and World Athletics officials.