Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan and Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon have been nominated for the Best Female Athlete of the Year. Both athletes have been highly performant this season. World champion in the 100m hurdles, Amusan broke the world record for the event (12''12). The 25-year-old Nigerian ended the season with a Diamond League victory. As for Kipyegon, she won her second world title in the 1500m in Eugene. The Kenyan athlete also kept her title in Diamond League. She narrowly missed the world record for the distance. However, a hard competition awaits the two Africans. The other candidates are: Chase Ealey, USA (shot put), Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, JAM (100m), Kimberly Garcia, PER (race Walk), Shericka Jackson, JAM (200m), Yaroslava Mahuchikh, UKR (High jump) , Sydney McLaughlin, USA (400m Hurdles), Shaunae Miller-Uibo, BAH (400m), Yulimar Rojas, VEN (Triple Jump).
As with the women, two African male athletes were nominated for best athlete of the year award. They are the Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge and the Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali. After his victory in Tokyo, the double Kenyan Olympic champion won in Berlin. And in a very nice way, Kipchoge broke his own world record of 42.195 km in 2h01mn09s in the German capital.
El Bakkali has been imperial this season. The 3000m steeplechase specialist kept his world title in Eugene. Better, he won the Diamond League this season. However, the competition will be very tough for the two Africans. They will have to compete with: Kristjan Ceh, SLO (Discus), Alison dos Santos, BRA (400m Hurdles), Mondo Duplantis, SWE (pole vault), Grant Holloway, USA (110m Hurdles), Jakob Ingebrigtsen, NOR (5000m), Noah Lyles, USA (200m), Anderson Peters, GRN (Javelin throw), Pedro Pichardo, POR (Triple Jump).
Voting closes at midnight on Monday, October 31. Following the voting process, five female and five male finalists will be announced by World Athletics.
The winners will be revealed on World Athletics social media platforms in early December.
Further information on the 2022 World Athletics Awards will be announced in the next weeks.