Kiptum makes final list for World Athletics Awards
New marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum during a presser at Weston Hotel in Nairobi on October 10, 2023. He set the new marathon world record with a new time of 2:00:35.
What you need to know:
- The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family casted their votes by email, while fans logged their decisions online via the World Athletics social media platforms where a record two million votes were registered.
- The five athletes, who represent four countries from four area associations, have achieved sensational performances across a range of athletics disciplines in 2023, winning titles and breaking world records at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, one-day meeting circuits, Label road races and other events around the world.
The new marathon world holder, Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum, will battle four world champions from track and field for the men’s 2023 World Athlete of the Year Award.
World Athletics have listed Kiptum among the top five athletes who made it from a pool of 11 athletes that had been nominated for the prestigious award.
A three-way voting process determined the finalists after voting closed on October 28.
The winner will be announced on World Athletics’ platforms on December 11.
The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family casted their votes by email, while fans logged their decisions online via the World Athletics social media platforms where a record two million votes were registered.
The five athletes, who represent four countries from four area associations, have achieved sensational performances across a range of athletics disciplines in 2023, winning titles and breaking world records at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, one-day meeting circuits, Label road races and other events around the world.
Kiptum, 23, shattered the marathon world record when he won the Chicago Marathon in two hours and 35 seconds in October.
Kiptum took away 34 seconds from the previous marathon world record of 2:01:09 set by Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin last year.
Kiptum, who made history as the first man to run a marathon under two hours and one minute, had also rewritten history books when he smashed the London Marathon course record, winning this year’s race in 1:01:25 on April 23.
Kiptum, who missed the world record by 18 seconds, beat Kipochoge’s course record of 2:02:37 set in 2019.
Kiptum is eying to become the third Kenyan to win the award after David Rudisha in 2010 and Eliud Kipchoge in 2018 and 2019.
Other contestants are American Noah Lyles, who won the 100m and 200m titles at the World Championships in Budapest, and India’s Neeraj Chopra, who won the world javelin title.
Others are shot put world record holder and champion Ryan Crouser from the United States and defending champion Mondo Duplantis, who retained his world total.
Double world champion, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, who smashed three world records this year, is favourite to win women’s top award.
The finalists are (in alphabetical order):
Neeraj Chopra, IND, javelin
• World champion
• Asian Games champion
Ryan Crouser, USA, shot put
• World champion
• World record
Mondo Duplantis, SWE, pole vault
• World champion
• Diamond League champion with world record
Kelvin Kiptum, KEN, marathon
• London and Chicago Marathon winner
• Marathon world record breaker
Noah Lyles, USA, 100m/200m
• World 100m and 200m champion
• World leader and undefeated in six finals at 200m
