Paris 2024 Olympic champions Emmanuel Wanyonyi
Wanyonyi, the Olympic 800m champion, was named the 2024 Sportsman of the Year at the 21st Sports Personality of the Year (Soya) Awards held at the iconic Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on Thursday night.
The making of Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi
Chebet
Secretary for Sports Evans Achoki (centre) presents the Sportswoman of the Year Awards (SOYA) Trophy to Paris Olympic 10,000m gold medallist Beatrice Chebet, sisters Naomi Chebet (right) and Bilha Bore with SOYA founder Paul Tergat (left) during the 21st Edition Awards Dinner on April 17 at the Tsavo Ball Room, Kenya International Convention Centre.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation
Paris Paralympics long jump silver medallist Samson Ojuka and World Ability Youth Games double gold medallist Michelle Chepng'etich were crowned Sportsman and Woman with a Disability.
Junior Starlets football coach Mildred Cheche was crowned Coach of the Year while her team won the Women's Team of the Year gong, while Nairobi Thunder Basketball team claimed the Men's Team of the Year award.
Wanyonyi beat Olympic 5,000m silver medallist Ronald Kwemoi and Olympic marathon bronze medallist Benson Kipruto into second and third place respectively.
In addition to retaining the Diamond League 800m trophy, Wanyonyi broke the world road mile record with a time of 3:54.56 at the Adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany, in April, eclipsing the previous mark of 3:56.13 set by American Hobbs Kessler, who finished second to Wanyonyi in 3:56.18.
Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) founder Paul Tergat (right) hands over the Overall Men's Award to Paris Olympic 800m Gold medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi on April 17, 2025, at Tsavo Ball Room, Kenyatta International Convention Centre.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation
Wanyonyi rocked the Kenyan trials for the Paris Olympics, winning in 1:41.70, the third-fastest 800m ever behind Wilson Kipketer's 1:41.11 and David Rudisha's world record of 1:40.91.
Wanyonyi, 20, won gold at the Paris Olympics in a time of 1:41.19, beating Djamel Sedjati's 1:41.46 from Monaco to become the third fastest man in history over the distance behind Kipketer and Rudisha.
Wanyonyi improved his career best by 0.08 seconds to 1:41.11 when he retained his Diamond League crown at Lausanne Diamond on August 22. That moved him into a tie with Kipketer for second place on the all-time 800m list, behind only Rudisha.
"This award inspires me to further improve my personal best and go for the world title this year after settling for silver in Budapest in 2023," said Wanyonyi, who dedicated the award to his mother, Margaret Nasimiyu.
Chebet completed a historic 10,000m and 5,000m double at the Paris Olympics, but warmed up for the Summer Games with a world record 10,000m at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon, USA, on May 25.
Chebet clocked a blistering 28:55.14 to win, shaving seven seconds off the previous record of 29:01.03 set by Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia in Hengelo in 2021.
She became the first woman in history to run the 10,000m under 29 minutes and the first Kenyan to hold the world record over the distance.
Chebet clocked 14:28.56 to win the Olympic 5,000m title, beating defending champion Sifan Hassan and reigning world champion Kipyegon, and then sealed the 10,000m victory in 30:43.25 to become the first Kenyan to do so.
Chebet reclaimed the Diamond League 5,000m title, winning the final in Brussels, Belgium in 14:09.82, before ending the season with a world record 5,000m in 13:54 at the Cursa dels Nassos in December 2024.
Chebet began the season with a successful defence of her World Athletics Cross Country title on 30 March in Belgrade, Serbia.
Chebet edged three-time Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon into second place, with Paris Olympic marathon bronze medallist Hellen Obiri third.
Samson Ojuka displays the Sportsman with Disability Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) trophy during the 21st edition awards dinner on 17 April 2025 at the Tsavo Ball Room, Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC).
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation
Ojuka
Ojuka beat para-cyclist Kennedy Ogada and powerlifter Shadrack Mutai into second and third place respectively. Ogada, who won two tandem road cycling medals - gold and silver - at the Confederation of Africa Cycling (CAC) Para Cycling Championships held in Cairo, Egypt on June 26-27.
Mutai dominated the under-20 boys' 54kg category, winning two gold medals at the World Abilitysport Youth Games held in Songkhla, Thailand from December 1 to 7 last year.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Athletics) Ronald Kwemoi (Athletics) Benson Kipruto (Athletics)
Beatrice Chebet (Athletics) Faith Kipyegon (Athletics) Hellen Obiri (Athletics)
Samson Ojuka (Paralympics, Long jump) Kennedy Ogada (Paralympics, Cycling) Shadrack Kipyegon (Powerlifting)
Michelle Chengetich (Para athletics- Discus, shot out) Sheila Wanyonyi (Para athletics, Javelin) Valerie Olesia (Powerlifting)
Mildred Cheche (National under-17 Girls Football Team)
Thunder (Basketball) Rising Stars (national under 20 football team) Kenya Prisons (Volleyball)
Junior Starlets (national under-1U football team) National Amputee Team (Football) Kenya Pipeline ( Volleyball)
Benson Mwenda (All Saints Embu Rugby coach)
Kesogon ( Volleyball) St Joseph's (Rugby 7s) Butere (Basketball)
All Saints Embu (Rugby 15s) Friends School Kamusinga (Basketball) Musingu (Hockey)
