World Athletics Snubs Faith Kipyegon, Chebet For 2025 Awards, 3 Kenyans Make Cut
In an unexpected turn of events, Kenya’s middle-distance queen, Faith Kipyegon, and her long-distance counterpart, Beatrice Chebet, were left off the World Athletics 2025 awards nominations list, leaving many astonished.
On Tuesday, November 4, World Athletics unveiled the 12 finalists for the prestigious prize, including three Kenyans.
Kenyan athletes on the list include Peres Jepchirchir, the world record marathon holder, Sebastian Sawe, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the world 800 metre champion.
While Jepchirchir was nominated for the Women’s World Athlete of the Year award, Sawe and Wanyonyi were nominated for the Men’s category.
Jepchirchir was named a finalist for the prize after a great season that included a gold medal at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, and a third-place performance in the London Marathon.
Similarly, Sebastian Sawe was nominated for his remarkable achievements, including winning both the London and Berlin marathons, consolidating his domination in the track event.
Similarly, Wanyonyi was nominated for his outstanding performance in the 800 metres, where he became both world champion and Diamond League winner.
The trio were among the 12 competitors worldwide who received the highest votes in the first round of voting across the sport’s core categories.
Others who were also nominated in the women’s category include Dutch’s Femke Bol, USA’s Tara Davis and Sydney Levrone and Spanish runner Maria Perez.
Aside from Sawe and Wanyonyi, athletes nominated in the men’s category include Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis, Italy’s Mattia Furlani, the United States’ Noah Lyle, and Tanzania’s Alphonse Simbu.
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The World Athletics Championships, however, excluded two prominent Kenyan athletes, Kipyegon and Chebet, who had been prolific and dominating in their respective sports.
Despite not being nominated, Kipyegon had a great season, winning gold in the 1500 metres, silver in the 5000 metres, and breaking the world record in the 1500 metres.
Her compatriot, Beatrice Chebet, was also barred from competing despite winning gold medals in both the 5000 and 10,000 metres and setting the world record in the 5000 metres.
Meanwhile, the World Athletics Awards 2025 is expected to take place on November 30, in Monaco, France, on a night dedicated to celebrating the world’s greatest athletes and their incredible performances this year.
World Athletics Snubs Faith Kipyegon, Chebet For 2025 Awards, 3 Kenyans Make Cut
