Kenyan stars Faith Kipyegon and Kelvin Kiptum were among the six athletes honoured at the recently revamped 2023 World Athletics Awards gala held in Monaco, France.
The new format saw winners categorized based on their specific disciplines: track, field events, and out-of-stadium events, instead of the traditional single male and female athlete of the year awards.
Kipyegon, a double Olympic champion in the 1500m, claimed the Female Athlete of the Year award for track events.
Faith Kipyegon 🗣️ “Wow I’m so proud of myself. To achieve what I achieved this year was magnificent. It was a dream come true.”
The world record-holder in the 1500m and mile is your World Athlete of the Year Award for Track Events ✨#AthleticsAwards pic.twitter.com/aayeKyLXqu
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) December 11, 2023
I am immensely grateful and humbled to have been bestowed with the title of Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (EGH)
Thank you H.E President @WilliamsRuto, the government of Kenya and my fellow country men and women
To be inspired is moving, to inspire others is uplifting! pic.twitter.com/e2tyd3CD2f
— Faith Kipyegon (@Kipyegon_Faith) December 12, 2023
Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia took home the top honours in the out-of-stadium category, while Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas reigned supreme in field events.
Other winners included Armand “Mondo” Duplantis of Sweden (men’s field), Noah Lyles of the United States (men’s track), and Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya (men’s out-of-stadium).
This expansion of the awards was prompted by the exceptional year in athletics, with a staggering 23 world records being shattered. With six athletes breaking records and securing prestigious titles, the decision to recognize their achievements across various disciplines was deemed fitting.
“The depth of talent and the outstanding performances in our sport this year more than justify the expansion of the World Athletics Awards to recognise the accomplishments by these six athletes across a range of disciplines,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.
A closer look at the winners:
Track:
- Faith Kipyegon (Kenya): Set world records in the 1500m, 5,000m, and the mile, and won gold medals at both the World Championships and the Diamond League.
- Noah Lyles (USA): Achieved a 100m-200m double at the World Championships, followed by a 4x100m gold medal.
Field:
- Armand “Mondo” Duplantis (Sweden): Broke the world record twice in 2023 and defended his world title.
- Yulimar Rojas (Venezuela): Clinched her fourth world triple jump title and her third consecutive Diamond League trophy.
Out-of-stadium:
- Tigist Assefa (Ethiopia): won the Berlin Marathon with a time that represented the biggest single improvement on the women’s world record in 40 years.
- Kelvin Kiptum (Kenya): Became the first athlete to break the two-hour, one-minute barrier in a record-eligible marathon in Chicago.
“First of all I am very grateful to my fans. I’m really grateful for being awarded this trophy, thank you.”
Marathon world record-holder Kelvin Kiptum was over the moon after receiving his World Athlete of the Year Award for Out of Stadia Events.#AthleticsAwards pic.twitter.com/03YRnn9UXQ
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) December 12, 2023
The 2023 World Athletics Awards ceremony marked a significant change for World Athletics, showcasing the incredible talent across diverse disciplines and recognizing the remarkable achievements of these six exceptional athletes.
