Decorated Kenyan athlete and triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon was nominated in the World Sportswoman of the Year category for the upcoming prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.
Kipyegon had a vastly successful 2024 season where she clinched the 1500m gold in the Paris 2024 Olympics, marking her third consecutive victory over the distance at the Olympics becoming the first woman to win three Olympic golds over a single track discipline.
In 2024, Kipyegon also broke her own world record in the 1500m distance and set a new Olympic record over 1500m. She also claimed a silver medal in the 5000m at the Olympics, highlighting her immense ability in middle- and long-distance races.
Her exploits in the athletics world over the season have now earned her a nomination amongst some of the world’s greats in different sports. She is set to compete against fellow athletes Sifan Hassan and USA’s Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone. Other nominees include gymnast Simone Biles from the USA, female tennis world number one Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus and current women’s football Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati from Spain.
This year, Kipyegon was Kenya’s sole nomination to the highly coveted sports award. If she wins, she would be the first Kenyan (male or female) since Vivian Cheruiyot in 2012 to win a Laureus award.
The Laureus World Sports Academy, a panel of over 60 legendary athletes and sporting icons, votes on the final winners from the shortlisted candidates. The Academy members review the nominees’ achievements and cast secret ballots to determine the winners.
Winners receive the Laureus Statuette, a specially designed silver trophy featuring a human figure with outstretched arms holding up the world. Winners join an elite group of sporting legends and gain increased visibility and prestige.
Notably, unlike some awards, the Laureus Awards focus on honour and legacy rather than financial reward. However, many past winners work with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, supporting initiatives that use sport to promote social change.
The Laureus World Sports Awards are among the most prestigious honours in the sporting world, recognising outstanding athletes, teams, and achievements across various disciplines. Unlike sport-specific awards (e.g., the Ballon d'Or for football), the Laureus Awards recognise achievements across all sports, making them uniquely prestigious.
The selection of the winners by the Laureus World Sports Academy gives the awards a high level of credibility and respect.
Past winners include global icons like Usain Bolt (athletics), Serena Williams (tennis), Roger Federer (tennis), Lionel Messi (football), and Michael Schumacher (motorsports racing), reinforcing the award’s prestige.
The awards are set to be held on Monday, April 21, in Madrid, Spain, and will have a special twist as Laureus will be celebrating 25 years since the inaugural Laureus Sports Awards held in Monaco in 2000.
“This special anniversary edition of the greatest show in sports will celebrate the growth of Laureus as a unique sporting movement and will honour the past, celebrate the present and inspire the future – expect the biggest names from the world of sport, joined by celebrity sports fans, in a unique mix for which Laureus is renowned,” noted Laureus.
Aside from Faith’s category, other categories include Sportsman of the Year, Team of the Year, Breakthrough of the Year, Comeback of the Year, and Sportsperson with a Disability.
