In a surprising turn of events, Kenya's middle-distance queen, Faith Kipyegon and her long-distance counterpart, Beatrice Chebet, were excluded from the World Athletics 2025 awards nominees' list, leaving many stunned.
World Athletics on Tuesday, November 4, formally announced 12 finalists nominated for the prestigious award, with three Kenyans featuring among those shortlisted.
Kenyan athletes featured in the list include world record marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, Sebastian Sawe, and world 800 metre champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi.
While Jepchirchir was nominated for the Women’s World Athlete of the Year award category, Sawe and Wanyonyi were nominated under the men’s category.
Jepchirchir was nominated as a finalist for the award following a successful season which saw her win a gold medal in the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan and finish third in the London marathon.
Similarly, Sebastian Sawe was also nominated for his notable achievements for winning both the London and Berlin marathons, cementing his dominance in the track event.
Likewise, Wanyonyi was nominated for his exceptional run in the 800 metres, where he emerged as both the world champion and Diamond League winner.
The trio were among the 12 athletes across the globe who garnered the most support from the initial phase of voting across the sport’s key 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 also featured.
Besides Sawe and Wanyonyi, athletes who were also nominated in the men's category include Sweden's Mondo Duplantis, Italy's Mattia Furlani, USA's Noah Lyle and Tanzania's Alphonse Simbu.
However, the World Athletics excluded two celebrated Kenyan athletes, Kipyegon and Chebet, who have been prolific and dominated their respective sporting events.
Despite missing out on the nominations, Kipyegon had an incredible season, where she clinched gold in the 1500 metres, silver in the 5000 metres, and shattered the world record in the 1500 metres.
Her compatriot, Beatrice Chebet, was also excluded despite winning double gold in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres, while also breaking 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.
