Two Kenyan athletes have bagged millions from a global organisation even without taking part in a race, ending their sport's year on a high note.
The athletes, Faith Kipyegon and Timothy Cheruyoit received the cash prize courtesy of the Diamond League, an international organisation that hosts topflight racing competitions.
Kipyegon and Cheruyoit each walked home with Ksh2.26 million from the organisers of the Diamond League appreciating their consistency throughout the season.
“In 2021, the Wanda Diamond League is awarding a prize to honour those athletes who consistently delivered excellent performances throughout the summer season,” Wanda Diamond League announced.
Kipyegon, 1,500m star topped off her season with a victory at the Diamond League final in Zurich, winning the Diamond Trophy for the first time since the birth of her child in 2018. She was the most consistent distance performer of the season, taking wins in Doha, Eugene, and Monaco.
On the other hand, Cheruiyot dominated the Diamond League scene, picking up four wins, including a personal best time of 3:28.28 in Monaco, winning his fourth successive Diamond League title.
The ten winners of the award were picked in the sprints, hurdles, distance events, jumps, and throws feting both male and female.
The winners were decided using a points system which compares performances across disciplines, adjusting for factors such as conditions and the number of times a discipline was held during the season.
Kipyegon, the season has been outstanding as she received accolades after another. The two-time Olympic 1500m champion was among the 10 nominees for the Female World Athlete of the Year 2021.
Prior to that, Kipyegon made another long stride to the annals of history by becoming the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 1500m since Russian Tatyana Kazankina in 1976 and 1980.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games, she successfully defended her gold medal in the women's 1500m with a record time of 3:53.11.
Kipyegon had represented the country at the London Olympics of 2012 but failed to impress after being eliminated in the heats. She bounced back with an impressive performance in Rio Olympics in 2016.
During the Jamhuri day celebration, Kipyegon was among the athletes conferred with the Order of Great Warrior (OGW) awards.
In August, Timothy was promoted to the rank of Senior Superintendent of Prisons after his performance in Tokyo.
Before the Tokyo Games, Cheruiyot was a Chief Inspector at the Prisons Service.
