Double World record holder and double World Champion Faith Kipyegon is among a list of 11 nominees set to battle it out for the 2023 Female Athlete of the Year award.
According to the full list released by World Athletics on Wednesday, the 29-year-old Kipyegon will face off with Ethiopians Tigst Assefa, who on September 24 lowered the women’s marathon world record by 2 minutes, 11 seconds to 2:11:53, and Gudaf Tsegay, who broke Kipyegon’s 5000m world record on September 17.
Sha’Carri Richardson, who won 100m and 4x100m gold and 200m bronze at August’s worlds, is the lone American nominee while the other athletes shortlisted for the award include world champions: Dutchwoman Femke Bol (400m hurdles), Jamaican Shericka Jackson (200m), Japanese Haruka Kitaguchi (javelin), Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh (high jump), Spaniard Maria Perez (race walk), Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas (triple jump) and Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi (3000m steeplechase).
Kipyegon shattered world records in the 1500m, mile, and 5000m in 2023, plus becoming the first woman to win titles at both 1500m and 5000m at one world championships and also recently ended her season with a bronze medal in the road mile at the World Road Running Championships.
According to further information on the World Athletics website, the World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast their votes by email, while fans can vote online via the World Athletics social media platforms. Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube this week; a ‘like’ on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube or a retweet on X will count as one vote.
The World Athletics Council’s vote will count for 50% of the result, while the World Athletics Family’s votes and the public votes will each count for 25% of the final result. The voting will close on Saturday, October 28 and at the conclusion of the voting process, five women and five men finalists will be announced by World Athletics on November 13 to 14.