World Athletics Solomonic decision: choose six athletes as the best of the year

Six athletes, Tigist Assefa, Yulimar Rojas, Faith Kipyegon, Noah Lyles, Mondo Duplantis and Kelvin Kiptumhave been selected as the best athletes of the year 2023 in a Solomonic decision by World Athletics that wants to expand the range of awards to races, competitions and routes with a significant difference in the skills required.

“The depth of talent and outstanding performances in our sport this year more than justifies the expansion of the World Athletics Awards to recognize the achievements of these six athletes in different disciplines,” said by World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. “Our World Athletes of the Year have already achieved seven world records between them in 2023, as well as a host of world titles and major victories, so it is only fitting that they be recognized as athletes of the year in their respective fields. . ”

The six winners

Women’s Track: Faith Kipyegon (KEN) 1500 m/mile/5000 m
Women’s competitions: Yulimar Rojas (VEN) triple jump
Women’s route: Tigist Assefa (ETI) marathon
Men’s track: Noah Lyles (USA), 100 m/200 m
Men’s competitions: Mondo Duplantis (SUE) pole vault
Men’s route: Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) marathon

Assefa, Duplantis, Kiptum and Kipyegon set world records in their respective events in 2023, while all six World Athletes of the Year earned world titles or victories in major marathons.

The time of year for Assefa It came at the Berlin Marathon in September, when the 27-year-old Ethiopian ran 2:11:53, beating the world record by 2’14” and making the biggest improvement on the mark in 40 years. He finished nearly six minutes ahead of its nearest rival.

Kiptum He also achieved his world record at the Chicago Marathon in October by running 2h00’35” and became the first athlete to break two hours and one minute in a qualifying marathon. The 24-year-old Kenyan won the race by nearly three and a half minutes and take 34 seconds off Eliud Kipchoge’s previous world record.Just one year after his marathon debut, Kiptum now has three of the seven fastest times in history.

Duplantis improved his pole vault world record indoors and outdoors in 2023, while also retaining the world title and achieving 20 vaults above 6.00. On the indoor track, the 24-year-old Swede added one centimeter to his previous absolute mark, surpassing 6.22 m in Clermont-Ferrand. During the outdoor season, she won her second consecutive world title in Budapest and then won her third Wanda Diamond League trophy with 6.23 m in her first attempt to improve her world record by another centimeter.

Kipyegon He set world records at three distances in a season where he also achieved the double at the World Championships in Budapest. The 29-year-old Kenyan improved the 1,500m world record to 3:49.11 in Florence, nearly a second off the previous mark. Just a week later, and despite having run 5,000m only twice before, he also improved the world record with 14:05.20 in Paris to shave 1.42 seconds off the old record. His third world record came in Monaco, where he beat the previous mile mark by five seconds, 4:07.64. Then, in Budapest, he won his third 1,500m world title and his first 5,000m world crown.

Lyles He also achieved a double at the World Championships in Budapest, winning gold in the 100 meters in 9.83 and retaining his 200 meters title in 19.52 before becoming part of the successful United States 4×100 meters team. The 26-year-old American finished the season as the world leader in both events (9’83 and 19’47). In the 200 he led the rankings for the sixth year in a row.

Yuli Rojas, the Venezuelan who trains in Spain, won his fourth world outdoor title in Budapest and his third straight Diamond League trophy. Despite starting in eighth place in the improvement round in the triple jump final, he kept his composure and managed to jump 15.08 m in his final attempt, putting himself eight centimeters ahead. It secured him the eighth world gold medal. Then, in the Diamond League final in Eugene, he improved his record of the year with 15.35 m, just 39 cm away from his own world record.

Other winners were Faith Cherotich and Emmanuel Wanyonyi, named rising star of 2023. Best woman of the year Falilatou Tchanile-Salifou, the president of the Togolese Athletics Federation, Best coach was Laurent Meuwly, Best federation Athletics Australia and the International Fair Play Award for Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey.