Kenyan runner nominated for IAAF Athlete of the Year award

Continental Cup and Africa 3,000m steeplechase champion Beatrice Chepkoech from Kenya is among 10 female athletes who have been nominated for the IAAF Female World Athlete of the Year.

Determined to put behind the disappointment from last year’s World Championships in London, where she missed the water barrier, Chepkoech has simply been phenomenal this season.

She won the 1,500m race at the National trials, before settling for silver in the metric mile race at Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in a personal best of 4:03.09.

Chepkoech went back to her specialty, the 3,000m steeplechase, where she won the National Championships in 9:23.73, before going for the Africa title in a Championship Record time of 8:59.88 on August 5 in Asaba, Nigeria.

Chepkoech won four of her five Diamond League races this season with her victory in Monaco on July 20, producing a World Record time of 8:44.32, making her the first woman run under 8 minute and 50 seconds.

She shattered Ruth Jebet’s (Bahrain) previous record (8:52.78) by a massive nine seconds.

She also won Shanghai (9:07.27), Paris (8:59.36) and Brussels (8:55.10), where she got to claim her first Diamond League Trophy setting the stage for her World Cup victory in 9:07.92 in Ostrava, Czech.

According to the IAAF, this week marks the opening of the voting process for the 2018 World Athletes of the Year ahead of the IAAF Athletics Awards 2018 on December 4 in Monaco.

The 10 nominees for Female World Athlete of the Year were selected by an international panel of athletics experts, comprising representatives from all six continental areas of the IAAF.

Voting for the Female World Athlete of the Year closes on November 12. At the conclusion of the voting process, five men and five women finalists will be announced by the IAAF.

A three-way voting process will determine the finalists.

The IAAF Council and the IAAF Family will cast their votes by email, while fans can vote online via the IAAF’s social media platforms. Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram this week; a ‘like’ on Facebook and Instagram or a retweet on Twitter will count as one vote.

The IAAF Council’s vote will count for 50 per cents of the result, while the IAAF Family’s votes and the public votes will each count for 25 per cent of the final result.

Chepkoech will battle among others Caster Semenya from South Africa, who won both the 800m and 1,500m at Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast and 400m and 800m titles at Africa Senior Athletics Championships.

She went on to win the Continental Cup and Diamond League Series. She was unbeaten in her nine 800m finals including the Commonwealth Games, African Championships, Diamond League final and Continental Cup.

The male nominees will be announced on Tuesday.

The nominees for 2018 Female World Athlete of the Year are:

Dina Asher-Smith (GBR)

– European champion & world lead at 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay

– Second over 100m in the Diamond League final and Continental Cup

– Commonwealth Games relay gold and 200m bronze

Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN)

– World steeplechase record by eight seconds, backed up by the third-quickest mark of all-time

– Winner of seven out of eight steeplechase finals including the Continental Cup, African Championships and Diamond League

– Commonwealth Games silver at 1500m

Sifan Hassan (NED)

– World lead at one mile and 3000m, the latter set when winning at the Continental Cup

– European champion at 5000m; European records at 5000m and half marathon

– World indoor medals at 1500m and 3000m

Caterine Ibarguen (COL)

– Continental Cup winner, Diamond League champion and Central American & Caribbean – champion at both long and triple jumps

– World lead & unbeaten in eight finals at triple jump

Mariya Lasitskene (ANA)

– Winner of 25 out of 26 contests at high jump, including the World Indoor Championships, European Championships, Diamond League final and Continental Cup

– World leads both indoors and out

Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH)

– Unbeaten across five events in 15 races (13 finals & 2 preliminaries), including a 200m/4x100m relay double at the Continental Cup

– World lead and three wins at 400m with the world’s fastest time since 2006

– Commonwealth Games and Diamond League champion at 200m

– World bests at indoor 300m and 150m straight

Sandra Perkovic (CRO)

– Winner of 11 out of 13 contests at discus throw, including the European title for a record fifth time

– Had the seven longest throws of the year

Caster Semenya (RSA)

– Unbeaten in her nine 800m finals including the Commonwealth Games, African Championships, Diamond League final and Continental Cup

– Commonwealth champion at 1500m and African Champion at 400m

– World leads at 800m & 1000m

Nafissatou Thiam (BEL)

– European champion, world lead and unbeaten at heptathlon

– World number three at high jump

Anita Wlodarczyk (POL)

– European champion, IAAF Challenge winner and world lead at hammer throw

Source:https://www.nation.co.ke/