NEWS
Your World Athletes of the Year
In early December , World Athletics announced the winners of its World Athletics Awards 2023 , with six athletes named as World Athlete of the Year in expanded new categories that recognise the different disciplines within the sport . – BY SEAN FALCONER & WORLD ATHLETICS
The World Athletics Awards 2023 will go down as the first really representative edition of the global awards , thanks to a smart move by World Athletics to create new sub-divisions in the main awards . This was done after feedback received during the voting process , where athletes , fans and World Athletics Family members gave feedback that picking a single athlete of the year out of track , field and road athletes was incredibly hard to do , because of the vast differences in skillsets required .
Some of the winners in Monaco with World Athletics President Seb Coe and Prince Albert II of Monaco
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All the Winners in the World Athletics Awards 2023
Women ’ s World Athlete of the Year – Track : Faith Kipyegon ( Kenya ) – 1500m / Mile / 5000m Men ’ s World Athlete of the Year – Track : Noah Lyles ( USA ) – 100m / 200m
Women ’ s World Athlete of the Year – Field : Yulimar Rojas ( Venezuela ) – Triple jump Men ’ s World Athlete of the Year – Field : Mondo Duplantis ( Sweden ) – Pole vault
Women ’ s World Athlete of the Year – Out of Stadia : Tigist Assefa ( Ethiopia ) – Marathon Men ’ s World Athlete of the Year – Out of Stadia : Kelvin Kiptum ( Kenya ) – Marathon
Women ’ s Rising Star : Faith Cherotich ( Kenya ) 3000m Steeplechase Men ’ s Rising Star : Emmanuel Wanyonyi ( Kenya ) – 800m
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As a result , when the winners were announced on 11 December , at a gala function hosted by Prince Albert II at the Prince ’ s Palace in Monaco , there were six World Athlete of the Year awards , divided into men ’ s and women ’ s awards in three event categories : Track , Field and Out of Stadia . Many sensational performances were achieved in 2023 , including an extraordinary 23 World Records and nine World U20 Records ( two equalled ), and the extended awards saw six World Champions and World Record-breakers all rewarded with the title of World Athlete of the Year , along with the various other categories of awards that traditionally make the annual World Athletics Awards .
“ The depth of talent and the outstanding performances in our sport this year more than justify the expansion of the World Athletics Awards to recognise the accomplishments by these six athletes across a range of disciplines ,” says World Athletics President Sebastian Coe . “ Our World Athletes of the Year alone have achieved seven World Records between them in 2023 , as well as a host of World Titles and major wins , so it is only fitting that they be recognised as the athletes of the year in their respective fields . I congratulate our award winners and all of the athletes nominated for these honours .”
International Fair Play Award : Letesenbet Gidey ( Ethiopia ) Coaching Achievement Award : Laurent Meuwly ( Switzerland ) Member Federation Award : Athletics Australia
Woman of the Year : Falilatou Tchanile-Salifou ( Togo ) Photograph of the Year : Mattia Ozbot ( Italy ) President ’ s Award : Abbott World Marathon Majors
Images : Mattia Ozbot , Stephen Pond / Getty Images , Christian Petersen / Getty Images & courtesy Berlin Marathon , Chicago Marathon , World Athletics