Cheptegei, Kiplimo shortlisted for World Athlete of the Year awards
Ugandan athletes; Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo have been selected on a 10-man shortlist for the 2020 World Athlete of the Year awards.
According to a statement from World Athletics, the nominations were based on exceptional performance that the sport has witnessed his year, despite challenges that the global Covid-19 pandemic presented.
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“World Athletics is pleased to confirm a list of 10 nominees for Male World Athlete of the Year who were selected by an international panel of athletics experts, comprising representatives from all six continental areas of World Athletics.”
Jacob Kiplimo is the freshest winner of the recently concluded World Half Marathon in Poland, in which Joshua Cheptegei came forth on his debut over the distance.
Kiplimo also ran a world-leading 7:26.64 over 3000m, the fastest time in the world since 2007.
Cheptegei has also had the best year on the track, smashing three world records at 5000m, 10,000, and 5km on the roads.
A three-way voting process will determine the finalists.
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, Twitter, and Instagram this week; a 'like' on Facebook and Instagram or a retweet on Twitter 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 statement reads.
Voting for the World Athletes of the Year closes at midnight on Sunday 15 November. At the conclusion of the voting process, five men and five women finalists will be announced by World Athletics.
The male and female World Athletes of the Year will be announced live at the World Athletics Awards 2020 on Saturday 5 December.
