The World Athletics Awards 2023, held in Monaco on Tuesday, celebrated the achievements of the best athletes and coaches of the year. Among the six winners, Faith Kipyegon and Noah Lyles stood out for their remarkable performances and records.
Kipyegon: the queen of middle distance
The Kenyan star was named the Female Athlete of the Year after a sensational season that saw her break three world records and win two gold medals at the World Championships in Budapest. She became the first woman to achieve the 1500m-5000m double at the global event, beating strong rivals like Sifan Hassan and Gudaf Tsegay.
Kipyegon started her year with a dominant win at the Sirikwa Cross Country in Eldoret, where she beat some of Kenya’s leading distance runners by more than a minute. She then moved to the track and showed her speed and endurance in various events.
She broke the world 1500m record in Florence, clocking 3:49.11 and winning by eight seconds. She then shattered the world 5000m record in Paris, running 14:05.20 and finishing two seconds ahead of the previous record holder Letesenbet Gidey. She capped her season with another world record in the mile in Monaco, where she ran 4:07.64 and passed the 1500m mark in 3:51.41.
Kipyegon said she was surprised and delighted by her achievements, and thanked her coach, family and fans for their support. She also dedicated her award to her daughter Alyn, who was born in 2018.
Lyles: the sprint sensation
The American sensation was named the Male Athlete of the Year after a stellar season that saw him win three gold medals at the World Championships and break the world 200m record. He became the first man to win the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the same global event, emulating the feat of Usain Bolt in 2009.
Lyles started his year with a win at the US Indoor Championships in the 60m, clocking 6.49 and equaling the world lead. He then moved to the outdoor season and dominated the Diamond League circuit, winning five races and setting personal bests in the 100m (9.74) and 200m (19.50).
He saved his best for the World Championships, where he broke the world 200m record in the semifinals, running 19.19 and eclipsing Bolt’s mark of 19.19. He then won the final in 19.32, beating Andre De Grasse and Kenneth Bednarek. He also won the 100m in 9.76, edging out Ronnie Baker and Akani Simbine. He completed his triple crown with the 4x100m relay, where he anchored the US team to a world-leading 37.10.
Lyles said he was honored and humbled by his award, and credited his coach, family and fans for their inspiration. He also paid tribute to his brother Josephus, who is also a sprinter and his training partner.
Other winners
The other winners of the World Athletics Awards 2023 were:
- Karsten Warholm: the Norwegian hurdler won the Male Performance of the Year award for his incredible world record of 46.70 in the 400m hurdles at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where he beat Rai Benjamin and Alison Dos Santos in one of the greatest races of all time.
- Yulimar Rojas: the Venezuelan triple jumper won the Female Performance of the Year award for her stunning world record of 15.67m at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where she improved the previous mark by 17 centimeters and won the gold medal by more than a meter.
- Peruth Chemutai: the Ugandan steeplechaser won the Female Rising Star award for her breakthrough season that saw her win the Olympic gold medal in the 3000m steeplechase in 9:01.45, setting a national record and becoming the first Ugandan woman to win an Olympic medal in athletics.
- Jakob Ingebrigtsen: the Norwegian middle-distance runner won the Male Rising Star award for his impressive season that saw him win the Olympic gold medal in the 1500m in 3:28.32, setting a European record and becoming the youngest Olympic champion in the event at 20 years old.
The World Athletics Awards 2023 also honored the best coaches, officials, volunteers and journalists of the year, as well as the best moments and photographs of the season.
