World-record pole vaulter, Armand Duplantis, was named one of six World Athletes of the Year for 2023.
This year’s edition of the World Athletics Awards changed from crowning a sole male and female winner to issuing awards across six categories.
World and Olympic champion, Duplantis, Athlete of the Year in 2020 and 2022, took the inaugural men’s field award.
Other winners announced on Monday were Tigist Assefa, Faith Kipyegon, Yulimar Rojas, Noah Lyles and Kelvin Kiptum.
Duplantis, Kiptum, Assefa and Kipyegon set world records in their respective events in 2023, while all six award winners secured world titles or major marathon wins.
Sweden’s Duplantis, 24, broke the world record twice in 2023 and defended his world title.
Ethiopia’s Assefa, 27, was awarded the women’s out of stadia trophy after winning the Berlin marathon with the biggest single improvement of the women’s world record for 40 years.
Women’s track winner, Kipyegon, set world records at three distances 1500m, 5,000m and the mile during a season in which the 29-year-old Kenyan achieved a golden double at the World Athletics Championships.
Women’s field winner, Rojas, claimed her fourth world triple jump title and the 28-year-old Venezuelan won her third consecutive Diamond League trophy.
American Lyles, 26, took the men’s track award after winning the 100m-200m double at the World Championships, as well as adding a 4x100m gold.
And finally, Kenya’s Kiptum, 24, claimed the men’s out of stadia award after becoming the first athlete to break two hours one minute in a record-eligible marathon in Chicago.
—BBC
