World Athletics (WA), yesterday, unveiled the names of nominees for Women’s Athlete of the Year 2023, but the name of 100m hurdles record holder, Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, is missing from the lot.
Amusan, who is Nigeria, Africa and Commonwealth champion in the 100m hurdles, made history last year when she became the first Nigerian athlete to be nominated for the honour.
She eventually made it to the final five, before losing out to then World 400m hurdles champion and record holder, Sydeny McLaughlin.
With Amusan’s failure to successfully defend her world title at Budapest 2023 World Championships, following the emotional trauma she went through over her provisional suspension for three Whereabouts Failures, it was glaring her successful Diamond League defence would not be enough to get into the list unveiled by World Athletics.
The 11 nominees are headlined by five world record breakers, led by Kenya’s World 1500m and 5000m champion, Faith Kipyegon, who set three world records in 2023 in the 1500m, one mile and 5000m.
Others are Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, who set a world marathon record and won the Berlin Marathon, flying Dutchwoman, Femke Bol, who set a world indoor record in the 400m flat and won the world title in the 400m hurdles and Maria Perez, 20km and 35km race walk world champion, who set a world record in 35km race walk.
Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay completes the list of world record holders among the nominees. The world 10,000m champion broke Kipyegon’s 5000m world record on her way to winning the event at the Diamond League final in Eugene, Oregon, USA.
Others listed are Shericka Jackson, the Jamaican world 200m champion and double sprint Diamond League winner; Japan’s world and Diamond League javelin champion, Haruka Kitaguchi, Yaroslava Mahuchikh who won the high jump title in Budapest and Eugene.
Also listed are world and Diamond League triple champion, Yulimar Rojas; Sha’Carri Richardson, the American who won the 100m title at the Worlds and Bahama’s Winfed Yavi, who won the 3000m steeplechase title in Budapest and Eugene.
