Cheptegei on final shortlist for World Athletics Awards
Ugandan star Joshua Cheptegei
Ugandan star Joshua Cheptegei will attempt to win the Male World Athlete of the Year for a second year running after the final five-man shortlist yesterday.
World Athletics yesterday announced that the long-distance runner Cheptegei will vie for the top award at a virtual Awards ceremony on December 5.
He is up against American shot putter Ryan Crouser, Swede Vaulter Armand Duplantis, German javelin thrower Johannes Vetter and Norwegian 400m hurdler Karsten Warholm.
“In spite of the many challenges presented by the global Covid-19 pandemic this year, the five athletes, who represent five countries and three area associations, have excelled, producing brilliant performances across nearly all athletics disciplines in 2020,” reads part of World Athletics’ email yesterday.
Last year, Cheptegei won the World Cross-country title, the 5000m Diamond League trophy and the world 10000m gold
However, he lost the coveted prize to Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge who had won the London Marathon in a course record of 2:02:37 as well as a 1:59:40.2 for 42.195km in Vienna, Austria.
But this time, Cheptegei has been stellar with three world records (WRs) over the 5km (12:51), 5000m (12min, 35.36sec), and 10000m (26min,11sec).
And Cheptegei would add a fourth place finish as well as a team gold on his 21km debut at the World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland on October 17.
Cheptegei’s counterpart Jacob Kiplimo won the race in Gdynia for a sweet 20th birthday gift but despite triumphing at the only organised World Athletics championship for the year, Kiplimo did not make the final shortlist.
