Twitter Praises Kenya Star Eliud Kipchoge After IAAF Top Honour

Marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge was on Tuesday honoured as the IAAF male athlete of the year at athletics’ annual awards ceremony. Colombian jumper Caterine Ibarguen was named the woman athlete of the year. Kenyan steeplechase world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech was a finalist.

Olympic champion Kipchoge shattered the world marathon record by 78 seconds as he completed the Berlin Marathon in two hours, one minute and 39 seconds while Ibarguen was the Diamond League champion in both the long jump and triple jump. Both are first-time winners of the award.

Kipchoge’s performance marked the biggest improvement in the marathon record since Australian Derek Clayton took almost two and a half minutes off the mark in 1967. The 34-year-old also won the London Marathon in 2018.

He is THE MAN!!!!! Hongera, Eliud! #TheGreatest #IAAF
Eliud Kipchoge Is the Greatest Marathoner, Ever https://t.co/vl9Cr4voX5

— Jeff Koinange, MBS (@KoinangeJeff) December 5, 2018

He also missed by 26 seconds breaking the magical two-hour barrier when he crossed the line in 2:00.25 in a special race on the Monza circuit in Italy in 2017 that was not eligible for record purposes.

Ibarguen, the Olympic champion in the triple jump, was undefeated in eight finals in the event. Her triple jump of 14.96 metres in Rabat was the longest in the world in 2018. The 34-year-old also was IAAF Continental Cup and Central American and Caribbean champion in both the long jump and triple jump.

Eliud Kipchoge wins 2018 IAAF Male Athlete of the Year after setting the marathon world record of 2:01:39 in Berlin in September.

Well deserved.

First Kenyan to win since David Rudisha in 2010. pic.twitter.com/vUfCfbCQxE

— Chris Chavez (@ChrisChavez) December 4, 2018

Bahamian sprinter Shaunae Miller-Uibo, British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith and Belgian heptathlete Nafissatou Thiam, the 2017 winner, were the other female finalists.

French decathlon world record holder Kevin Mayer, US 60m world record-setter Christian Coleman, Swedish pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis and Qatari hurdler Abderrahman Samba were the other finalists for the men’s award. A three-way voting process determined the shortlists.