It’s D-Day for the 2018 IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) Athletics Awards and as the world waits for the winners to be unveiled, Kenyans now have their fingers crossed that Eliud Kipchoge will bag the award for the Male Athlete of the Year.
Do you think Mr. Kipchoge will clinch the Male Athlete of the Year award?
The Marathon World Record Holder last month increased his chances of winning when he made it to the final shortlist of five for this year’s IAAF awards in the Male Athlete category.
Kipchoge was among the five athletes picked to represent five countries from four Area associations. According to IAAF, the five had illustrated excellence across nearly all athletics disciplines in 2018.
Kipchoge is the only Kenyan athlete competing for the award after Timothy Cheruiyot and Emmanuel Korir and were dropped out of the race after the voting process.
Kipchoge is going against American sprinter Chris Coleman, Swedish Pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, French Heptathlete Kevin Mayer and Qatari 400m hurdler Abdelrahman Samba, who are all in the battle for the prestigious title.
The 34-year old athlete will be looking to become the second Kenyan to win the IAAF award after David Rudisha was awarded the crown in 2010 making him the first Kenyan to ever receive the accolade.
Kipchoge now says that winning the overall athlete tonight would be respect shown to his efforts.
“It means the whole world will be believing my story,” he said.
“Believing in my hard work and in what I’m doing for the sport in this world,” he added.
The 2018 IAAF World Athlete of the Year Awards ceremony will be held today in Monaco from 7.15 pm local time tonight and 9.15 pm Kenyan time. The male and female World Athletes of the Year will be announced live on stage.