Paris: Dutch marathon runner Sifan Hassan and Botswanan sprinter Letsile Tebogo, both of whom took gold at the Paris Olympics, were named ‘Athletes of the Year’ by World Athletics in Monaco yesterday.
Hassan, who also won the out-of-stadium award, was rewarded for her incredible performance in the French capital which stretched beyond the marathon and on to the track.
In the space of seven days, she won two bronze medals in the 5,000 metres, having also run a heat, and the 10,000m, and a spectacular gold in the marathon when she outsprinted Kenyan world record holder Tigist Assefa to win by just three seconds.
“I never thought I was going to win this one,” said Hassan after receiving her award in Monaco. “This year was crazy. It’s not only me - all the athletes have been amazing.”
Tebogo received his award after becoming the first African to be crowned Olympic champion in the 200m, crossing the line at the Stade de France in 19.46 seconds, edging out the American Kenny Bednarek and favourite Noah Lyles. “This means a lot,” said Tebogo who doubled up with the men’s track award. “It’s not just about the team that is around you, there are a lot of fans out there that really want us to win something great for the continent. It was a real surprise to hear my name because I didn’t expect this.”
The international athletics federation also decided to reward a number of other athletes who shone at the Olympics. Swedish pole-vaulter Armand Duplantis won the men’s field category after an unbeaten 2024, winning Olympic gold and setting a new world record of 6.26 metres. Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh was the winner in the women’s event, after improving the old high jump world record to 2.10m at the age of just 22 and also winning Olympic gold in Paris.