Chespol among finalists for IAAF Award
Cellphine Chespol celebrates her World Under-20 Championships 3,000m steeplechase victory at Zawisza Stadium, Bydgoszcz, Poland on July 22, 2016. PHOTO | AYUMBA AYODI |
What you need to know:
After winning the junior trials, Chespol would go on to retain her World Under-20 Championships 3,000m steeplechase title in a Championship Record for the second consecutive time on 9:12.79
Chespol will battle it out with World Under 20 100m and 200m champion Briana Williams from Jamaica, Ethiopian long distance runners Meseret Belete and Meskerem Mamo and American 4000m hurdler Sydney McLaughlin
World Under 20 3,000m steeplechase champion Cellphine Chespol from Kenya is among the five finalists for the 2018 Female Rising Star Award.
The winner will be announced at the IAAF Athletics Awards gala to be held in Monaco on December 4 this year.
Chespol won senior women’s 10km race at the Africa Cross Country Championships in Algeria, in March. She went on to prevail at the national trials before settling for silver in 3,000m steeplechase at Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April.
After winning the junior trials, Chespol would go on to retain her World Under 20 Championships 3,000m steeplechase title in a Championship Record of 9:12.79.
She later settled for silver at the Africa Championship sin Asaba, Nigeria losing the battle to World 3,000m steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech.
Chespol will battle it out with World Under 20 100m and 200m champion Briana Williams from Jamaica, Ethiopian long distance runners Meseret Belete and Meskerem Mamo and American 400m hurdler Sydney McLaughlin.
In the men’s category, Kenya’s World Under-20 10,000m champion Rhonex Kipruto, who has the world leading time in 10km of 26:46, is among the five finalists. Others are Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega, who won the 2018 Diamond League 5,000m trophy, World Under-20 triple jump champion Jordan Diaz from Cuba and World Under 20 pole vault champion Swede Armand Duplantis.
The nominees for the Female Rising Star Award are:
Cellphine Chespol (KEN)
- World U20 champion and world U20 lead at steeplechase with 9:01.82
- African (senior) cross-country champion
- Steeplechase silvers at Commonwealth Games and African Championships
Meseret Belete (ETH)
- World U20 best at half marathon with 1:07:51
- Sixth and team gold at IAAF World Half Marathon Championships Valencia 2018
- Gothenburg Half Marathon winner
Meskerem Mamo (ETH)
- World U20 leads at 3000m and 5000m with 8:33.63 and 15:05.21
- Bronze in 5000m at African Championships
Sydney McLaughlin (USA)
- Two world U20 bests or records at both 400m hurdles and indoor 400m with 52.75 and 50.36i respectively
- World (senior) lead at 400m hurdles with 52.75
- US collegiate champion at 400m hurdles
Briana Williams (JAM)
- World U20 champion at both 100m and 200m
- Carifta Games U17 champion at both sprints and 4x100m
