Kenyan athlete listed among five runners for prestigious 2022 Men’s Rising Star prize
By edwin-otieno, November 3, 2022
Kenya’s two-lap sensation Emmanuel Wanyonyi has been shortlisted among five nominees for the prestigious 2022 Men’s Rising Star Award, which will recognise this year’s best Under 20 athlete during the 2022 World Athletics Awards.
Wanyonyi who rose to the limelight last year during the World Under 20 Athletics Championships in Nairobi, continued with his stellar performance this year where he managed a fourth-place finish during the World Championships 800m race in Oregon, USA. He was also a Diamond League winner in Rabat, Morocco and registered the world’s fastest under 20 time over the 800m distance.
On the list with Wanyonyi is Botswana youngster Letsile Tebogo who won the 100m race at the World Under Championships in Cali Colombia where he also won silver in the 200m race and set a new World Under 20 100m record.
Jamaica’s Jaydon Hibbert has also been nominated in the list for emerging as the World Under 20 triple jump champion. He also registered the world’s six best under 20 performances of the year and won the Jamaica triple jump championship.
Anthony Ammiarati of France made it on the list by virtue of winning the World Under 20 pole vault competition in Cali as well as registering the world’s six best under 20 performances of the year and bagging a bronze medal at the French national championships.
Last on the list is Erriyon Knighton of the USA who won bronze in the 200m race at the Cali championships. He also won the Brussels Diamond League and registered a new World Under 20 200m record.
“World Athletics is delighted to announce the five nominees for the 2022 Men’s Rising Star Award, which will recognise this year’s best U20 athlete at the World Athletics Awards 2022,” read a statement from World Athletics.
It added: “The nominations reflect the many standout performances that the sport has witnessed this year, at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 and other events around the world.”
The winner of the 2022 Men’s Rising Star Award will be selected by an international panel of experts and be announced on World Athletics’ social media platforms in early December.