World Cross Country sensation Emmanuel Wanyonyi nominated for global award, to face Jamaican, US rivals
By Joel Sang, November 3, 2023Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi has been nominated to vie for the 2023 Men’s Rising Star Award after an impressive 2023 season.
The 19-year-old is a World Championships 800m silver medallist a Diamond League champion and winner in Rabat, Paris, and Xiamen, and a World Cross Country mixed relay champion, and these achievements have helped him make the cut and contest for the global award.
“World Athletics is delighted to announce the three finalists for the 2023 Men’s Rising Star Award, which will recognise this year’s best U20 athlete at the World Athletics Awards 2023.
“The nominations reflect some of the standout performances that the sport has witnessed this year, at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23, one-day meeting circuits, and other events around the world.
“The winner of the 2023 Men’s Rising Star Award will be selected by an international panel of experts and announced on World Athletics’ platforms on December 11,” World Athletics announced.
Wanyonyi’s competitors will be Roshawn Clarke, an equally promising rising star who finished fourth in the World Championships 400m hurdles, equalled, and then broke the world U20 record with 47.85 in Kingston and 47.34 in Budapest.
The 19-year-old is also a Jamaican champion and a CARIFTA Games U20 champion.
Wanyonyi and Crawn will face strong competition from Erriyon Knighton from the United States. Knighton is a World Championships 200m silver medallist, the US champion, and the Diamond League race winner in Florence and Oslo.
Wanyonyi’s background
Meanwhile, at a young age, Wanyonyi is set for global recognition as he has been one of the outstanding athletes of the season. The middle-distance runner, who specializes in the 800m, placed fourth at the 2022 World Athletics Championships at 18 years of age.
He won the gold medal at the 2021 World U20 Championships, setting a championship record in the process.