Neeraj Chopra in race for World Athlete of the Year 2023 award - full list of nominees
Neeraj Chopra is among 11 athletes nominated for the award. Sprinter Noah Lyles, steeplechaser Soufiane El Bakkali and race walker Alvaro Martin are also in the fray.
Athletics
Tokyo Olympics javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra was nominated for the Men’s World Athlete of the Year 2023 award by the World Athletics on Thursday.
Chopra made history by becoming the first Indian to win the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest earlier this year. Later, the 25-year-old finished second in the Diamond League 2023 before defending his title at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Though known for achieving many historical firsts for India, Neeraj Chopra will face stiff competition for the Men’s World Athlete of the Year 2023 award from each of the other 10 athletes shortlisted.
Sprinter Noah Lyles of the USA is the 100m and 200m world champion and the world leader in 200m. He also bagged the gold medal for the USA in the men’s 4×100m relay at Budapest 2023.
Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, who specialises in the 3000m steeplechase, is undefeated in six finals. The Olympic champion defended his world title earlier this year.
The athletes shortlisted for the Men’s World Athlete of the Year 2023 award were selected by an international panel of athletics experts, comprising representatives from all six continental areas of World Athletics.
Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis, the reigning world champion in the men’s pole vault, and Spanish race walker Alvaro Martin, world champion in the 20km and 35km events, are also on the shortlist for the world athlete of the year 2023 award.
A three-way voting process will determine the final five finallists to be announced by World Athletics on November 13 or 14.
The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast their votes by email. Meanwhile, fans will be able to vote online via the World Athletics social media platforms. Voting for the World Athletes of the Year will close on October 28.
The World Athletics Council’s vote will count for 50% of the result while the World Athletics Family’s votes and the public votes will each count for 25% of the final result.
The winners will be revealed on World Athletics’ social media platforms on December 11.
Men’s World Athlete of the Year 2023 nominations
Neeraj Chopra (IND)
- Javelin throw world champion
- Javelin throw Asian Games champion
Ryan Crouser (USA)
- Shot put world champion
- Shot put world record
Mondo Duplantis (SWE)
- Pole vault world champion
- Pole vault Diamond League champion
- Pole vault world record
Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR)
- 3000m steeplechase world champion
- Undefeated in six finals
Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR)
- 5000m world champion
- 1500m world championships silver medallist
- European records for 1500m, mile and 3000m
Kelvin Kiptum (KEN)
- London Marathon and Chicago Marathon champion
- Marathon world record
Pierce LePage (CAN)
- Decathlon world champion
- Decathlon world leader
Noah Lyles (USA)
- 100m world champion
- 200m world champion
- 200m world leader
- Undefeated in six finals
Alvaro Martin (ESP)
- 20km race walk world champion
- 35km race walk world champion
- 20km race walk world leader
Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE)
- Long jump world champion
- Long jump European Indoor champion
Karsten Warholm (NOR)
- 400m hurdles world champion
- 400m European indoor champion