Global Uproar After Beatrice Chebet, Faith Kipyegon Miss Out On World Athletics Awards

Kenya’s middle-distance icon Faith Kipyegon and long-distance star Beatrice Chebet have been left out of the 2025 World Athletics Awards final nominees, a move that has caught many in the athletics world by surprise.

World Athletics, on Tuesday, November 4, unveiled 12 finalists for the prestigious annual awards, with three Kenyans making the cut — Peres Jepchirchir, Sebastian Sawe, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi.

Jepchirchir, the world marathon record holder, was shortlisted for the Women’s World Athlete of the Year award after a stellar season that saw her bag gold at the World Championships in Tokyo and finish third at the London Marathon.

Sebastian Sawe earned his nomination for dominating both the London and Berlin marathons, while Emmanuel Wanyonyi’s exceptional form in the 800 metres — where he claimed both the world title and Diamond League crown — secured his spot among the men’s finalists.

The Kenyan trio are among 12 global athletes who advanced after garnering strong support in the initial voting phase.

Other women’s finalists include Femke Bol (Netherlands), Tara Davis and Sydney Levrone (USA), and Spain’s Maria Perez. On the men’s side, nominees include Mondo Duplantis (Sweden), Mattia Furlani (Italy), Noah Lyles (USA), and Alphonse Simbu (Tanzania).

The backlash has been intense, especially considering the record-shattering seasons delivered by Kipyegon and Chebet — both of whom dominated with world records and double gold medals.

Fans and analysts alike are struggling to understand how such unprecedented achievements were overlooked in favor of the two chosen finalists.

Kipyegon had a record-breaking season, securing gold in the 1500 metres, silver in the 5000 metres, and setting a new world record in the 1500m. Chebet, too, had an extraordinary year, clinching double gold in the 5000m and 10,000m, and rewriting the 5000m world record.

While Femke Bol and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone — the two finalists — are undisputed elite athletes, critics argue that their 2023 campaigns don’t measure up to the sheer scale of Kipyegon and Chebet’s feats. Femke Bol, for instance, went unbeaten in the 400m hurdles and earned two world titles but didn’t clock a personal best in her signature event.

The outcome may have been swayed by the award’s voting system, which blends input from the World Athletics Council, the broader athletics community, and fan votes cast on social media.

Interestingly, final public vote data shows that Kipyegon and Chebet were the clear fan favorites among the five nominees — yet they still didn’t make it to the final shortlist.

The exclusion of the two leading public favorites from the final shortlist highlights a clear disconnect between fan sentiment and the choices made by the official voting panels — the Council and World Athletics “family.”

The World Athletics Awards 2025 will be held on November 30 in Monaco, France, in a ceremony celebrating the world’s top athletes and their outstanding achievements this year.

However, regardless of who takes the title, the controversy has sparked fresh debate over how the sport defines and rewards excellence — especially in a year marked by multiple world records and history-making performances.