From Faith Kipyegon to Shericka Jackson, Comparing Finalists for Women’s World Athlete of the Year

• The finalists for the Women’s World Athlete of the Year have been confirmed
• Kenyan star, Faith Kipyegon is the favourite but will face tough competition
• Sports Brief looks at the performances of the finalists for the award in 2023

2023 was a historic year for women's athletics, with record-breaking performances, historic performances, and unforgettable memories witnessed.

As a result, some of these women have been nominated for the Women’s World Athlete of the Year award, set to be handed out in December.

Faith Kipyegon, Shericka Jackson, Tigist Assefa, Femke Bol, and Yulimar Rojas are the finalists and will battle it out for the award this year.

World Athletics confirmed the finalists on Monday, November 13.

Kenyan star, Kipyegon is the favourite to win the award, but other finalists also had a fantastic season. The 29-year-old won almost everything in 2023, from world titles to Diamond League titles.

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Her competitors have done well, too. All of them won a world title in their discipline at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. So how do they compare? Sports Brief takes a look.

Faith Kipyegon: 1500m, 5000m, 1 Mile

Kipyegon's 2023 season began in the Doha Diamond League meet in Qatar on May 5. She clocked 3:58.57 to win the women's 1,500m.

Her next 1,500m race was at the Golden Gala in Rome/Florence on June 2. She clocked a world record 3:49.11, but that was just a taste of things to come.

Days later, on June 9 in Paris, the 29-year-old obliterated the 5,000m world record, clocking 14:05.20 to beat world record holder, Letesenbet Gidey. Gudaf Tsegay clocked 14:00.21 to break Kipyegon's record at the Diamond League final.

On July 21 in the Monaco Diamond League, the Kenyan double Olympic champion smashed the one-mile world record, finishing in 4:07.64.

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She then won the 1,500m in the Diamond League final on September 16. She finished third in the women's road mile at the World Athletics Road Running championships in Riga.

Her 2023 performances are undoubtedly impeccable. It probably is the best season by a Kenyan in history.

Shericka Jackson - 100m, 200m

The Jamaican sprinter was on fire in 2023 and is probably Kipyegon's closest competitor. Jackson took silver in the women's 100m in the 2023 World Athletics Championships but won the 200m, setting a new record (21.41 seconds).

It is the second-fastest time in history, and she is the fastest 200m runner alive. She also won the women's 100m and 200m in the Diamond League final in Eugene, Oregon.

Femke Bol - 400m hurdles, 400m

The Dutch woman had a crazy season. She clocked an incredible 49.26 to break the world indoor 400m record at the Dutch Indoor Championships in February 2023.

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She then won the women's 400m hurdles in Budapest and dramatically won gold for the Netherlands in the women's 4x400 relay.

Bol won the 400m hurdles final in the Diamond League final.

Yulimar Rojas - Triple Jump

The Venezuelan legend produced a last-gasp leap to win her fourth straight world triple jump title at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

In September, she also won her third straight Diamond League title in Eugene.

Tigist Assefa - Marathon

The Ethiopian obliterated the women's world marathon record at the 2023 Berlin Marathon in September. She clocked a time of 2:11:53, shaving more than two minutes off the world record (2:14:04) set by Kenya's Brigid Kosgei at the 2019 Chicago Marathon.

This world record alone gives Assefa a good chance to win the award in December.

The World Athletes of the Year will be announced on December 11 and one of these five women will win the award.

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What Kipyegon earned for gold medals

Sports Brief previously reported on what Kipyegon earned for her golds at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

She claimed two gold medals and will be entitled to $140,000. When converted to Kenyan shillings, she will make over Ksh20 million.

In total, for her 2023 season, Kipyegon earned approximately Ksh30mil, making her one of the highest-paid athletes in the country.