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No Jamaican among World Athletics’ track AOY nominees
October 22, 2024
No Jamaican will be vying for the World Athletics' Track Athlete of the Year (AOY) award as both the island's male and female athletes failed to make the nomination list which was announced yesterday.
This is not a surprise to many as no Jamaican track athlete mined gold in the number one event of the 2024 calendar, the Olympic Games.
In fact, only the female list of nominees have Caribbean representatives.
St Lucian Julian Alfred leads the charge for the region after claiming the 100m Olympic gold medal and 200m silver; and the World Indoor 60m gold.
Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic also stands a chance for taking the title for the Caribbean, having won the Olympic 400m and the Diamond League in the same discipline.
However, this will not be an easy race to win for either of the two as the competition is strong.
They would have to beat Americans Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone who is the Olympic 400m hurdles and 4x400m champion, who also broke the World 400m hurdles record; and Gabby Thomas, who took home three Olympic gold medals, having won the 200m individual event and competing in their 4x100m and 4x400m successes.
Also in this race are Kenyans Faith Kipyegon, the Olympic 1500m champion and World record holder and Beatrice Chebet, the Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion and World 10,000m record holder.
On the men's side, three Americans are among those vying for the title; Grant Holloway, the Olympic 110m hurdles champion, World indoor 60m hurdles champion and world record holder; Rai Benjamin, the Olympic 400m hurdles and 4x400m double gold medallist, and 400m hurdles world leader; and Noah Lyles, the Olympic 100m champion and 200m bronze medallist.
Joining them are Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, the Olympic 5000m champion and World 3000m record holder; Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, the Olympic 200m gold medallist and World 200m leader; and Kenyan Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the 800m Olympic and Diamond League champion.
The vote to determine the Track AOY finalists is now open on World Athletics social media platforms - on Facebook, Instagram and X. It will close on October 27.
The nominees for the Field Athlete of the Year awards were announced on 14 October and the nominees for the Out of Stadium AOY awards will be announced on 28 October.
