Outrage as Beatrice Chebet is snubbed from World Athletics Awards final list
Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 05.11.24. | 12:10
The 25-year-old won two-Olympic gold medals in her debut Games, while taking World Cross Country and Diamond League titles
Athletics fans have voiced their outrage following Beatrice Chebet’s exclusion from the final list of the 2024 World Athletics Athlete of the Year awards revealed on Monday, 5 November.
Having shone this year and recently at the Paris Olympic Games, where she won two gold medals on her debut, Chebet was viewed by many as one of the athletes to make the list, but instead, it was St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA), who will now contend for the Women’s Track athlete of the year gong.
Going by the terms and conditions given by World Athletics, the vote to determine the Track Athlete of the Year finalists consisted of votes from the World Athletics Council, the World Athletics Family, and a public vote on social media.
And while Chebet, who as per St Lucia Times garnered a paltry 5,000 votes on X (formerly Twitter) and paled in comparison to what compatriots Faith Kipyegon, McLaughlin, and Alfred totaled on all three social media platforms, many have been left in awe of how her accomplishments in 2024 didn’t objectively get her a place in the final shortlist.
Julien Alfred and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone have been named the two finalists for World Track Athlete of the Year by World Athletics. Social media votes make up 25% of the result, with the other 75% coming from the World Athletics Council and Family. Here’s an approximate amount…
— Owen (@_OwenM_) November 4, 2024
On X, LetRun.com contributor Jonathan Gault said: “Completely egregious that Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet (Olympic 5000m, 10000m gold medalist, and 10 km world record holder) was not named a finalist for women’s track athlete of the year.”
Track enthusiast Owen went even further, saying: “Beatrice Chebet has obviously taken up gymnastics or something this season because there’s no way she isn’t a finalist based on her season.”
Ndingu’uri on X added: “This is the joke of the year. How on earth are Faith Kipyegon and Chebet missing on that list?”
Running TV commentator Cuan Walker said: “This is madness. How can Beatrice Chebet not be considered? Two-time world records this year, first woman under 29:00 on the 10,000m, two-time individual Olympic medals from Paris this year!”
This is madness… how can Beatrice Chebet not be considered?! 2 x world records this year, first woman under 29:00 on the 10 000m, 2 x Olympic INDIVIDUAL medals from Paris this year!
— Cuan Walker (@runwithcuan) November 4, 2024
In addition to the mentioned accolades, Chebet took wins at the World Cross-Country Championships in Belgrade and also won her second Diamond League title at the season finale in Brussels.
Kenya’s only athlete with a chance to win a category in the awards scheduled for Sunday, 1 December in Monaco is Ruth Chepngetich, who last month broke the women’s world marathon record timing 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon.
She will be up against Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan for the women’s out-of-stadium athlete-of-the year. You can vote for her here.
