Kenya’s Obiri, Jepchirchir and Kipyegon among 10 Female Athlete of the Year nominees

Female Athlete of the Year nominees at the World Athletics Awards 2020 [World Athletics]

World 5000 metres champion Hellen Obiri, World Half Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir and 1500 metres gold-medalist Faith Kipyegon have been nominated for the Female Athlete of the Year category in the World Athletics Awards 2020.

Obiri remains undefeated in the 3000 and 5000 metres races, and was recently the winner in the Women’s 5000m race at the inaugural World Athletics Continental Tour Meeting dubbed the ‘Kip Keino Classic’.

Kenya's Hellen Obiri celebrates after winning the women's 5000-metres race with a world leading time during the Diamond League athletics meeting at the Louis II stadium in Monaco Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. (Eric Gaillard/Pool Via AP)

Jepchirchir broke her own world record in the women's half marathon, crossing the line in 1:05:16 seconds to win gold at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland. Sheer previous best by 18 seconds, set in Prague on September 5.

Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon cruised to her third victory since the re-start of the athletics calendar, winning her race during the Ostrava leg of the World Athletics Continental Gold Tour. Kipyegon clocked a season’s best time of 3:59.05.

“The nominations reflect the remarkable range of exceptional performances that the sport has witnessed this year, despite the challenges that the global Covid-19 pandemic presented,” said World Athletics Organisation on their website.

Gdynia, Poland - October 17, 2020 Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir celebrates on the podium with her medal and cheque after winning gold and breaking the women-only world record [REUTERS/Rafal Oleksiewicz]

Other nominees include:

Femke Bol (Netherlands), Letesembet Gidey (Ethiopia), Sifa Hassan (Netherlands), Laura Muir (Great Britain and Nothern Ireland), Yulmar Rojas (Venezuela). Elaine Thompson-Herah (Jamaica) and Ababel Yeshaneh (Ethiopia).  

Three-way process to determine finalists:

The voting process has officially begun with World Athletics Awards 2020 scheduled virtually on Saturday, December 5.

Kenya's Faith Kipyegon celebrates after winning the women's 1000metre event during the Diamond League Athletics Meeting at The Louis II Stadium in Monaco on August 14, 2020. (Photo by ERIC GAILLARD / POOL / AFP)

Fans are allowed to vote online for their favourite Female athlete via the World Athletics' social media platforms, as World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family cast their votes via email.

Graphics for each nominee will be posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with a 'like' on Facebook and Instagram or a ‘retweet’ on Twitter counting as one vote.

Voting for the closes at midnight on Sunday 15 November.