ATHLETICS FINEST PARADE TONIGHT: Yego and Rudisha in stiff contest for Kenya’s best performing star

Julius Yego of Kenya reacts as he competes in the men's javelin throw final during the 15th IAAF World Championships at the National Stadium in Beijing(R)David Lekuta Rudisha of Kenya celebrates winning the men's 800 metres final during the 15th IAAF World Championships at the National Stadium in Beijing

Kenya’s finest athletes of the season will be known this evening at a red-carpet black-tie gala at the Safari Park Hotel.
It will be the fifth Athletics Kenya Golden Gala, where it seeks to reward Kenya’s top performing athletes during the season.

Perhaps the Athlete of the Year Male and Female category will be the most anticipated on a night where Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi will be the chief guest.

Six of Kenya’s most celebrated athletes are battling it out for male’s top award. They are World champions Julius Yego (javelin), Ezekiel Kemboi (3,000m steeplechase), Nicholas Bett (400m hurdles), Asbel Kiprop (1,500m) and David Rudisha (800m) and World Cross Country and World 10,000m silver medalist Geoffrey Kamworor.

Yego broke the national record four times besides setting a new Diamond league record on his way to the World title, the first Kenyan to ever win a world title in the field event.

Yego launched his season with victory at the IAAF Challenge in Ostrava with a national record throw of 86.88, finished second at Roma Diamond league with an improved performance of 87.71m before claiming his maiden Diamond League victory in Birmingham with a record breaking 91.39m.

Yego would go for the World title in Beijing in a massive throw of 92.72m that counted for the new African record, and the third all-time best throw.

The ever green and elegant Kemboi affirmed his status as the king of steeplechase, chalking an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory at the Worlds after the 2009 Berlin, 2011 Daegu and 2013 Moscow.

Bett stunned many when he won the 400m hurdles title, the first World title by Kenyan in sprints.

Kiprop ran the third fastest time in history in 1,500m when he won in Monaco in 3:26.69,narrowly missing the world record of 3:26.00 by Hicham El Guerrouj. Kiprop went on to complete a hat trick of World titles over the distance with victory in Beijing.Rudisha made a comeback to reclaim his 800m world title while Kamworor performance sliced across the board, winning the World Cross title and World 10,000m silver.

It’s left to be known whether Berlin Marathon champion Glady Cherono and World Cross Country champion Agnes Jebet have what it takes to edge out four other nominees for the Female award.

Cherono has the best all time average after she finished second 2:20:03 in Dubai Marathon on debut over the distance before winning in Berlin with personal best 2:19:25.

Others in the category are Vivian Cheruiyot, who made a great return from maternity break to reclaim her World 10,000m, World champion Hyvin Kiyeng (3,000m steeplechase) and World silver medalists Hela Kiprop (marathon) and Eunice Sum (800m).