Botswana sprinter Letsile Tebogo has earned a nomination for a prestigious award at the 2024 World Athletics Awards, capping off an outstanding season. The 200m Olympic champion is one of six finalists for the top honor, with notable American sprinter Noah Lyles surprisingly not making the final cut.
At just 21 years old, Tebogo isn’t the only African athlete recognized in this round, as an Ethiopian marathon record holder has also secured a spot among the finalists. Lyles, who won gold in the 100m, did not advance to the Male Track Athlete of the Year category after the first round of voting, where he was initially nominated alongside Rai Benjamin, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, and Grant Holloway.
As reported by IOL, the two finalists for the World Male Track Athlete of the Year are Tebogo and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Ingebrigtsen had a remarkable season, claiming gold in the 5000m at the Olympics, despite struggling in the 1500m. This season, Tebogo’s impressive performances also earned him the title of Best Male Athlete at the 2024 ANOC Awards in Portugal, making him a strong contender.
Both Tebogo and Ingebrigtsen are also in the running for the Male Athlete of the Year award, which encompasses both track and field athletes. The competition will be fierce, as they will face other elite athletes such as Brian Daniel Pintado, Miltiadis Tentoglou, Mondo Duplantis, and Tamirat Tola. The final results will highlight the achievements of these exceptional athletes and their contributions to the sport over the past year.
