KENYA’S KOSGEI AMONG FIVE FINALISTS FOR FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Nairobi, KENYA

Kenya’s marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei is among five finalists for the Female Athlete of the Year award after the sport’s governing body, World Athletics, narrowed down the initial list of 11 nominees.

Kosgei set a world record of 2:14:04 to win the Chicago Marathon, ending Britain's Paula Radcliffe's 16-year record of two hours and 15 minutes. She has already confirmed her intention to try and run the marathon in under two hours and 10 minutes.

"I'm willing to take the challenge, similar to what Eliud Kipchoge did in Vienna," said Kosgei. "I promise to deliver more and more and make Kenya proud."

Kosgei also won the London Marathon and ran a world-leading time of 1:05:28 for the half marathon and 1:04:28 on a downhill course in Newcastle during the Great North Run.

Kosgei will face strong challenge in the year award evaluation from Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who won world 100m and 4x100m titles in world-leading times of 10.71 and 41.44 respectively in Doha last month. She also claimed the Pan-American 200m title and won seven of her 10 races at 100m in the season.

American Dalilah Muhammad, who broke her own 400m hurdles world record to claim gold at the world championships, was also among the finalists announced on Tuesday alongside Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas and the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan.

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, who became the first athlete to run a marathon in under two hours in an unofficial event in Vienna last month, was among the five finalists named for the male athlete of the year award on Monday.

Americans Sam Kendricks and Noah Lyles, Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei and Norwegian hurdler Karsten Warholm are also up for the award.

The winners will be announced at the World Athletics Awards 2019 in Monaco on Nov. 23.

Kenyan Olympic and world champion Hellen Obiri has been axed from potential nominees for the world female athlete of the year award.

Obiri who failed in her bid to win two gold medals at the World championships will now focus her energies to reclaiming the World Indoor Championships title, which will be held in March in Nanjing, China.