Tebogo & Hassan top World Athletics Awards
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Published
Olympic champions Letsile Tebogo and Sifan Hassan were named male and female athlete of the year at the World Athletics Awards in Monaco.
Tebogo, who was also named male track athlete of the year, became Botswanaâs first Olympic champion in Paris when he won the 200m in an African record time of 19.46 seconds.
The 21-year-old also helped to set a new African record when taking silver in the menâs 4x400m relay.
âIt feels amazing to know that the fans are always there for us athletes,â said Tebogo. âIt was a great year. This means a lot.â
Netherlandsâ Hassan won bronze in the 5,000m and 10,000m in Paris before claiming gold in the womenâs marathon to become the first athlete in 72 years to win medals in all three events at the same Games.
The 31-year-old was also named female out of stadium athlete of the year, while Ethopiaâs Tamirat Tola, who won menâs marathon gold in Paris, claimed the male award.
âI never thought I was going to win this one,â said Hassan. âThis year was crazy.â
American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who smashed her own world record in winning 400m hurdles gold in Paris, took the female track athlete of the year prize.
Swedenâs Mondo Duplantis, who broke his own world record in winning pole vault gold, was named male field athlete of the year, with Ukrainian high jump gold medallist Yaroslava Mahuchikh taking the female award.