![Noah Lyles slams ‘shocking’ World Athlete of the Year Awards format [VIDEO]](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/13122023/b70c396b-b8df-43eb-9021-8fe3daee8d67.jpg?operations=fit(480:))
World 100m and 200m champion Noah Lyles has hit out at World Athletics over the manner in which they decided winners of the 2023 World Athlete of the Year Awards
World 100m and 200m champion Noah Lyles has voiced his frustration over the criteria used by World Athletics to select winners of the 2023 World Athlete of the Year Awards.
The 10 finalists (five men and as many women) and observers were caught by surprise when World Athletics decided against selecting one winner in the men’s and women’s categories during Monday’s gala in Monaco and instead feted six finalists (three men and as many women) while categorising them into ‘track, field and out of stadia.’
That saw Lyles awarded MaleAathlete of the Year (Track), last year’s winner Mondo Duplantis awarded Male Athlete of the Year (Field) while Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum was named male Athlete of the Year (Out of Stadia).
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08:00 - 13.12.2023
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Johnson is puzzled by the decision to name six different individuals as World Athletes of the Year for the first time in history.
The women’s category had Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon winning the ‘track’ award while Yulimar Rojas and Tigist Assefa were handed women’s field and out of stadia awards respectively.
“Not what I expected,” said a frustrated Lyles when asked what his feelings were after the awards gala.
“It is that word ‘track’ that threw me and I am sure a lot of people off. Nobody really prepared for what really happened tonight.
“I think everybody was caught off guard especially when we heard all our names being called one after another. It was a little confusing at the moment of what was actually happening.”
It was the first time World Athletics had gone against the norm where one outstanding male and female athlete is crowned the best in the year with the athletics governing body claiming it was ‘incredibly hard to limit the vote to just one athlete.’
“The depth of talent and the outstanding performances in our sport this year more than justify the expansion of the World Athletics Awards to recognise the accomplishments by these six athletes across a range of disciplines,” said World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.
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“Our World Athletes of the Year alone have achieved seven world records between them in 2023, as well as a host of world titles and major wins, so it is only fitting that they be recognised as the athletes of the year in their respective fields.”
However, Lyles feels the athletes were taken for granted since the new format was not made public before the gala, promising to give his full thoughts over the awards in a few weeks.
“Give me a few weeks and I will be able to break down what I think of what happened today,” he added.
![Kelvin Kiptum delivers acceptance speech in Swahili after clinching World Athlete of the Year award [VIDEO]](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/12122023/99cf71dc-c674-4251-a032-afb585e0c8ae.jpg?operations=fit(:350))
17:02 - 12.12.2023
ATHLETICS Kelvin Kiptum delivers acceptance speech in Swahili after clinching World Athlete of the Year award [VIDEO]
Kiptum achieved his world record in Chicago back in October which boosted his chances of winning the maiden World Athlete of the Year Outside Stadia award.
“On one hand, I agree with the idea, I just wish we knew that this is what was going to happen instead of happening after the five finalists were already chosen.
“Then I am confused why we were 10 athletes in the beginning in all categories and we were all made to believe that we were all fighting for the same trophies. Very shocking.”
World 3000m steeplechase bronze medallist Faith Cherotich and world 800m silver medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi, both from Kenya, won the Rising Star of the Year awards.
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