Jamaican Olympic medallist Thompson-Herah nominated for ‘World Athletics Female Athlete-of-the-Year’ award

Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah who brought laurels to the island by winning three gold medals in Tokyo Olympics this year, has now been shortlisted for the ‘World Athletics Female Athlete-of-the-Year’ award. 

Apart from Thompson-Herah, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, Faith Kipyegon of Kenya, Sydney McLaughlin of the USA, and Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela has also been selected as nominees for the award.  

While as per the men’s list – Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, Ryan Crouser of the USA, Mondo Duplantis of Sweden, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya and Karsten Warholm of Norway has been shortlisted for the award. 

These nominees have gone through three-phase voting. World Athletics cited, “The World Athletics Council & the World Athletics Family cast their votes by email, while fans have voted online through the World Athletics social media platforms. The World Athletics Council’s vote counted for 50 per cent of the result, while the World Athletics Family’s votes & the public votes each counted for 25 per cent of the final result“. 

Recently, the Olympic gold medallist was conferred with the title of ‘Female Athlete of the year’ by North American, Central American, and the Caribbean Athletics Association – (NACAC).  

She won 3 gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 in – 100m & 200 m and was a part of the – women’s 4x100m relay team, which won the gold medal. 

Facts about Thompson-Herah: 

• She is a five-time Olympic champion
• Fastest women alive
• The second-fastest in history over distances of 100 m and 200 m. 
• She is 100m – 2019 Pan American Games champion and a three-time Diamond League winner.

She is also the first women athlete in history, and second sprinter male/female after Usain Bolt, to win the ‘sprint double’ at consecutive Olympics, by winning gold medals in both the 100 m and 200 m categories at the 2016 Rio Olympics and again at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.