Emmanuel Wanyonyi nominated for World Athletics’ Rising Star Award

Kenya’s 800 metre specialist Emmanuel Wanyonyi could finish the year in style after being shortlisted for the 2023 World Athletics Men’s Rising Star Award.

In the awards which recognize the best performing athletes under the age of 20, the 19-year-old made the final list alongside Roshawn Clarke from Jamaica and Erriyon Knighton from the USA.

Wanyonyi was nominated following a stellar 2023 season that commenced with a gold medal in the World cross country mixed relays that took place in Barthust, Australia.

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He then recorded victories in the 2023 Diamond League meetings in Rabat, Paris and Xiamen before bagging his maiden Diamond League crown after clocking a new personal best time of 1:42.80 to finish ahead of World Champion Marco Arop from Canada and Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati in the 2023 finals staged in Oregon in the United States of America.

Weeks to prior to that achievement, the fast-rising athlete had bagged his first-ever World Championship medal when he took Silver behind Marco Arop in the 2023 Budapest Championships, improving on his fourth place finish at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon.

“World Athletics is delighted to announce the three finalists for the 2023 Men’s Rising Star Award, which will recognise this year's best U20 athlete at the World Athletics Awards 2023.

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The nominations reflect some of the standout performances that the sport has witnessed this year, at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23, one-day meeting circuits and other events around the world,” a statement from World Athletics said.

Wanyonyi will face stiff competition from Clarke, who equaled and then broke the world U20 record with 47.85 in Kingston and 47.34 in Budapest, and USA’s Knighton who claimed the silver medal in the 200m race at the Budapest Championships.

The winner of the 2023 Men’s Rising Star Award will be selected by an international panel of experts and be announced on World Athletics’ platforms on 11 December.

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Finalists

Emmanuel Wanyonyi, KEN

- World Championships 800m silver medallist

- Diamond League champion and winner in Rabat, Paris and Xiamen

- World cross country mixed relay champion

Roshawn Clarke, JAM

- World Championships 400m hurdles fourth place

- Equalled and then broke the world U20 record with 47.85 in Kingston and 47.34 in Budapest

- Jamaican champion and CARIFTA Games U20 champion

Erriyon Knighton, USA

- World Championships 200m silver medallist

- US champion

- Winner of Diamond League races in Florence and Oslo