Olympic Champions Sifan Hassan, Letsile Tebogo Named Athletes of the Year

By Emmanuel Kwada

In a grand ceremony held in Monaco on Sunday, Olympic champions Sifan Hassan and Letsile Tebogo were honored as the Athletes of the Year by World Athletics. The prestigious award recognizes their exceptional achievements in the world of athletics.

I never thought I was going to win this one

Dutch marathoner Sifan Hassan, who also received the Out-of-Stadium Award, was celebrated for her remarkable performance at the Paris Olympics. Within a span of just seven days, she claimed two bronze medals in the 5,000 meters and secured a stunning gold in the marathon, outpacing Ethiopia’s world record holder Tigist Assefa by a mere three seconds.

“I never thought I was going to win this one,” Hassan said after receiving her award. “This year was crazy. It’s not only me – all the athletes have been amazing.”

This year was crazy. It’s not only me – all the athletes have been amazing

Botswanan sprinter Letsile Tebogo, on the other hand, made history as the first African Olympic champion in the 200m, clocking an impressive 19.46 seconds at the Stade de France. He narrowly beat American athletes Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles.

“This means a lot,” said Tebogo, who also won the Men’s Track Award. “It’s not just about the team that is around you, there are a lot of fans out there that really want us to win something great for the continent. It was a real surprise to hear my name because I didn’t expect this.”

It’s not just about the team that is around you, there are a lot of fans out there that really want us to win something great for the continent

The ceremony also recognized other outstanding athletes from the Paris Olympics, including Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh, and American hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

The winners of the World Athletics Awards 2024 include Sifan Hassan as Women’s World Athlete of the Year, Letsile Tebogo as Men’s World Athlete of the Year, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the Women’s Track category, Yaroslava Mahuchikh in the Women’s Field category, and Tamirat Tola as Men’s Out of Stadium winner.