Three athletes from Africa have been named finalists for this year's Women's World Athlete of the Year award by the world's governing organization of athletics, World Athletics.


The 11 female athletes nominated for this year's prizes include Faith Kipyegon of Kenya, Tigst Assefa, and Gudaf Tsegay, both from Ethiopia, who have all recently displayed outstanding accomplishments.


Assefa won the Berlin marathon in September, setting a new marathon world record.


Tsegay broke the world record in the 5,000m. Experts in athletics are solidly supporting Kipyegon as the top contender for the award, given her exceptional performance this year, which saw her establish three new world records at the age of 29.


According to Wanda Diamond League, Kipyegon’s record-breaking season has positioned her as “the first athlete in Diamond League history to break a world record in multiple disciplines and the first to break more than one world record in a single season”.


Winfred Yavi, originally from Kenya but now representing Bahrain, is also in the running for the esteemed award.