Bahraini Winfred Yavi nominated athlete of the year

TDT | Manama    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi was yesterday nominated for the prestigious Female World Athlete of the Year award.

Winfred was one of 11 nominees announced by World Athletics, the sport’s international governing body.

Voting for the track and field stars is open online until October 28, with the winner to be announced by World Athletics on  December 11.

The other nominees include Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine, Tigist Assefa and Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia, Shericka Jackson of Jamaica, Faith Kipyegon of Kenya, Femke Bol of the Netherlands, Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela, Haruka Kitaguchi of Japan, Maria Perez of Spain, and Sha’Carri Richardson of the US.

Winfred has had a sensational outdoor athletics season, one that has included winning her maiden world title in the women’s 3,000 metres steeplechase as well as her first-ever Diamond League champion’s crown in the same discipline.

Winfred clocked the second-fastest time in the history of the steeplechase of eight minutes 50.66 seconds on the way to claiming her Diamond Trophy.

Winfred then capped her stellar 2023 with a golden double at the recently concluded Hangzhou Asian Games earlier this month, where she bagged the gold medals in both the steeplechase and the women’s 1,500m.

Winfred also set a new Asiad record in the steeplechase of 9:18.28 en route to her victory.

She shattered the previous mark of 9:31.36, set by another former world champion of Bahrain, Ruth Jebet, in the 2014 edition in Incheon, South Korea.

Winfred thus successfully defended her steeplechase title from the 2018 Asiad in Jakarta, Indonesia, and captured the third Asian Games gold medal of her illustrious career.