Letsile Tebogo and Sifan Hassan named World Athletes of the Year 2024

Letsile Tebogo and Sifan Hassan claimed the big prizes at the World Athletics Awards in Monaco on Sunday (1 December).

Tebogo became Botswana’s first Olympic champion at Paris 2024, breaking his own African record with a time of 19.46. The 21-year-old was named Male World Athlete of the Year as well as Male Track Athlete of the Year.

Dutchwoman Hassan collected the Female World Athlete of the Year award after winning her first global marathon title in the French capital less than 18 months after claiming the 2023 London Marathon on debut. Her Paris triumph made her the first athlete since Emil Zatopek to win medals in the 5000m, 10,000m and marathon at the same Games.

The 31-year-old previously completed the 5000m/10,000m double at Tokyo 2020 and added a bronze in 1500m.

Hassan also claimed the Female Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year award with Ethiopia’s men’s marathon gold medallist Tamirat Tola taking the men’s equivalent.

During the ceremony, a moment’s silence was respected in memory of last year’s Male Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year Kelvin Kiptum who was killed in a car accident in February.