Files: Kenya's Faith Kipyegon celebrates with her gold medal after winning the women's 1500m final during the World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on August 22, 2023. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
The late world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum and double world record holder Faith Kipyegon were on Friday night crowned the 2023 Kenya's finest at the 20th edition of the Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) Gala held at KICC in Nairobi.
The former marathon sensation, who was laid to rest last week, was honoured in his death with the Sportsman of the Year Award while track queen Kipyegon bagged the Sportswoman of the Year Award for the third successive year.
The recognition rounded off an incredible year during which the duo achieved a series of historic feats among them breaking the world records in their respective areas.
On an emotional night, Sports CS Ababu Namwamba paused and took a few deep breaths as he announced the late star as the winner of the men's category.
"This is a difficult one. How I wish he was here to pick this accolade himself," CS Namwamba held back emotions as he hailed a historic year for the late marathon sensation.
The athlete perished together with his coach Gervais Hakizimana in a tragic road accident on February 11, a few days before the gala, prompting the organisers to postpone it.
It took 10 months for the late Kiptum to completely change the world’s marathon running landscape, ushering in a new era with three fastest times in the history of the distance race.
Files: Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum poses next to the clock marking his time after winning the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon in Chicago, Illinois, in a world record time of two hours and 35 seconds on October 8, 2023. (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP)
Kiptum's star continued to rise in 2023 when he conquered the London Marathon with a course record of 2:01:25 in April.
It was however in October when Kiptum made headlines after he shattered the men's world record by clocking 2:00:35, taking 34 seconds off fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge's previous record.
By achieving that remarkable feat, he became the first man to run a legal marathon in under two hours and one minute.
In his sad absence, former world marathon record holder Patrick Makau stepped on the floor to pick the accolade from CS Namwamba on the behalf of the fallen athlete's family.
In the women's category, Kipyegon beat 5km world record holder Beatrice Chebet and world 800m champion Mary Moraa to bag a hat-trick of accolades.
Kipyegon obliterated three world records last year in her traditional 1500m, the 5,000m and the mile, though the 5,000m record was later broken by Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia.
She also became the first woman to win the double of 1,500 and 5,000 metres at the World Championships held in Budapest.
Team of the Year
National women’s 3x3 basketball team emerged the best of the best to win the Women’s Team of the Year Award after an incredible year which saw the side clinch the FIBA 3x3 Africa Cup title in Cairo, Egypt.
Malkia Strikers placed second following a historic year as the national women’s volleyball team finally hoisted their record extending tenth African Nations Volleyball Championships title in Cameroon.
Roll Ball national team were third best after they successfully defended their Roll Ball World Cup title with a 5-0 win over Egypt in the final held in Pune, India.
In the men’s category, back to back Kenya Cup champions Kabras Sugar floored Roll Ball national side and national under-18 football team (Junior Stars).
Winning the 2023 Kenya Cup propelled the sugar millers to be named Sports Team of the Year for the second year in a row.
The national women’s 3x3 basketball head coach Everlyn Kedogo was named the Coach of the Year after she guided the team to their historic triumph in Cairo.
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