Three African athletes nominated for prestigious athletics award

The international athletics governing body World Athletics has nominated three African athletes for this year’s Women’s World Athlete of the Year award.

Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, as well as Tigst Assefa and Gudaf Tsegay, both Ethiopian, are among the 11 female athletes put forward for this year’s awards, after displaying some remarkable recent performances.

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

Tsegay set a world record in the 5,000m.

Athletics analysts are backing Kipyegon as the strong favourite to win the award after the 29-year-old's dominant year, during which she set three new world records.

According to Wanda Diamond League, Ms 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”.

Kenyan-born Winfred Yavi, who switched her nationality to represent Bahrain, is also in contention for the prestigious award.

The winners will be announced on 11 December after tallying of votes cast by fans and World Athletics officials.

This article originally appeared on BBC News.

Image via Getty.