Amusan ‘short of words’ after World Athlete of the Year nomination

World, Commonwealth and African 100m hurdles champion and record holder, Tobi Amusan, says she is honoured to have been considered among the best 10 female athletes in the world for the outgoing year.

The 25-year-old’s name was among the 10 female athletes released Wednesday morning by World Athletics as nominees for the Women’s World Athlete of the Year 2022 award.

“Through the grace of God, I have achieved so many ‘firsts by a Nigerian’ and this is yet another one. I’m so honoured to be selected as a World Athlete of the Year Nominee and the first Nigerian ever to reach this height.

“I have twice been named Nigerian Athlete of the Year by Athletic Heat platform, but this is my first international nomination and I want us to win it,” Amusan wrote on her Facebook page.

Amusan made history at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA in July when she became the first Nigerian athlete to win a world outdoor title and the first to set a world record courtesy of the 12.12s she ran in the semi-finals.

Amusan, who last year made history as the first Nigerian in the Diamond League era to win the Diamond Trophy, also made history at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham when she became the first Nigerian track and field athlete to successfully defend a Commonwealth Games title and the first to win gold in two Commonwealth Games.

Meanwhile, a three-way voting process will determine the finalists.

The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast their votes by email, while fans can vote online via the World Athletics social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube; a ‘like’ on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube or a retweet on Twitter will count as one vote.

The World Athletics Council’s vote will count for 50 per cent of the result, while the World Athletics Family’s votes and the public votes will each count for 25 per cent of the final result.

Voting for the World Athletes of the Year closes at midnight on Monday, October 31st. At the conclusion of the voting process, five female and five male finalists will be announced by World Athletics.

The winners will be revealed on World Athletics’ social media platforms in early December.

The nominees for the 2022 Women’s World Athlete of the Year are:

Tobi Amusan, Nigeria

– World 100m hurdles champion

– Diamond League, Commonwealth and African 100m hurdles champion

– Set a world 100m hurdles record of 12.12

Chase Ealey, USA

– World shot put champion and world indoor shot put silver medallist

– Diamond League shot put champion

– Threw a world-leading 20.51m

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaica

– World 100m champion, claiming a fifth gold medal in the event

– Diamond League 100m champion

– Ran a world-leading 10.62 among her record seven sub-10.70 100m races of the season

Kimberly Garcia, Peru

– World 20km race walk champion to win Peru’s first ever World Athletics Championships medal

– World 35km race walk champion in a South American record to complete a race walk double

– World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships 20km bronze medallist

Shericka Jackson, Jamaica

– World 200m champion

– Diamond League 200m champion

– Ran a world-leading 21.45 to move to second on the world all-time list

Faith Kipyegon, Kenya

– World 1500m champion

– Diamond League 1500m champion

– Ran a world-leading Kenyan record of 3:50.37, just three tenths of a second off the world record

Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Ukraine

– World indoor high jump champion and world high jump silver medallist

– European high jump champion

– Jumped a world-leading 2.05m, equalling the outdoor national best

Sydney McLaughlin, USA

– World 400m hurdles and 4x400m champion

– Broke the world 400m hurdles record with 51.41 at the US Championships

– Further improved the world record to 50.68 to win the world title

Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Bahamas

– World 400m champion

– World indoor 400m champion

– NACAC 400m champion

Yulimar Rojas, Venezuela

– World indoor and outdoor triple jump champion

– Diamond League triple jump champion

– Improved her world record to 15.74m in Belgrade