Beatrice Chebet: Why She Deserves World Athlete of the Year Award

Kenyan track queen Beatrice Chebet is among athletes who received nominations for the World Athletics Athlete of the Year Awards for 2025.

Chebet, alongside her friend and Kenyan compatriot Faith Kipyegon, Americans Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden as well as Dutchwoman Femke Bol were announced as the nominees for the 2025 Women’s Track Athlete of the Year.

While it is an esteemed cast, there are reasons why Chebet deserves the award over the other four women. This is because Chebet had a better 2025 season than the other nominees who are contesting the award.

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In 2025, Chebet lost just one international race but it was not even one of her specialties when she finished second in 1,500m at the Silesia Diamond League.

Across the 5,000m, Chebet was dominant, winning all her four Diamond League races, but opted to skip the season finale to concentrate of World Championships preparations, while she also broke the world record, having run an astonishing 13:58.06, at the Prefontaine Classic in July.

Heading to the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan in September, the 5,000m and 10,000m Olympics champion was favourite to do the double and did just that.

She commanded the 10,000m, winning Kenya’s first gold medal in Tokyo, and then edged ahead of Kipyegon to claim the 5,000m title and complete the double.

Chebet therefore ended the season with a world record and two world titles but the way she dominated her races was something special.

Perhaps only Jefferson-Wooden can be considered the main challenger for Chebet for the award as the American won the 100m and 200m world titles in Tokyo and also added the 4x100m title. She also clinched the Diamond League Trophy although she had no world record in 2025.

Meanwhile, Kipyegon also broke her won world record in 1,500m at Prefontaine Classic and retained her world title over the distance but fell short in 5,000m as she managed silver.

McLaughlin-Levrone won gold in 400m in Tokyo in the second fastest time in history, as well as the 4x400m gold while Bol retained her 400m hurdles world title and won the Diamond League Trophy.