It was a night of celebration and historic wins at the World Athletics Awards in Monaco as Olympic champions Letsile Tebogo and Sifan Hassan were named Male and Female Athletes of the Year. Both athletes achieved extraordinary feats at the Paris Olympics, redefining excellence in their respective disciplines and inspiring countless fans around the world.
Letsile, who was also named “Male Track Athlete” of the Year, made history by becoming Botswana’s first Olympic champion at the Paris Games. He won gold in the 200m, setting a new African record of 19.46 seconds. The 21-year-old didn’t stop there—he also helped Botswana’s men’s 4x400m relay team secure a silver medal, finishing second to the United States.
Throughout the season, Letsile was incredibly consistent, running the 200m under 20 seconds a total of nine times.
In his acceptance speech, Tebogo expressed gratitude for the support he’s received:
It feels amazing to know that the fans are always there for us athlete. It was a great year and this means a lot.
It’s not just about the team that is around you, there are a lot of fans out there that really want us to win something great for the continent. It was a real surprise to hear my name because I didn’t expect this.
Meanwhile, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands etched her name in the history books by becoming the first female athlete to win medals in the 5000m, 10,000m, and marathon at the same Olympics. The 31-year-old, who described being named World Athlete of the Year as an honour that “means the world to me,” took bronze in the 5000m and 10,000m before storming to victory in the marathon, becoming as one of the greatest long-distance runners of all time.
Since I was young, I watched marathon runners with admiration. They made me wonder if I could run like them, or if I could even finish a marathon. I used to wonder if I could even race a 10km.
This year, my curiosity pushed me to take a risk and compete in three distances at the Paris Olympics. It was terrifying, and that made each finish line more meaningful. It wasn’t perfect, but sometimes happiness comes from embracing imperfections. I’m so grateful to see the journey being valued and recognized so highly.
This award isn’t just for me, my team, and my family. It’s for every young girl out there, watching, dreaming, and believing that she can achieve greatness through sport. To all of you, I want to say: keep exercising, keep training, keep pushing, keep believing, and always remember that no dream is too big.
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