Marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge has yet again been nominated as Sportsmans of the Year by the prestigious Laureus Worlds Sports Awards. The awards frequently referred to as the “Oscars” of sports have been slated for 17 February 2020.
Kipchoge has been nominated for showing stellar performance in the year 2019 by being the first athlete to run a marathon under two hours in 1 hour 59 minutes 40 seconds in Vienna. The record, however, is not recognized by IAAF as it was not an open competition. This comes less than a year after he won the BBC World Sports Star Of the Year.
The 34-year-old has been pitted against other sportsmen from other sporting disciplines. Others in the list of nominees include Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton who won 11 of the 21 Grand Prix in 2019 rocketing him to 84 career wins. He also won his sixth Formula One World Championship.
Barcelona striker and Argentina international Lionel Messi is also on the list for posting formidable results in 2019. Spaniard tennis maestro Rafael Nadal who finished as World No.1 in 2019 is also in the list. MotoGP Champion Marc Marquez and golfing legend Tiger Woods are also on the list. Winners from the past include Usain Bolt, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic etc.
Eliud Kipchoge was quick to break the news of his nomination to his fans through his Instagram account.
