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Olympic and world Champion Neeraj Chopra was shortlisted for the 2023 'World Athlete of the Year' award by the global governing body World Athletics on Tuesday, November 14.
The ace Indian javelin thrower made the cut to feature among the five track and field athletes shortlisted for their sensational performance throughout the year in major international events.
The 25-year-old bagged a historic gold medal for India at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest, Hungary, in August this year. With a remarkable throw of 88.17m, Chopra sealed the first position in the men's javelin throw event, becoming the first Indian to finish at the top of the podium at the prestigious global event.
On October 4, Chopra retained his gold medal at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China. He hurled the javelin for a distance of 88.88m, which was his season-best throw, to beat compatriot Kishore Kumar Jena for the first position.
Who are the other contenders with Neeraj Chopra for World Athlete of the Year in 2023?
A couple of athletes from the United States of America are in the race for the World Athlete of the Year.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Crouser recorded a 23.56m throw in men's shot put, beating his own world record of 23.37m, at the 2023 Los Angeles Grand Prix. He also defended his shot put title at the World Athletics Championships despite competing with blood clots in his legs.
Noah Lyles completed the sprint double at the World Championships with titles in 200m (19.51s) and 100m (9.83 s) to be dubbed as the new sprint king. Sweden's Armando 'Mondo' Duplantis (World Champion and Diamond League Champion pole-vaulter) and Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum (world record in marathon: 2:00:35) are the other two candidates who can bag the best athlete award in the world for this year.
The World Athlete of the Year for both men and women will be announced on December 11 on the official website of World Athletics.
