Kipchoge up against LeBron, Hamilton for top award

World marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge could not hide his delight upon making the six-man shortlist  for the 2018 Laureus Sportsman of the year award.

Kipchoge who is also the reigning Olympic champion has been shortlisted alongside FIFA World player of the year Luka Modric of Croatia who is also the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner and French striker Kylian Mbappe who won the FIFA young player award in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Others in the shortlist include Los Angeles Lakers Basketball player Le Bron James, five-time world formula one champion Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Tennis star Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

The 34 year old had a sensational 2018 where he won the London Marathon in April before setting a new World record in marathon of 2:01.39 at the Berlin Marathon in September.

Following his record- breaking heroics, Kipchoge has bagged numerous accolades including the IAAF Male Athlete of the Year award and most recently he was crowned the Sports Personality of the Year Award (SOYA) winner in January 11.

“Honoured to be listed among these great athletes who all had such incredible performances,” Kipchoge posted on his twitter handle.

The Laureus World Sports Award is an annual award ceremony honouring sports personalities who excelled in different disciplines in a year.

The awards entails five categories including; World Sportsman of the Year, World Sportswoman of the Year, World Team of the Year, World Comeback of the Year, World Breakthrough of the Year.

Kipchoge becomes the first Kenyan male to make the shortlist since the inception of the awards in 2000 and is also the second male from athletics discipline to make the cut only after Jamaica’s sprinter Usain Bolt who has won the award a record four times in 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2017.

Djokovic will be in line to win the award for the fourth time with the Serbian having bagged the crown in 2012, 2015 and 2016.

Tennis icon Roger Federer of Switzerland who has won the award five times is the current holder of the award he won last year although he did not make the chop for this year’s award.

London marathon champion is the first Kenyan to win the prestigious award in the women category a feat she achieved in 2012.

In order to determine the winners of the Awards, the Laureus Nominations Panel, composed of professional sports editors, writers and broadcasters from more than 100 countries, vote to create a shortlist of six nominations in the five categories.

Laureus Sportsman of the Year Shortlist

Eliud Kipchoge- Athletics

Luka Modric- Football

Kylian Mbappe- Football

Le Bron James- Basketball

Novak Djokovic- Tennis

Lewis Hamilton- Motor Racing