Cherotich facing stiff competition for Rising Star award

World Athletics is set to award the most promising youngsters with the Rising Star award in December and Kenya has two women fighting for the gong.

World Under-20 3000m steeplechase champion Faith Cherotich and her Commonwealth Games counterpart Jackline Chekoech made the list. The winners will be selected by an international panel of experts and be announced on World Athletics’ social media platforms in early next month.

Spotlight on Kenyan youngster Jackline Chepkoech nominated for 2022 Rising Star Award

Less than a year after claiming world U-20 bronze, Cherotich made a strong statement in her first race of 2022.

Competing in her first international race against experienced senior opponents, Cherotich placed second at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Nairobi, finishing behind Norah Jeruto, who would go on to win the world title later in the year.

The teenager beat Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai to second place. Despite the unhelpful altitude of Nairobi, Cherotich smashed her PB with 9:12.04, a world age-17 best.

After winning Kenya’s World U-20 trials with ease, Cherotich headed to the world championships in Cali as one of the favourites in her event. She exceeded expectations and won by the length of the entire home straight, winning in 9:16.14.

Cherotich went on to reduce her PB two more times in 2022, first at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Brussels, where she clocked 9:09.63, and then at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Zurich, where she finished third in 9:06.14, moving her to third on the world U-20 all-time list.

Cherotich, who turned 18 in mid-July, will still be an U-20 athlete for 2023.

The two Kenyans are up against 19-year-old South African Mine De Klerk who, just like she did in 2021, became a double world U-20 medalist in 2022, retaining her shot-put crown and securing bronze in discus in Cali.

Other nominees include Jamaica's Kerrica Hill who was part of her country’s 4×100m winning quartet in Cali and added 100m personal hurdles’ title. Serbia's Adrianna Vilagos the World U20 Javelin champion completes the list.