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Kenya-born Olympic champion Winfred Yavi has shared a cryptic message after being left off the 2024 Women’s Track Athlete nominations.
Olympic champion Winfred Yavi shared a cryptic message just hours after World Athletics revealed its list of nominees for the prestigious Female and Male Track Athletes of the Year awards.
The Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete, who claimed gold in the 3000m steeplechase at the Paris 2024 Olympics, was conspicuously missing from the list, leaving her fans perplexed and disappointed.
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Yavi, known for her competitive spirit and tenacity, took to Instagram to express her feelings.
Accompanied by a serene photo of herself at a beach house, she captioned the post with a short yet powerful message: "Undisputed. Keep Moving."
This brief but pointed statement has sparked widespread speculation, with many interpreting it as her response to the omission from the coveted World Athletics shortlist.
Her exclusion is particularly surprising given her exceptional season, highlighted by a world-class performance in Rome where she missed breaking the 3000m steeplechase world record by just seven-hundredths of a second.
Yavi clocked an incredible 8:44.39, the second-fastest time in history.
Despite such an impressive feat, the list of nominees includes fellow Olympic champions Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet, who both broke world records this season, along with other athletic luminaries like Julien Alfred and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
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Fans and experts alike are left questioning how Yavi, with her remarkable season, did not make the cut.
"She has been an incredible force this year. Missing the world record by mere fractions is no small feat, and then she dominated at the Olympics. Her absence on that list is definitely puzzling," commented Manama-based sports analyst Raju Bharatan.
Yavi’s 2024 season has been nothing short of stellar.
In Brussels, she clocked 9:02.87 to finish second, just behind Faith Cherotich, while Peruth Chemutai, a former Olympic champion, finished third.
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Her world title defense in Tokyo at the 2025 World Championships is already a major focus for the steeplechase champion, but the Athlete of the Year snub has cast a shadow over an otherwise triumphant year.
Despite a late start to the season, Yavi quickly regained her stride, finishing ninth at the Prefontaine Classic before storming to victory at the Diamond League Meeting in Paris.
By the time the Olympics rolled around, Yavi was in peak form, showcasing her class as she comfortably won the gold medal in the steeplechase.
Her win in Rome after the Olympics further cemented her status as one of the top athletes in her discipline.
Yet, the decision by World Athletics to exclude her from the Athlete of the Year nominations remains baffling to her supporters.
"It's hard to ignore her achievements. She’s proven herself time and again," noted a fan online.
"I hope this doesn't deter her; she’s still the undisputed champion in our eyes."
Other athletes on the list, like Faith Kipyegon, who secured her third consecutive Olympic 1500m title and set multiple world records, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the 400m hurdles world record holder, also had phenomenal seasons.
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