Ethiopian Tigist Assefa has been crowned as a ‘World Athlete of the Year’ by the international body governing international athletics. Tigist is one of six athletes to receive the honor, along with Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon. The 27-year-old Tigist shattered the world record by an astounding two minutes and 14 seconds, marking the most significant improvement on the record in four decades. To put this achievement in perspective, only seven women throughout the year managed to surpass this time in a standalone half marathon. World Athletics, formerly the International Association of Athletics Federations, has been the international governing body for athletics since 1912.

Source: Ethiopian News December 12, 2023 13:29 UTC