German-born fencer, track queens Kipyegon and Chebet headline nominees for coveted sports award

NAIROBI, Kenya, April 8, 2026 – Kenya’s pioneer fencer Alexandra Ndolo and record-breaking runner Beatrice Chebet are among five athletes nominated for the 2025 Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) Sportswoman of the Year.

The winners will be feted during the SOYA gala night set for this Friday at Uhuru Gardens.

Ndolo is battling with four athletics icons who had a very successful 2025 and are looking to crown it all with the prestigious award.

While the runners were dominating the track, Ndolo was flying the Kenyan flag high and conquering the piste.

The German-born fencer who chose to compete for her father’s homeland has etched her name in the annuls of history hence becoming the face of African fencing.

In Lagos, Nigeria, Ndolo successfully defended her African Championship title in the women’s epee with a resounding 13-7 win against Egyptian Nardin Ehab.

This marked her third consecutive continental crown since making her 2023 debut in Kenyan colours.

Ranked first in Africa and 19^th globally, she was impressive in international championships, leaving a mark in every competition from Wuxi, China to Bogota, Colombia and other events in Africa and around the world.

Unbeatable Beatrice

In 2025, Chebet was unstoppable tearing apart opponents to reach greater heights and achieve feats only attained by athletics greats Usain Bolt (100m and 200m) and Kenenisa Bekele (5,000m and 10,000m).

The reigning world cross country champion won Kenya its first gold on the opening day in Tokyo on September 13 with victory in the 10,000m in a time of 30:37.61.

In a performance that mirrored Vivian Cheruiyot’s 2011 double in Daegu, South Korea, Chebet clocked 14:54.36 to win the 5,000m gold, dethroning compatriot Faith Kipyegon in a nail-biting finish.

With the victories, Chebet became the first woman in history to simultaneously hold Olympic and World titles alongside world records in two different races.

Her dual-threat dominance in the 5,000m and 10,000m cemented her status in history as a generational icon.

Last year, Kipyegon proved that she is indeed the gold standard of consistency.

In Tokyo, she achieved what no woman had done before by securing a fourth world 1,500m title.

Her time of 3:52.15 led Kenya to a 1-2 finish alongside Dorcus Ewoi.

Though she lost her 5,000m world title to Chebet, Kipyegon showed the heart of a champion and her ability to keep pushing.

She also lowered her own 1,500m world record at the Eugene Diamond League earlier in the season, clocking 3:48.68.

She remains the most decorated 1,500m runner in history.

New kids on the block

The year saw the veterans lead and the youngsters follow closely in their footsteps.

Steeplechaser Faith Cherotich made it to the final five not by accident but after a successful year that saw her bag the world title.

The 21-year-old proved that Kenya’s steeplechase future is safe in her hands after stunning the then reigning world champion Winfred Yavi to take gold in a championship record of 8:51.59.

Cherotich — or Faith Kadogo as she is fondly known in athletics to differentiate her from Faith Kipyegon — followed up her World Championship exploits with a victory at the Zurich Diamond League.

She ended the year as world number one signaling the changing guard in the race of barriers.

Lilian Odira also had a successful 2025 as she staged a stellar performance at the World Championships.

She produced one of the most unexpected results of the season in the 800m race.

Odira did not just beat the then World champion, and fellow Kenyan, Mary Moraa, and Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, she broke a 42-year-old championship record.

Her time of 1:54.46 erased Jamila Kratochvilova’s 1983 mark making Odira the second-fastest Kenyan woman in history behind Beijing 2008 Olympic 800m champion Pamela Jelima (1:54.01).

Nominees:

Alexandra Ndolo (fencing)

Beatrice Chebet (athletics)

Faith Kipyegon (athletics)

Lilian Odira (athletics)

Faith Cherotich (athletics)

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