The names of the five finalists for Men’s World Athlete of the Year have been confirmed, as the countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2022 continues.

The five athletes, who represent five countries from three area associations, have achieved sensational performances across a range of athletics disciplines in 2022, at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22, one-day meeting circuits and other events around the world.

The finalists are (in alphabetical order):

Mondo Duplantis, SWE
– World pole vault champion indoors and outdoors
– Diamond League and European pole vault champion
– Improved his world record to 6.19m and 6.20m indoors, and then 6.21m outdoors

Soufiane El Bakkali, MAR
– World 3000m steeplechase champion
– Diamond League 3000m steeplechase champion
– Unbeaten in 2022, running a world-leading 7:58.28 in Rabat

Jakob Ingebrigtsen, NOR
– World 5000m champion, world 1500m silver medallist indoors and outdoors
– European 1500m and 5000m champion
– Ran a world indoor 1500m record of 3:30.60 and won the Diamond League title in a world-leading 3:29.02

Eliud Kipchoge, KEN
– Improved his world marathon record to 2:01:09
– Berlin Marathon champion
– Tokyo Marathon champion

Noah Lyles, USA
– World 200m champion
– Diamond League 200m champion
– Ran a world-leading national record of 19.31 to move to third on the world all-time list