Jamaica’s standout athletes, sprint hurdler Kerrica Hill and triple jumper Jaydon Hibbert have been selected by World Athletics for the respective 2022 Women’s and Men’s Rising Star Award, which will recognize this year’s best Under-20 athletes at its awards ceremony next month.
Hill, formerly of Hydel High School, is shortlisted among five females, while Hibbert, who starred for Kingston College, was named among five male athletes for the main award.
Hill copped the 100m hurdles gold medal at the World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia in August in a smart time of 12.77 seconds, the fastest time recorded this year.
The speedster was also a gold medalist as part of the 4x100m relay team which registered a World Record of 42.59 seconds alongside twin sisters Tia and Tina Clayton, as well as Serena Cole.
Kerrica Hill will vie for top honors against Kenya’s Jackline Chepkoech, who won the Commonwealth Games 3000m steeplechase as well as being a Brussels Diamond League winner, and Faith Cherotich, the World Under-20 300m steeplechase champion, and the Diamond League Final third-place finisher.
South Africa’s Mine De Klerk, the World Under-20 shot put champion and World Under-20 discus throw bronze medalist, recorded seven of the top 10 Under-20 shot put performances, and Serbia’s Adriana Vilagos, the World Under-20 javelin throw champion and European javelin throw silver medalist with the world’s 11 best Under-20 performances this year, close out the nominees list.
Hibbert won the World Under-20 triple jump gold medal in Colombia and had registered the world’s six best jumps this year.
He will vie with France’s Anthony Ammirati, the World Under-20 pole vault gold medalist with the world’s six best Under-20 performances for the year.
American Erriyon Knighton, who won a bronze medal in the World Championships 200m final, the Brussels Diamond League winner and the holder of the World Under-20 200m record, will also be a main contender for the award.
Botswana’s World Under-20 100m gold medalist, the World Under-20 2oom silver medalist and the holder of the World Under-20 100m record, as well as Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the World Championships 800m fourth place finisher and Rabat Diamond League winner, complete the list of nominees.
According to World Athletics, the nominations reflect the numerous standout performances that the sport has delivered this year in Colombia, the World Championships in Oregon, as well as other events around the world.
The winners will be selected by an international panel of experts and will be announced on World Athletics’ social media platforms early next month.
