Ethiopia’s Welteji named first female winner of Jesse Owens Rising Star Award

Three days after Letsile Tebogo was announced as the male winner of the Jesse Owens Rising Star Award at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels, another African, Ethiopia’s 1500m star Diribe Welteji has been named the first female winner of the award instituted to honour the best performing male and female athletes aged 23 or under at each Wanda Diamond League Final.

The 22 year old was adjudged to have the best performance among the 23 years and under female athletes who competed in Brussels with the 3:55.25 she ran in coming second to Faith Kipyegon.

That performance, using the Hungarian scoring table, was adjudged the best performance of the two days of action at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.

Tebogo was awarded the men’s award after running 19.80 to come second behind USA’s Kennth Bednarek in the 200m event, his only loss since he made history as the first African man to win the half lap gold at the Olympics.

A number of Africans were also crowned Diamond League champions in Brussels and they are led by Kipyegon who won her fifth 1500m title, Mary Moraa who reclaimed the title she lost in last year’s final, Faith Cherotich who stunned Yavi Winfred to win the women’s 3000m steeplechase, and Beatrice Chebet who won the 5000m title.

For the men, Olympic champion, Emmanuel Wanyonyi led with his victory in the 800m, Amos Serem who won the men’s 3000m steeplechase and Ethiopia’s Aregawi Berihu in the 5000m.