With just three weeks to go until the IAAF Athletics Awards 2018, the IAAF is delighted to announce the five finalists for the 2018 Male & Female Rising Star Award to recognise this year's best U20 athlete.

The winner will be announced live on stage at the IAAF Athletics Awards 2018 in Monaco on Tuesday 4 December.

The Male nominees are:

Selemon Barega (ETH)
- IAAF Diamond League champion at 5000m with a world U20 record of 12:43.02, the world’s quickest time since 2005
- World indoor silver at 3000m
- Fourth at World U20 and African Championships 5000m

Jordan Diaz (CUB)
- World U20 lead at triple jump with 17.41m, a world U18 best
- World U20, Youth Olympic and (senior) North/Central American & Caribbean champion
- Central American & Caribbean Games silver

Armand Duplantis (SWE)
- European (senior) champion at pole vault with a world-leading height of 6.05m, which has been bettered outdoors only by Sergey Bukba
- World U20 champion
- Eight world U20 records or bests, indoors and out

Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR)
- European (senior) champion at 1500m and 5000m
- World U20 lead at 1500m with 3:31.18
- World U20 silver at 1500m and bronze at 5000m

Rhonex Kipruto (KEN)
- World U20 champion and world U20 lead at 10,000m with 27:21.08
- Two world U20 bests and world senior lead at road 10km with 26:46, just two seconds outside the senior world record
- African junior cross-country champion

 

The Female nominees are:

Meseret Belete (ETH)
- World U20 best at half marathon with 1:07:51
- Sixth and team gold at IAAF World Half Marathon Championships Valencia 2018
- Gothenburg Half Marathon winner

Celliphine Chespol (KEN)
- World U20 champion and world U20 lead at steeplechase with 9:01.82
- African (senior) cross-country champion
- Steeplechase silvers at Commonwealth Games and African Championships

Meskerem Mamo (ETH)
- World U20 leads at 3000m and 5000m with 8:33.63 and 15:05.21
- Bronze in 5000m at African Championships

Sydney McLaughlin (USA)
- Two world U20 bests or records at both 400m hurdles and indoor 400m with 52.75 and 50.36i respectively
- World (senior) lead at 400m hurdles with 52.75
- US collegiate champion at 400m hurdles

Briana Williams (JAM)
- World U20 champion at both 100m and 200m
- Carifta Games U17 champion at both sprints and 4x100m

 (Jean-Pierre Durand / Getty Images / AFP / Kirby Lee) © Copyright