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Dalilah Muhammad, Eliud Kipchoge named world athletes of the year

Dalilah Muhammad of the USA celebrating her win and new

KALIFA INTERNATIONAL STADIUM, DOHA, QATAR - 2019/10/04: Dalilah Muhammad of the USA celebrating her win and new world record in the 400m Hurdles final on day 8 of the 17th IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 at Khalifa International Stadium. (Photo by Gary Mitchell/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett

Record-breakers Dalilah Muhammad and Eliud Kipchoge were named the World Athletics athletes of the year on Saturday.

Muhammad, who twice lowered the 400m hurdles world record last season, became the first athlete in her event to take the honor since Brit Sally Gunnell in 1993. And the first American woman to earn it from any event since Allyson Felix in 2012.

The Kenyan Kipchoge became the first repeat athlete of the year since Usain Bolt in 2012 and 2013. Kipchoge, who lowered the marathon world record by 78 seconds in 2018, became the first person to break two hours in a marathon on Oct. 12 in a non-record-eligible event.

The other female finalists were Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Dutch distance runner Sifan Hassan, Kenyan marathoner Brigid Kosgei and Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas.

The other male finalists were Ugandan distance runner Joshua Cheptegei, American pole vaulter Sam Kendricks and sprinter Noah Lyles and Norwegian hurdler Karsten Warholm.

World Athletics is track and field’s international governing body, rebranded from IAAF this year.

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