Sport across the globe, especially in the women’s category, witnessed some record-breaking feats in 2024, and with the year coming to an end, it is only right that we shine the light on some of the standout performers.
With this in mind, Afrosport selects its Female Athlete of the Year across three categories—Nigeria (domestic), Africa (continental), and Global (worldwide)—highlighting their qualities as well as the record that helped them stand out.
Nigeria – Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria)
Women’s football has taken a huge leap across the globe in recent years, and Africa has not been left out, with Nigeria’s Super Falcons at the forefront of the continental development.
One major name on the lips of many is Super Falcons shot-stopper Nnadozie, who has proven continuously that she is the best in the business in Africa and one of the best in the world.
The 23-year-old was crowned Goalkeeper of the Year at the 2024 CAF Awards held earlier this month in Marrakech, Morocco, making it the second straight time she claimed the accolade after winning the inaugural edition.
Nnadozie was also named as one of the three finalists for Women’s African Player of the Year, which Zambia’s Barbra Banda eventually won, but her presence in the category, which originally is dominated by outfield players, marks her as one of the continent’s best stars.
Her performances for the Super Falcons at the Paris Olympics and her club side Paris FC in both the league and UEFA Women’s Champions League were nothing short of exceptional, placing her on the list as our best-performing female Nigerian sport star in 2024.
Africa – Faith Kipyegon (Kenya)
The word “legend” gets thrown around a lot, but when it comes to Kenya’s Kipyegon, it is one of the few words that can capture who she is and what she does on a consistent basis.
The 30-year-old middle-distance runner enjoyed a record-breaking and trendsetting 2024, starting the year off by breaking the 1500m world record she previously set at the Meeting de Paris in July, clocking a time of 3:49.04.
Fast-forward to the Paris Olympics, Kipyegon made history by becoming the first woman to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in a single track event, having emerged victorious in her favorite 1500m race. By doing so, she broke her own Olympic record, setting a new one with a time of 3:51.29.
The Kenyan added the prestigious gold to the silver medal she had earlier earned in the 5000m event, a race marred by controversy, as she was reinstated after an appeal following an initial disqualification.
Kipyegon’s red-hot form saw her crowned champion at the 2024 Diamond League final in Brussels, Belgium, in September, where she won the 1500m race by clocking a meeting record of 3:54.75.
She was not going to be stopped at the inaugural edition of the Athlos, an all-women track and field meeting in New York, clinching the 1500m gold.
Global – Sifan Hassan (Netherlands)
Ethiopian-born Dutch middle- and long-distance runner Hassan set the track ablaze in 2024 with top-class performances throughout the year.
Hassan’s dominance on the track was earmarked at the Paris Olympics, where she picked up a bronze medal in both the women’s 5000m and 10,000m events.
The 31-year-old beat the rest of the chasing pack to victory in the women’s marathon on the final day of the Games, winning gold to become the first woman to win Olympic gold in the marathon, 5,000m, and 10,000m. She also etched her name in athletics folklore by becoming the first Olympic athlete, male or female, to win medals in the three events at the same Games since 1952, joining Czech Emil Zatopek.
Hassan capped off 2024 by picking up well-deserved awards at the World Athletics Awards in Monaco, winning the Female Athlete of the Year award, becoming the first Dutchwoman to achieve such a feat, as well as the Women’s Out of Stadium award.
