 Alright, Jamaica's Sharika Jackson has for the second consecutive year made the final cut for World Athletics' Female Athlete of the Year Award. The prestigious award recognizes the most outstanding athletes of the 2023 season. Now, let's talk about the finalists for the women. Sharika Jackson, the 100-meter world silver medalist and 200 champion, Feth Kepiegan set three world records in 2023. Femke Ball, the world 400-meter hurdles gold medalist, Yudemar Rohas, the world triple-jump champion and a safer, the marathon world record holder and world champion. Let's now look at the men who made the final list of five, Neraj Chopra, the highly popular Indian javelin thrower, Ryan Krauser, the USA shot-put master, Manda Deplantis, the king of the pole vault, Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya, he's the man in the marathon at the moment and the fast one, Noah Lyles, the triple world champion, 100, 200 and four by 100. As you saw from the female list, there was no place for the often brash American Shakira Richardson. Shakira's absence is dividing opinions, at least on social media, many feeling that the 100 world champion did enough to make the final cut, others unsurprised by her absence. Lytton Levy, our in-house track and field analyst, joins us to discuss. Lytton, where do you stand on this surprise? Not surprised Shakira Richardson, not among the finalists for the women's award for athlete of the year? No, I'm not, and I don't know why people are surprised that she has been where she did make the final cut. Shakira won the world championship title, 100-meter title, that's fantastic, and she ran almost unbeaten in the course of the year. But compared to what everybody else did, let's use Shakira Jackson because they run the same events. Shakira won the diamond league title in both the 100 and 200, she won the 200-meter world title, and of course the 100-meter silver medal, Shakira winning the bronze medal in Budapest. When you compare the records, Shakira's record is much better than hers, and her record doesn't compare to the other women at all. So why, I don't know why people are surprised that she would make the final cut. She had a great year by her standard, given since she turned pro, but in comparison to the other women, Roe has four world titles, P.S. Kibiyev and who I think will win it all, you know, three world records, and of course a ridiculous, difficult double in the 1500 and 5000, first and only woman to do it, you know. How does Shakira's records match up to those women? I'm not surprised at all. Yeah, for surely, and I guess maybe this is a situation of popularity coming to the fore, because the truth is Shakira Richardson is one of the most popular women in track and field, and given her story of 2023 almost a redemption type story, turning up to the surprise of many winning the world title and in the fashion that she did in emphatic fashion. And what is the blue ribbon event? So maybe you could forgive those who don't follow the sport as closely as we do to maybe be a little bit surprised that she didn't end up on the final list, even though without a doubt it is the correct decision. Yeah, I guess, you know, if you're a cursory fan of talking to you that you don't know what anybody else is doing, maybe you think that she's been hard done, but reality is that, you know, sentiment hardly has anything to do with these things. I mean, it's the hard part of accomplishment, what she accomplished in 2023 compared to between 2019 and 2021 and 2022 when she did nothing. Of course, it's going to look great that she won a world title. Of course, it's going to look great that she won the last once, the Julian Alfred in the course of the season, over 100 meters. But, you know, as I said before, when it doesn't match up to the other accomplishments of the other women, in which was an outstanding year for women, generally, in terms of when you look at the other five finalists of what everybody took on. Yeah, I think the main point that you're making to Leighton is that as a sprinter, Sherrica Jackson's log was far more solid than Shakira Richardson's log was. And to be quite honest, Sherrica Jackson is not among the top performers in this list. I would think that she's in the lower half of the list of nominees here. And if you think about that and think that she outperformed Shakira overall for the year, then it's pretty obvious that Shakira's performances didn't warrant her in this finalist. Absolutely. I mean, you know, as you mentioned, the woman in the final five here would have probably been a contender any other year, regardless of who was winning that year. But when you compare what Shakira did this year, it's, I mean, it's nice you're here. You were in your first world title and you're 23 years old and you finally lived up to the potential and the expectation. But in real terms, it's still not good enough to win athletes a year. I mean, that's 30 years, supposed to reflect the female athletes who had done exceptional work above everybody else. And she doesn't fit that deal, Mr. Atal. Yeah, well said, Levy. Let's have a look at the men's award now, the short list for that. Levy, a really good short list on the men's side. Do you think it will be tougher to decide on the men's winner than it will be to select the women's athlete of the year? Absolutely. I still can't figure out who's going to win it. Because here's the thing. Keep them the marathon and the marathon will record a fantastic performance. But in the singularity of that event, it's very great and the record makes it fantastic. But the reality is, when you look at Ryan Crozo, for example, and Montevideo Plantis, and no less, who I think might get the edge, primarily because he's done something not as a printer until since you say it was in 2015 and went on beat in the 200. It's a ridiculous field to select from. Mondos, Warwick and again, another world title. Ryan Crozo with God's thoughts in his leg, wins and wins and sets another Warwick. The lower lives, 100, 200 meters. The champion, primarily 200 meters a month, upsetting the 100 meter field and winning the 100 meter title. Emulating Yusien Bolt from 2015. Of course, as you know, Yusien Bolt is right now the gold standard of unmanned sprinting. So I don't know. I think it's going to be a close, which whatever it is, I would be surprised if it's anything but a close put to see who ends up on top of the men. Because I think it's so, so tight in terms of the accomplishment of each other gentlemen. And I don't envy the people who will have to vote on this because I don't know. I don't think anybody you pick would probably be a deserved winner. But let me ask you a question that may help you to answer your own question as to who you think may go on to win the award. What do you give precedents to generally in situations like this? Do you prefer the athlete who has won more gold medals or do you prefer the athlete who is only able to contest one event and has broken the world record in that event? I mean, where do you generally sit on in situations like this? All right. In this particular instance, no one else has two world titles. Yes. Right? The 100 and the 200. But I do believe that the world records bring some level of priority there because it means that you're the best of all time at that particular moment. Yes. So the plant is who has brought the world record seven times or brought it once again this year and winning the world title. Ryan Crozer, who when he brought the world record last year in Oregon and people thought that that record was going to stand for a while and it breaks again this year. And then, of course, as the world record to that coming off a situation where he's not at full health, I think those world records bring up the parity to a second world title. So and that's the reason why it's difficult for me because while Lyles has the number of titles, remember he didn't even contest the diamond league final. So, you know, when you look at what Crozer and the planches have done in terms of their respective diamond league queens as well, I think they're right up there in terms of a serious candidate for the world last season, mainly the world last season of the year because I think it was World Records somehow bring up the parity to the second world title that no Lyles would have won. Which is why it's been, and I know your question is supposed to make it easier but it hasn't. Because in my mind the world records the world records do count for a lot. And when you set a world record, especially with the quality, look, I didn't think anybody would come along to be better than Sergei Pucca in the triple jump in the fourth world title. In the fourth world, yeah. Yeah. But when you look at what one of the planches has been doing, and he's like what? He's like 22 years old. How can you not say he's probably a worthy candidate for world main world last season of the year? Similarly, Ryan Crozer who has done things that I don't think people thought were possible when Randy Barnes said that record, that contested record many years ago and there do be a circumstance with that, you know, as the, but the thing about it is that Ryan Crozer has now separated himself, erased that record, and then established himself as perhaps the best hospital in history. So there are a lot of things to consider when you're picking the men on the men side this year and I think it's going to be a very difficult task for those who have that job. Well, thank you very much Leighton Levy for absolutely nothing because you haven't really helped us to determine who is going to win the men's award when of course they are presented on the 11th of December. So we'll be watching that closely and also remember that the Jamaican Russian Clark was shortlisted for the Rising Star Award. So we'll see if he has a shot in that category as well. Thanks very much Leighton for joining us on the sports mic zone and we'll chat again for sure. Let's take it easy guys. So I couldn't have been better helped though but it's one of the things I'm still watching myself with that decision. So yeah, I'm sure you'll be able to tell us on the 12th of December. Absolutely. All right, let's take a break. Over back.