1997 World Athlete of the Year Wilson Kipketer (© Getty Images)
After a successful nomination as "Athlete of the Year" in the world wide vote organised by the IAF, Denmark's Wilson Kipketer has been named Reuters "Sports Personality of 1997".
After an unprecedented 1997 season, where he shattered both indoor and outdoor records in the 800 metres, Wilson Kipketer was elected Athlete of the Year in a poll conducted by the International Athletic Foundation and was presented with the Athlete of the Year award at the annual IAF Gala held in Monte Carlo at the end of November.
This success was renewed when Kipketer was named "Sports Personality of 1997" by the Reuters news agency, following the votes of over 100 sports journalists in 43 countries. Kipketer was selected as overwhelming victor from a list of 30 top sportsmen, which included stars from all major sports.
IAAF President Primo Nebiolo was one of the first to congratulate Kipketer on his success.
