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MONACO, Dec. 4-- Kenyan marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge and Colombian long jumper Caterine Ibarguen were named International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Male and Female Athlete of the Year at the federation's end of year award ceremony here on Tuesday. Kipchoge won the Berlin Marathon in 2:01:39 in September, improving the previous world record by 1 minute and 18 seconds, the biggest single improvement in a men's marathon world record since 1967. On the women's side, Ibarguen added a dominant performance in the long jump to her already impressive triple jump displays. The Colombian won both the long jump and triple jump titles at the IAAF Diamond League finals. She was unbeaten in all eight of her triple jump competitions, ending the year with a world-leading mark of 14.96m. "I'm struggling to stand up because I'm shaking so much," said Ibarguen, who also expressed her gratitude to all of her fans. Sweden's Armand Duplantis, who set a stunning world U-20 record of 6.05m in the pole vault to win the senior European title, unsurprisingly claimed the Male Rising Star of the Year, while American sprinter Sydney McLaughlin triumphed in the women's category. "How high can you go? Is my world record safe?" Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie, the pole vault world indoor record holder and one of the ceremony hosts, asked Duplantis. "I think I can jump higher than you," the Swedish star responded in a confident mood. | 
