On Tuesday, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced the shortlist for the 2011 World Athlete of the Year award, featuring Australian sprint hurdler Sally Pearson among the candidates, while Jamaican sprint legends Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake lead the men’s nominations.
For the entire year, world champion Pearson only faced defeat once, which occurred during the final race of the season when she fell while in the lead.
Blake secured the world championships 100m title last month in Daegu, taking advantage of his world record-holding teammate’s disqualification for a false start.
Moreover, both sprinters achieved historic times at the Diamond League last month, with Bolt clocking the fastest 100m of the year and Blake recording the second fastest 200m in history.
Mo Farah from Britain also made the shortlist, having won gold in the 5,000 metres and silver in the tightly contested 10,000m event in South Korea at the age of 28.
Other notable inclusions in the list are Kenya’s marathon world record holder Patrick Makau, middle-distance runner David Rudisha, German discus thrower Robert Harting, Japanese hammer thrower Koji Murofushi, and Grenadian sprinter Kirani James.
Additionally, American triple-jumper Christian Taylor and high jumper Jesse Williams are also featured on the shortlist.
The women’s nominations include three Russian athletes: world heptathlete champion Tatyana Chernova, high jumper Anna Chicherova, and javelin thrower Maria Abakumova, along with American sprinters Lashinda Demus and Carmelita Jeter, New Zealand shot-putter Valerie Adams, and Jamaican sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown.
Kenyan long-distance runner Vivian Cheruiyot and Botswanan 400m runner Amantle Montsho, who made history by winning her country’s first-ever gold medal at the world championships, also stand out among the female candidates.
An IAAF panel comprising eight experts selected the 10 male and 10 female candidates, with the winners set to be revealed on November 12.
by Terence Johns
