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Tuesday, October 09, 2012

IAAF announces names of candidates for 2012 World Athlete of the Year Award

In a press release today, the International Amateur Athletics Federation announced the names of the 10 men and 10 women who have been shortlisted for the 2012 World Athlete of the Year Award. The 10 male and female candidates have been selected by an IAAF panel of athletics experts. An email poll involving the World Athletics Family began on Monday and will close on Sunday 28 October, midnight CET.

At the conclusion of the voting process, three male and three female finalists will be selected and announced by the IAAF. The Council of the International Athletic Foundation will then select the male and female winners from the finalists with the announcement taking place during a special ceremony in Barcelona, during the 2012 Centenary Celebrations, on 24 November 2012.

The candidates are: (in alphabetical order)

MEN - Yohan Blake (JAM) / Usain Bolt (JAM) / Ashton Eaton (USA) / Mohamed Farah (GBR) / Robert Harting (GER) / Kirani James (GRN) / Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) / Aries Merritt (USA) / David Rudisha (KEN) / Christian Taylor (USA)

WOMEN - Valerie Adams (NZL) / Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) / Jessica Ennis (GBR) / Allyson Felix (USA) / Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) / Yelena Lashmanova (RUS) / Sally Pearson (AUS) / Brittney Reese (USA) / Sanya Richards-Ross (USA) / Barbora Špotáková (CZE)

The email voters will be: IAAF & IAF Council Members; IAAF Member Federations; IAAF Committee & Commission Members; IAAF Meeting Directors; IAAF Ambassadors; Athletes’ Representatives; Top Athletes; Members of the International Press; IAAF Staff Members.....IAAF

So, who should win? Who was the best male and female athlete of 2012?

In the mens list, Usain Bolt must surely be the favourite with him retaining his 100m and 200m titles at the London Olympics and setting an Olympic record in the 100m in the process. Mo Farah did the double in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres while David Rudisha was outstanding in the 800m final setting a new world record.

On the womens side, it's probably going to be harder to pick a winner. Jessica Ennis was very impressive winning the heptathlon. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica retained her Olympic 100m title so she must be one of the front runners. In the end, it might perhaps go to Sally Pearson who set a new Olympic record in the womens 100m hurdles final?

So who do you think deserves the accolade of best world athlete for 2012?

10 comments:

  1. David Rudisha & Tirunesh Dibaba

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  2. Mo Farah,because Rudisha and Bolt had no real competition.Farah had to work for his golds.Also Jess Ennis,to do it in her home Olympics.

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  3. you should add a poll to the site with the same choices :-) would be interesting to compare the results.

    My vote : Mo Farah

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  4. Mo Farah & Jessica Ennis

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  5. Very tough to pick a mens winner - bolt rudisha and farah all have strong claims. very difficult decision but on the basis that farah probably won't get another olympic gold and rudisha will get a few more and bolt has already enough gongs to start a shop selling plaques it has to be farah.

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  6. ok, lets have a quick poll...best male and best female athlete of 2012.

    From the current list, we have.....

    MEN - Usain Bolt (JAM) / Mohamed Farah (GBR) / David Rudisha (KEN)

    WOMEN - Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) / Jessica Ennis (GBR) / Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) / Sally Pearson (AUS)

    If you think I should have included any of the others then let me know.

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  7. Ned Ramsell

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  8. Jessica Ennis gets my vote :-)

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  9. Usain Bolt!

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