Google+ Running in Cork, Ireland: Short list for the 2012 IAAF Athlete of the Year award...

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Short list for the 2012 IAAF Athlete of the Year award...

At the start of October, the International Amateur Athletics Federation announced the ten candidates for the 2012 Athlete of the Year......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) and Christian Taylor (USA)

After an e-mail poll, the final three finalists have been selected.....

Usain Bolt, Jamaica.......Winner of the Olympic 100m and 200m finals as well as being on the 4 x 100m Jamaican relay team. 
Aries Merritt, USA........Winner of the Olympic 110m hurdles and set a new world record of 12.80 seconds at a competition in Belgium in September. 
David Rudisha, Kenya.......Winner of the Olympic 800m final and set a new world record of 1:40.91 in the process.

The big suprise here is of course the elimination of Britain's Mo Farah who won double Olympic gold in the mens 5,000m and 10,000m.  

Update 10am......The IAAF have just announced the three Female Athletes who are still in contention to become the 2012 World Athlete of the Year:
Valerie Adams, New Zealand.....Originally won the silver medal at the shot put at the 2012 London Olympics but was promoted to the gold medal after the initial Olympic champion, Nadzeya Ostapchuk from Belarus failed two drug tests.
Jessica Ennis, Great Britain.....Winner of the Olympic Heptathlon, one of the hardest events at the Games.
Allyson Felix, USA.....At the 2012 Summer Olympics Felix competed in 4 events: The 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay, placing 5th in the 100m and winning gold in the other three, thus becoming the first American woman to win three golds in athletics at an Olympics since Florence Griffith-Joyner at 1988 Games.


The Council of the International Athletic Foundation will 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.

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