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The IAAF released names of the six finalists who remain in contention for 2014 World Athlete of the Year award.
The highly talked about aspirant ,in USA sprinter Justine Gatlin and Jamaica’s track darling Kaliese Spencer were missing from that list. The winner of the event will make history as none of the finalists have ever won the award before.
The Men’s award finalists’ reads; Qatar high jumper Mutaz Barshim. Barshim had a stellar season, during which he elevated himself to number two high jumper on the all-time list with 2.43m and, just shy of the mark of Cuban world-record holder Javier Sotomayor (2.45m) set back in 1993. He tried on several occasions, during the season, to break Sotomayor’s world record.
Kenyan marathon maestro Dennis Kimetto Kirupto also made the cut. Kimetto broke fellow Kenyan runner Wilson Kipsang’s world record in the marathon in Berlin on September 28, becoming the first man to run under the 2.03.00 Mark. He won the event 2:02:57.
Kimetto, 30, also holds the Chicago Marathon (2:03:45) and the Tokyo Marathon (2:06:50) course records.
French pole vaulter and record holder, Renaud Lavillenie is the third person on the list. He broke Sergey Bubka‘s nearly 21-year-old world record in the February of this year setting a new mark of 6.16m.
The female trio of New Zealand shot putter Valerie Adams, Ethiopian middle distance runner Genzebe Dibaba and Dutch sprinter Dafne Schippers will vie for the female title.
Shot put ‘Super Woman’, Adams has a over 55 straight, unbeaten streak since August 2011. She is a four-time World champion, three time World Indoor champion and two-time Olympic and three-time Commonwealth champion and is seated in a comfortable position to pocket the award after missing the top spot on previous occasion. She currently holds the New Zealand, Oceania, Commonwealth and equal World Championship records with a personal best throw of 21.24 metres.
The surname “Dibaba” is famous amongst female distance running. Genzebe proved that she is not fluke, going on a record breaking trail in the early part of the track season. She became the new World indoor champion and record holder in the 1500m and 3000m. She also went on to win the IAAF Intercontinental Cup in Marrakech and also wrapped up the Diamond League race in the 3000m event.
Netherland’s Heptathlete ,Schippers had an outstanding season on the track, setting national records winning both short sprint titles at the European Championship, Gold and Bronze in the 200m and 100m at the World Indoor Championship, later wining the 200m for Europe at the IAAF intercontinental Cup.
The finalists were determined by an email poll of track and field officials that closed Thursday. The winners will be announced Nov. 21 after an IAAF council decision.
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