British heptathlete is among the 22 athletes shortlisted for the global governing body’s world athlete of the year honours
World heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson is among the 11 female nominees for the IAAF’s world athlete of the year honours.
Sub-two-hour marathoner Eliud Kipchoge is included on the men’s 11-strong shortlist, with nominees selected by an international panel of experts, comprising representatives from all six continental areas of the IAAF.
The two winners will be announced live on stage at the World Athletics Awards in Monaco on November 23.
Johnson-Thompson won her world heptathlon title in Doha with a world-leading score of 6981 points and also won the European indoor pentathlon title with a world-leading 4983, going undefeated in all of her combined events competitions, both indoors and out.
Joining her on the female shortlist are Kenya’s world 3000m steeplechase champion Beatrice Chepkoech, Jamaica’s world 100m and 4x100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, world 1500m and 10,000m champion Sifan Hassan of Netherlands, Russia’s world high jump winner Mariya Lasitskene, Germany’s world long jump champion Malaika Mihambo, world 400m hurdles record-holder and champion Dalilah Muhammad, Bahrain’s world 400m champion Salwa Eid Naser, Kenya’s world cross country and 5000m winner Hellen Obiri, world triple jump champion Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela and Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei, who won the London Marathon and broke the outright women’s world record with her time of 2:14:04 to win the Chicago Marathon.
Alongside Kipchoge, who ran a remarkable 1:59:40.2 marathon during the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, the men’s nominees include USA’s world 800m champion Donavan Brazier, world 100m and 4x100m winner Christian Coleman, world cross country and 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, Kenya’s world 1500m winner Timothy Cheruyiot, world 400m champion Steven Gardiner of Bahamas, USA’s two-time world pole vault gold medallist Sam Kendricks, USA’s world 200m and 4x100m winner Noah Lyles, Sweden’s world discus champion Daniel Stahl, USA’s world triple jump champion Christian Taylor and Norway’s two-time world 400m hurdles winner Karsten Warholm.
Among those missing out are Britain’s world 200m gold and 100m silver medallist Dina Asher-Smith, who was nominated last year, while no shot putters appear on the men’s list despite the superb contest at the IAAF World Championships in Doha which saw Joe Kovacs win by a single centimetre with 22.91m, moving him to equal third all time and securing him the title ahead of Ryan Crouser and Tom Walsh, who both threw 22.90m.
Fans can vote for their winners online via the IAAF’s social media platforms, while the IAAF Council and IAAF Family will cast their votes by email.
The IAAF Council’s vote will count for 50% of the result, while the IAAF Family’s votes and the public votes will each count for 25% of the final result.
European Athletics has also announced the nominees for their athlete of the year awards, with Asher-Smith, Johnson-Thompson, Hassan, Lasitskene and Mihambo among those featuring in the women’s list and Warholm, Stahl and Germany’s world decathlon champion Niklas Kaul among those in the men’s list.
The winners will be presented with their trophies at the annual Golden Tracks award ceremony in Tallinn, Estonia, on October 26.