Vivian, Rudisha and Makau nominated for IAAF Athlete of the Year awards

Double world champion Vivian Cheruiyot, world 800m record holder David Rudisha and world marathon record holder Patrick Makau have been nominated for the IAAF Athlete of the Year awards. Cheruiyot, who cliched the 5,000 and 10,000m at the World athletic Championships in Daegu is the front runner in the women’s category, having also clinched the world cross country championships in Punta Umbria, Spain early this year.

She is also first Kenyan athlete to secure a double at the world event. However, she faces competition from world 100m champion Carmelita Jeter of USA, world 400m champion Amntla Montsho of Botswana, world 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson of Australia and world 200m champion Veronica Campbell Brown of Jamaica.

Others include world High jump champion Anna Chicerova of Russia, Tatyana Chernova (hepthathlon) and Mariya Abakumova (Javelin) In the men’s category, Rudisha who clinched the award last year, is up against Kenyan compatriot Makau, world 100m champion Yohan Blake, Double Olympic champion and record holder Usain Bolt of Jamaica, world 400m champion Kirani James of Granada, World hammer champion Koji Morfushi of Japan, world triple jump champion Christian

Taylor of the United State of America and world High jump champion Jesse Williams of the USA. The 10 male and female candidates have been selected by an IAAF panel of 8 athletics experts. An e-mail poll involving the world athletics family will begin today and close on October 23 at midnight. 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 on November 12.
SOURCE: http://www.the-star.co.ke/sports/sports/43029-vivian-rudisha-and-makau-nominated-for-iaaf-award