World Athletics Gala Logo (© c)
MonteCarloThe 2007 World Athletics Gala in Monaco on 25 November, the prestigious annual global awards night for athletics, as well as the crowning of the 2007 World Athlete of the Year (Man and Woman), will witness the announcement of the 2007 Performance of the Year (Man and Woman) live on stage.
The nominees for the 2007 Performance of the Year have been selected by a panel of IAAF experts, and the winners will be decided solely by a Special Jury of the International Athletic Foundation.
The short list is as follows:
MEN
Tyson Gay (USA) 19.62/200m Indianapolis 24 June
The second-fastest ever at 200m to complete the best-ever sprint double (9.84/19.62) at the US Championships
Reese Hoffa (USA) 22.43m/Shot Put London 3 August
By far the longest throw of the year and tenth on the World all-time list
Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 2:04/26 Berlin 30 September
A World Marathon record – an improvement over the previous standard by 29 seconds
Bernard Lagat (USA) 13:45.87/5000m Osaka 2 September
Commanding win in Osaka to complete a rare 1500/5000m double at the World Championships
Asafa Powell (JAM) 9.74/100m Rieti 9 September 9
A World record - set while easing off - and a full tenth quicker than any other man in 2007
Dayron Robles (CUB) 12.92/110m Hurdles Stuttgart 23 September
To win at the World Athletics Final with the fastest of the year and with no wind-assistance (note: Liu Xiang had +1.7 for his 12.92 in New York)
Irving Saladino (PAN) 8.57m/Long Jump Osaka 30 August
A South American record to dramatically snatch World gold with the last jump of the contest
Roman Sebrle (CZE) 8676/Decathlon Osaka 1 September
To finally win the World title after moving up from third at halfway and setting a vital javelin personal best of 71.18
Zersenay Tadese (ERI) 35:50/12km XC Mombasa 24 March
To score the biggest upset of the year by dethroning Kenenisa Bekele at the World Cross Country Championships and winning by 23 seconds
Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) 58:33/Half Marathon The Hague 17 March
A substantial improvement on the World Half Marathon record
Jeremy Wariner (USA) 43.45/400m Osaka 31 August
To win the World title by more than half a second with a time bettered only by two men in history
WOMEN
Meseret Defar (ETH) 14:16.63/5000m Oslo 15 June
To demolish her old world record by almost eight seconds
8:58.68/Two Miles Brussels 14 September
To become the first woman to run the distance in less than nine minutes and with the world's fastest 3000m of the year (8:24.51) en route
Allyson Felix (USA) 21.81/200m Osaka 31 August
To win the World title with the fastest time since 1999 and by the widest margin (0.53) since 1948
48.0/400m relay split Osaka 2 September
To move the USA 4x400m relay team up from fourth into a winning lead on leg two, and with the quickest relay split since the 1980s
Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) 4.93i/Pole Vault Donyetsk 10 February 10
Her 20th World record and ultimately 5cm higher than any other woman in 2007
Janeth Jepkosgei (KEN) 1:56.04/800m Osaka 28 August 28
To win the World title with the world's fastest time for four years, and by running from the front
Lornah Kiplagat (NED) 26:23/8km XC Mombasa 24 March
To win the World Cross Country title by 24 seconds after leading virtually from gun to tape in stifling heat and humidity
1:06:25/Half Marathon Udine 14 October
Setting a World Half Marathon record (and World 20km record en route) to impressively defend her World Road Running title
Carolina Klüft (SWE) 7032/Heptathlon Osaka 26August
A European record and the world's highest score in 15 years to win the World title
Paula Radcliffe (GBR) 2:23:09/Marathon New York 4 November
For winning the New York Marathon in convincing manner eleven months after giving birth to her first daughter
Sanya Richards (USA) 49.27/400m Berlin 16 September
To claim a half-share of the IAAF Golden League jackpot and with a world-leading performance
Valerie Vili (NZL) 20.54m/Shot Put Osaka 26 August
To come from behind and win the world title with a Commonwealth record and world-leading distance
Blanka Vlasic (CRO) 2.07m/High Jump Stockholm 7 August
To equal to the third-highest jump ever outdoors
Yekaterina Volkova (RUS) 9:06.57/3000mSC Osaka 27 August
To win the World title with the second-quickest time in history under conditions not helpful to fast distance running
