Kenenisa Bekele and Yelena Isinbayeva at the IAF Gala (© Getty Images)
At the traditional preevent press conference to introduce the third IAAF World Athletics Final, IAAF President Lamine Diack announced the shortlist of five male and five female athletes who are still in the running for the Athlete of the Year Award.
Men
In alphabetical order
Virgilijus Alekna LITHUANIA
Kenenisa Bekele ETHIOPIA
Justin Gatlin USA
Asafa Powell JAMAICA
Liu Xiang CHINA
Women
In alphabetical order
Christine Arron FRANCE
Tirunesh Dibaba ETHIOPIA
Yelena Isinbayeva RUSSIA
Carolina Klüft SWEDEN
Paula Radcliffe GREAT BRITAIN
Finalists for the Performance of the Year Award were also announced:
Men
In alphabetical order
Virgilijus Alekna LITHUANIA
Kenenisa Bekele for his World Cross Double ETHIOPIA
Kenenisa Bekele for his World Record ETHIOPIA
Rens Blom THE NETHERLANDS
Asafa Powell JAMAICA
Women
In alphabetical order
Kajsa Bergqvist SWEDEN
Tirunesh Dibaba ETHIOPIA
Dorcus Inzikuru UGANDA
Yelena Isinbayeva RUSSIA
Paula Radcliffe GREAT BRITAIN
A Special Jury of the International Athletic Foundation, will make a final selection of Athlete of the Year after taking consideration of results achieved at the World Athletics Final in Monaco (9-10 September).
The winner of the Athlete of the Year award will be announced - live on stage - during the 2005 World Athletics Gala at the Hotel Fairmont, Monte-Carlo, on Saturday night.
IAAF