World Athletics Gala 2005 (© IAF)
MonteCarloAll eyes will be on the Principality of Monaco in a week’s time when on Saturday 10 September, after the conclusion of competition at the third edition of the IAAF World Athletics Final in the Stade Louis II, the prestigious annual World Athletics Gala will be hosted at the Hotel Fairmont, Monte-Carlo by International Athletic Foundation (IAF) Honorary President HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and IAF & IAAF President Lamine Diack.
Included in the guest list of 900, will be over 280 of the world’s top athletics stars who, over the course of the weekend will have entertained and enthralled us with their performances in the World Athletics Final.
The highlight of the evening will of course be the annual awards ceremony for the Male and Female World Athletes of the Year, with the winners being announced live on stage.
As occurred for the first time last year, the list of the top 15 athletes (both men and women) in the IAAF World Rankings (Overall) will be whittled down to five candidates (both men and women) via a public poll carried out on www.iaaf.org
From 07:00 GMT Monday 5 September, the public will be able to pick their choice of Athlete of the Year (Man and Woman), with the poll closing at 07:00 GMT, on Thursday 8 September.
This shortlist of 5 athletes (for both men and women) will then be presented to a Special Jury of the International Athletic Foundation, who 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 Gala will also give the Athletics family the opportunity to honour outstanding Rising Stars, Performances of the Year, Distinguished Career, Lifetime Achievement, Fair Play etc…
The rhythms of Zouk
And keeping everyone musically entertained will be the group “Kassav”, who are world famous in the field of “zouk” music, and whose 1985 international hit “Zouk la sé sèl médickaman nou ni” started a widespread dance craze in Latin America.
“Kassav, the zouk group par excellence…has become a living legend. All the Caribbean musical influences intermingle with funk and rock to produce an unusual, rhythmic cocktail. Enough to make the entire planet dance.”
Please click here to read more about ‘Kassav’
IAF ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
1988 Carl Lewis (USA) Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA)
1989 Roger Kingdom (USA) Ana Fidelia Quirot (CUB)
1990 Steve Backley (GBR) Merlene Ottey (JAM)
1991 Carl Lewis (USA) Katrin Krabbe (GER)
1992 Kevin Young (USA) Heike Henkel (GER)
1993 Colin Jackson (GBR) Sally Gunnell (GBR)
1994 Noureddine Morceli (ALG) Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA)
1995 Jonathan Edwards (GBR) Gwen Torrence (USA)
1996 Michael Johnson (USA) Svetlana Masterkova (RUS)
1997 Wilson Kipketer (DEN) Marion Jones (USA)
1998 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) Marion Jones (USA)
1999 Michael Johnson (USA) Gabriela Szabo (ROM)
2000 Jan Zelezny (CZE) Marion Jones (USA)
2001 Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) Stacy Dragila (USA)
2002 Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) Paula Radcliffe (GBR)
2003 Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) Hestrie Cloete (RSA)
2004 Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS)