Usain Bolt and Elaine Thompson are among the list of male and female athletes nominated for IAAF Athletes of the Year.
Bolt, who won the sprint double at August’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games, along with fellow Jamaican Omar McLeod, is among 10 male athletes.
Bolt also helped Jamaica to gold in the men’s 4x100m relay.
McLeod, in his first full professional season, won the World Indoor 60m hurdles and 110m sprint hurdles at the Olympic Games.
Thompson, who became the first Caribbean woman to win the sprint double at the Olympic Games, will face-off with nine other women for the top prize. She also helped Jamaica to silver in the 4x100m relay.
The full list of nominated athletes below:
The IAAF is pleased to confirm a list of 10 men and 10 women nominees who were selected by an international panel of athletics experts, comprising representatives from all six continental areas of the IAAF.
IAAF Awards Night will be in Monaco on Friday 2 December 2016.
The nominees for 2016 World Athlete of the Year are:
Men
Usain Bolt (JAM)
Thiago Braz da Silva (BRA)
Ashton Eaton (USA)
Mo Farah (GBR)
Eliud Kipchoge (KEN)
Conselsus Kipruto (KEN)
Omar McLeod (JAM)
David Rudisha (KEN)
Christian Taylor (USA)
Wayde van Niekerk (RSA)
Women
Almaz Ayana (ETH)
Ruth Beitia (ESP)
Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN)
Kendra Harrison (USA)
Caterine Ibarguen (COL)
Ruth Jebet (BRN)
Sandra Perkovic (CRO)
Caster Semenya (RSA)
Elaine Thompson (JAM)
Anita Wlodarczyk (POL)
A three-way voting process will determine the finalists.
The IAAF Council and the IAAF Family* will cast their votes by email, while fans can vote online via the IAAF’s social media platforms. 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.
Voting closes on 1 November. At the conclusion of the voting process, three men and three women finalists will be announced by the IAAF.
The male and female World Athletes of the Year will be announced live on stage at the IAAF Awards Night.
