WORLD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2015 MEN’S FINALISTS: BOLT, EATON AND TAYLOR

Usain Bolt, Ashton Eaton and Christian Taylor are the three men’s finalists for the 2015 IAAF World Athlete of the Year award.

Bolt successfully defended his 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015. The Jamaican sprinter clocked a world-leading time of 19.55 when winning the 200m.

Eaton won his second successive gold medal at the World Championships, setting a decathlon world record of 9045. Within his series, the US athlete set a world decathlon best of 45.00 for 400m.

Taylor won the triple jump title in Beijing with a North American record of 18.21m, the second-best jump in history. The US jumper also won the Diamond Race title in his event.

IAAF/© Getty Images

Last month the IAAF Family* was asked to select nine men and nine women from each of the following categories: sprints, hurdles, middle and long distance, road running, race walking, jumps, throws, combined events and multi-terrain.

The top-voted athletes in each category formed the longlist, from which an international panel of 10 experts** selected the three finalists.

World Athlete of the Year 2015 women’s finalists: Dibaba, Schippers and Wlodarczyk

Genzebe Dibaba, Dafne Schippers and Anita Wlodarczyk are the three women’s finalists for the 2015 IAAF World Athlete of the Year award.

Dibaba won the 1500m title at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015, having broken the world record in the event one month earlier with her time of 3:50.07 in Monaco. The Ethiopian also set a world indoor 5000m record of 14:18.86 and took the bronze medal at that distance at the World Championships.

Schippers clocked a European and championship record of 21.63 to win the 200m title in Beijing to go alongside the silver medal she took in the 100m where she set a Dutch record of 10.81. Earlier in the year, she set a world-leading mark of 7.05 over 60m.

Wlodarczyk was utterly dominant this season in the hammer. The Pole won all 11 of her competitions, including the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015. She also became the first woman to throw beyond 80 metres, setting a world record of 81.08m in Cetniewo in August.

WORLD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2015 WOMEN’S FINALISTS: DIBABA, SCHIPPERS AND WLODARCZYK
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© AFP / Getty Images

Last month the IAAF Family* was asked to select nine men and nine women from each of the following categories: sprints, hurdles, middle and long distance, road running, race walking, jumps, throws, combined events and multi-terrain.

The top-voted athletes in each category formed the longlist, from which an international panel of 10 experts** selected the three finalists. The men’s finalists will be announced tomorrow.