With less than a fortnight to go until the IAAF Athletic Awards 2018, which will be held in Monaco where the top performers of the world will be recognized for their exceptional achievements during the year 2018, IAAF has announced the shortlisted athletes for the World Athlete of the Year title in both male and female categories.
A three-way voting process determined the finalists. The IAAF Council and the IAAF Family cast their votes by email, while fans voted online via the IAAF’s social media platforms. The IAAF Council’s vote counted for 50% of the result, while the IAAF Family’s votes and the public votes each counted for 25% of the result. Voting closed on 13 November.
Dina Asher-Smith – Sprints
Dina Asher-Smith started her year by taking the bronze medal in a highly competitive 200m final at the Commonwealth Games. Two days later, she picked up a gold medal in the 4x100m relay. During the peak of the season, the British sprinter earned three gold medals with world-leading times at the European Championships in Berlin, running 10.85 in the 100m, 21.89 in the 200m and 41.88 in the 4x100m.
The 22-year-old ended her 2018 campaign with runner-up finishes in the 100m at the IAAF Diamond League final and the IAAF Continental Cup Ostrava 2018.
Beatrice Chepkoech – Steeple Chase
Beatrice Chepkoech stunned the athletics world when she smashed the steeplechase world record at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco, clocking 8:44.32 to take eight seconds off the previous mark.
The Kenyan distance runner won seven of her eight steeplechase races, including the IAAF Continental Cup, African Championships and IAAF Diamond League final. Earlier in the year she won the IAAF World Indoor Tour at 1500m and took silver in that event at the Commonwealth Games.
Caterine Ibarguen – Triple jump
Caterine Ibarguen this year continued her dominance of the triple jump but also took on the world’s best in the long jump. She won both events at three of her biggest competitions of the year: the Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, the IAAF Diamond League finals in Brussels and Zurich, and the IAAF Continental Cup Ostrava 2018.
The Colombian won all of her triple jump competitions this season and jumped a world-leading 14.96m in Rabat. She also set a national long jump record of 6.93m.
Shaunae Miller-Uibo – Sprints
Shaunae Miller-Uibo tasted nothing but success in 2018, winning all of her competitions across a range of events. The Bahamian sprinter raced just three times at her specialist distance, the 400m, and produced a world-leading national record of 48.97 to win at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco.
The 200m was her main focus of the year, however, and after winning the Commonwealth title in April, she was victorious in Shanghai, Kingston, Rabat and Birmingham before winning the IAAF Diamond League final in Brussels and the IAAF Continental Cup Ostrava 2018.
Nafissatou Thiam – Heptathlon
Nafissatou Thiam went unbeaten in the heptathlon for another year. The Belgian all-round talent won in Götzis with 6806, clearing a world heptathlon best of 2.01m in the high jump on the way to her victory.
She went on to improve her world-leading mark to 6816 to win the European title in Berlin, helped by a throw of 57.91m in the javelin.
