Lone Caribbean Athlete Nominated For 2014 World Athlete of the Year

Kaliese Spencer, winner of the 400m hurdles at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Rome

News Americas, LONDON, England, Tues. Oct. 7, 2014: Only one Caribbean athlete has made this year’s nominees for the 2014 World Athlete of the Year Award and it’s not Usain Bolt.

The lone Caribbean athlete to make the cut is Bolt’s fellow country woman, Kaliese Spencer, winner of the 400m hurdles at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Rome.

Spencer  along with the other nine female candidates and 10 male athletes, were selected by an international panel of athletics experts which include representatives from all six continental areas of the IAAF.

An email poll involving the World Athletics Family commenced on Friday October 3rd  and will close on Thursday October 16th at midnight CET.

At the conclusion of the voting process, three male and three female finalists will be selected and announced by the IAAF.

The Council of the International Athletics Foundation will then select the male and female winners, with the announcement taking place live on stage during the 2014 World Athletics Gala on Friday 21 November 2014.

The candidates for the World Athlete of the Year Award are (athletes listed in alphabetical order):

Men
Nigel Amos (BOT)
Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT)
Jairus Kipchoge Birech (KEN)
Bogdan Bondarenko (UKR)
Yohann Diniz (FRA)
Justin Gatlin (USA)
Robert Harting (GER)
Dennis Kipruto Kimetto (KEN)
Renaud Lavillenie (FRA)
LaShawn Merritt (USA)

Women
Valerie Adams (NZL)
Genzebe Dibaba (ETH)
Dawn Harper Nelson (USA)
Caterine Ibarguen (COL)
Francena McCorory (USA)
Sandra Perkovic (CRO)
Dafne Schippers (NED)
Kaliese Spencer (JAM)
Barbora Spotakova (CZE)
Anita Wlodarczyk (POL)