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Lead Stories: Friday, December 5, 2008

Defar, Gay Named World Athletes of the Year

Posted November 26th, 2007 at 2:00 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field

Meseret Defar and sprinter Tyson Gay were named the World Athletes of the Year for 2007 at the World Athletics Gala held in Monte Carlo last night.

Defar, 24, shattered her won world record in the 5000 meters, running 14:16.63 in Oslo in June, breaking her own previous standard by more than eight seconds. The reigning Olympic 50000 champion, Defar also won the event at the world championships and twice lowered the world best for 2 miles. She also set a world record indoors in the 3000, running 8:23.72 in Stuttgart in February.

“I don’t have word to describe how happy I am,” said Defar, who dedicated the award to women athletes in Ethiopia. Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele have earned the honor in the past, but Defar became the first Ethiopian to win the world governing body’s annual award.

Gay, 25, won three gold medals at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka last August, sweeping the 100 and 200 metres and running the third leg on the victorious 4×100m relay. In the 100, Gay clocked 9.85, relegating world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica to third. In the 200, he clocked 19.76, taking down Michael Johnson’s meet record. He was just the fourth athlete to collect three gold medals at a single world championships.
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TFS News Briefs: 11/24/07

Posted November 24th, 2007 at 11:12 AM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics, TFS News Briefs, Trail / Ultra

TFS News Briefs
Liu Xiang’s Legs Insured for $13.3 million
Chinese insurance company Ping An, a sponsor of China’s Track & Field team, has donated coverage of national hero Liu Xiang’s legs worth $13.3 Million. Calling his legs “priceless,” the 100m hurdler said, “I don’t care how much it is. Naturally, I hope never to collect this money and just keep on staying healthy.” Read more at: [Malaysia Star]

Lack of Interest Submarines Felix’s Bid for IAAF Athlete of the Year
IAAF director of communication Nick Davies stated that American’s lack of interest in Track & Field caused Allison Felix to lose in her bid to become the IAAF Athlete of the Year, saying, “the public vote on internet counts for 30percent of the final mark. But the Americans were completely uninterested in contrast to the Chinese who voted for Lui Xiang and the Croats who went into action for Blanka Vlasic.” Read more at: [AFP]

Tribute to Pioneer African-American Ultra-Runner Eddie Gardner
In the build up to the upcoming Seattle Marathon, Seattle Post Intelligencer reporter Casey McNerthney pays tribute to Eddie Gardner, a Seattle-based ultra-runner who was one of five African-Americans to compete in the historic 1928 trans-America footrace dubbed the “Bunion Derby.” Overcoming death threats in Oklahoma and Texas, Gardner finished 8th out of 199 starters. Read more at: [Seattle Post Intelligencer]
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U.S. stars nominated for Athlete of the Year honors

Posted October 15th, 2007 at 5:51 PM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Tyson Gay 2007 USA Track & Field Championships Tyson Gay, Allyson Felix, Reese Hoffa, Sanya Richards, Bernard Lagat and Jeremy Wariner have been named to the short list of candidates for the 2007 IAAF World Athletes of the Year Awards.

Fans will have the opportunity to contribute to the selection of the three finalists in the men’s and women’s categories via the IAAF website (www.iaaf.org).

After a merge of all the votes (IAAF Family Vote - 70%; General Public Vote - 30%), the three male and three female athletes with the most points will be declared as finalists. The voting will close on Friday, October 31 at midnight CET.

For more information on the 2007 IAAF World Athletes of the Year Awards, visit www.iaaf.org.
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Vote for the 2007 IAAF
World Athlete of the Year!

Posted October 15th, 2007 at 2:50 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

World Athletics Gala Logo The IAAF is conducting an online poll in which you can help vote for your favorite track & field athlete of 2007. The list from which you can vote has been “selected by a panel of IAAF Experts.” From there, “a shortlist of 3 will then be presented to a Special Jury of the International Athletic Foundation, who will then make a final selection of the World Athlete of the Year and announce the winners, live on stage, at the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Gala in Monaco on 25 November.”
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Shaheed, Harvey named Masters Athletes of the Year

Posted June 7th, 2007 at 1:20 PM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

The USATF Masters Track and Field Awards Committee has announced its Athletes of the Year for 2007. The awards are based on their accomplishments during the 2006 outdoor and 2007 indoor track seasons.

At the top of the list are two athletes who have earned the highest honors of Masters Track and Field. Nolan Shaheed, of Pasadena, Calif., was named Masters Male Athlete of the Year, and Alisa Harvey, of Manassas, Va., has been named Masters Female Athlete of the Year. The remaining athletes have earned awards within their respective age brackets.
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T&F News honors Liu, Defar, Wariner and Richards

Posted December 27th, 2006 at 3:47 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Cross Country, Track & Field

Track and Field News released their choices for 2006’s best performances and athletes. For the second time in three years, Chinese hurdler Xiang Liu was was deemed to have produced the campaign’s top men’s performance.

The women’s top performance was given to Ethiopian distance expert Meseret Defar. Defar set the world record for the 5k at the New York Reebok meet this past. Her time was an astounding 14:24.53.

Jeremy Wariner, the top-rated male 400m runner, was chosen as the male World Athlete of the Year. Wariner received a nearly perfect score (99.6%) and only one member of the 23-member voter panel didn’t choose Wariner as number one. Tyson Gay was the runner-up. Stand-out Xavier “X-Man” Carter came in fifth; although we believe he should have been ranked higher.
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