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Lead Stories: Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Gebrselassie, Defar Short-Listed for World Athletes of the Year

Posted November 16th, 2007 at 7:00 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field

Haile Gebrselassie and Meseret Defar are among the three men’s and women’s finalist for World Athlete of the Year, the IAAF announced last week.

The 34-year-old Gebrselassie lowered the world record in the marathon to 2:04:26, pending ratification, at the real,-Berlin Marathon in September, and earlier in the year, set world records for the one hour run on the track, and for 20,000m en route.

Defar, 23, produced yet another astonishing season. After a world record indoors over 3000m, the Ethiopian broke her own world record in the 5000m at the Golden League kick-off in Oslo in June, won the world title in the 5000m in August, and capped her season with a world best for 2 miles in Brussels.
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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

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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Podcast 25: Interview with sprinter Sanya Richards

Posted March 9th, 2007 at 1:54 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

I had the pleasure of being joined by 2004 4×400 Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards for Episode 25 of The Final Sprint Podcast.

Sanya is coming off of an incredible 2006; a year where she graduated from the University of Texas, was undefeated in 13 finals in the 400m, won a share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot, lowered the long-standout American record in the 400m to 48.70 and was named World Athlete of the Year.

In the interview Sanya speaks about deciding to abstain from this year’s indoor competitions, training with Jeremy Wariner, goals for the World Champs, the impact of her Jamaican roots and representing the United States.

Download the podcast to hear Sanya discuss these topics, how her speed compares to that of Aaron Ross (her boyfriend and Univ. of Texas football standout), what she thinks of Oscar Pistorius (who also specializes in the 400m), her role models, drugs in sports, advice for others and much more!

Listen In

[PLAY] (To Download: Right click and select “save as”)

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Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Sanya Richards
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 11.1MB
Length: 00:16:18

Interested in featuring The Final Sprint Podcast on your site, blog or My Space page? Click here to learn how!

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Powell, Richards named “Athletes of the Year”; Xiang, Defar win top performance honors

Posted November 12th, 2006 at 2:06 PM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Asafa Powell (JAM) and Sanya Richards (USA) were awarded the prestigious “Athlete of the Year” awards. The runners received the award at today’s World Athletics Gala in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Along with the honor and the impressive trophy, Powell and Richards both received a $100,000 prize.

Both Powell and Richards finished number one in the world rankings. In 2006, Powell ran a record-setting 12 100m races in less than 10-seconds and twice matched his own world record time of 9.77 seconds. Richards ran to 15 straight 400m wins in 2006. This included breaking the 22-year old American record by running the 400m in 48.70 seconds. Richards, the University of Texas standout, famously dating cornerback Aaron Ross, another elite Longhorn athlete and the man many call the top defensive player in college football. Read the rest of this entry »

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Powell, Xiang and Defar among finalists for IAAF’s “Athlete of the Year” award

Posted November 11th, 2006 at 12:00 PM by Martha Jones

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

The “Athlete of the Year” awards will be announced at tonight’s World Athletics Gala; the second major award to be given at the Gala. The first is the male and female “Performances of the Year”.

Past “Athletes of the Year” award winners include: Carl Lewis, Florence Griffith-Joyner, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Michael Johnson, Marion Jones, Paula Radcliffe and Hicham El Guerrouj.

The IAAF announced these six “Athlete of the Year” award finalists for 2006 :

• Men: Virgilijus Alekna (LTU), Asafa Powell (JAM), Liu Xiang (CHN)
• Women: Meseret Defar (ETH), Sanya Richards (USA) Sherone Simpson (JAM)

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World Athletics Gala in Monaco on November 12, 2006

Posted October 28th, 2006 at 4:00 PM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Announcements, Track & Field

PRESS RELEASE: The 2006 World Athletics Gala in Monaco on 12 November, the prestigious annual global awards night for athletics, as well as the crowning of the 2006 World Athlete of the Year (Man and Woman), will witness the announcement of the 2006 Performance of the Year (Man and Woman) live on stage.

The nominees for the 2006 Performance of the Year have been selected by a panel of IAAF experts, and the winners will be decided solely by a Special Jury of the International Athletic Foundation.

The short list is as follows: Read the rest of this entry »

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