The International Association of Athletics Federations announced Usain Bolt, Ashton Eaton and Christian Taylor are the finalists for the 2015 World Athlete of the Year award. The Jamaican sprinter Bolt retained his 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles at the world championships in Beijing in August. The 29-year-old brushed off the challenge of American rival Justin Gatlin to win the 100 in 9.79sec and clocked a world-leading time of 19.55 to secure the 200.

The American decathlete Eaton, 27, won his second successive world gold with a world record 9,045 points, including a world decathlon best of 45sec for the 400m.

The triple jumper Taylor, 25, won the world crown with a North American record 18.12m, the second best jump in history.

Women’s Category

Genzebe Dibaba, Dafne Schippers and Anita Wlodarczyk were nominated as the three finalists in the women’s category.

Ethiopia’s Dibaba won the 1,500m title in Beijing, having set a world record of three minutes 50.07sec for the event a month earlier in Monaco. The 24-year-old also set a world indoor 5,000m record of 14:18.86 and took 5,000m bronze at the worlds.

The Dutchwoman Schippers clocked a European and championship record of 21.63sec to win the world 200m title after clinching silver in the 100.

The Polish hammer thrower Wlodarczyk, 30, won all 11 of her competitions, including the world title in China. She also became the first woman to throw beyond 80m, setting a world record of 81.08m in Cetniewo in August.

Tidbits…

• An international panel of 10 experts assembled the finalists from a long list chosen by the IAAF family.
• The awards are normally presented at a gala in Monaco but it was cancelled this year in the wake of the recent doping scandal and investigation of former IAAF chief Lamine Diack by French authorities on suspicion of corruption and money laundering.

The Lightening Bolt’s Performance!!!