Wariner, Richards nominated for World's Best Performance in 2006
Posted Thursday, 26 October, 2006
Contact:
Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
317-713-4690
U.S. stars Jeremy Wariner and Sanya Richards have been nominated for the prestigious 2006 Performance of the Year Awards that will be presented November 12 at the 2006 World Athletics Gala in Monaco. Also that evening, the 2006 World Athlete of the Year awards will be presented.
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 (IAF).
In running 43.62 seconds at the Rome Golden League meeting on July 14, Jeremy Wariner posted the fastest 400m time since Michael Johnson's world record in 1999 to become the fourth-fastest performer ever. The reigning world and Olympic champion, Wariner totally dominated his event this season in posting the five-fastest times in the world this year, and 10 of the top 12 fastest times globally.
Sanya Richards received her nomination for crushing the American women's 400m record on September 16 with her time of 48.70 seconds at the World Cup in Athens. The 2005 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist, Richards' performance obliterated Valerie Brisco's previous American record of 48.83 set at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Her winning time put her #7 on the all-time performers list and ranks as the fastest in the world this year. Richards owns the world's five-fastest women's 400m times this outdoor season.
The other nominees are as follows:
MEN
Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) winning his fifth consecutive short and long race double at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka.
Francisco Javier Fernandez (ESP) winning the 20km at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in front of his home crowd in La Coruna.
Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) winning the Berlin marathon in a World leading time of 2:05.56 after breaking the 20km and Half Marathon World records previously this year.
Christian Olsson (SWE) winning his second European title in Gothenburg after a 2005 season ruined by injury.
Asafa Powell (JAM) for the second time equalling his own World record of 9.77 in Zürich which matched the same performance in Gateshead just over a month before.
Irving Saladino (PAN) winning the Long Jump at the ISTAF Golden League in Berlin to win a share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot.
Saif Saaeed Shaheen (QAT) doubling 3000m Steeplechase and 5000m in Athens, a feat never achieved previously at an IAAF World Cup.
Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) throwing the Javelin at 91.59m to become the sixth all-time best thrower.
Liu Xiang (CHN) producing a stunning 12.88 in Lausanne to become the outright holder of the 110m Hurdles World record.
WOMEN
Kajsa Bergqvist (SWE) breaking the 14-year-old World Indoor High Jump record of Heike Henkel in Arnstadt with a clearance of 2.08m
Meseret Defar (ETH) breaking the 5000m World record in New York City.
Tia Hellebaut (BEL) setting two national records to clinch the High Jump European title ahead of World champion and home crowd favourite Kajsa Bergqvist.
Janet Jepkosgei (KEN) out-sprinting Maria Mutola to win the African Championships just a few months after she had also defeated Mutola at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Lornah Kiplagat (NED) setting a new World 20km record to win the inaugural edition of the IAAF World Road Running Championships.
Carolina Klüft (SWE) winning her second European title in the Heptathlon in Gothenburg.
Gulfiya Khanafeyeva (RUS) setting a new Hammer Throw record of 77.26 metres.
Tatyana Lysenko (RUS) winning the European title after breaking the World Hammer Throw record two times this season.
Sherone Simpson (JAM) winning the 100m in 10.89 at the World Athletics Final after she misjudged her 200m race the previous day.
For more information on the 2006 IAAF World Athletics Gala in Monaco, visit www.iaaf.org
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