Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba, who ran the fastest 400m hurdles in 26 years, Kenyan marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge and Swedish pole vault sensation Armand Duplantis are part of a five-man shortlist announced yesterday by the ruling body IAAF for the annual athletics awards.
Kipchoge shattered the world record for its biggest improvement in 51 years two months ago in Berlin, clocking 2 hours 1 minute 39 seconds. Duplantis also shone in the German capital in August when he raised his personal best by 12 centimetres to win the European title with a massive 6.05m.
Kevin Mayer also made the final five as the Frenchman raised the decathlon world record, and so did the year’s fastest sprinter Christian Coleman of the US.
The winner of the vote-carried out among IAAF council members, IAAF family and fans - will be announced at the World Athletics Awards on December 4 in Monaco.
The women’s shortlist was published Monday, featuring British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, Kenyan steeplechaser Beatrice Chepkoech, Belgian heptathlete Nafissatou Thiam, Colombian long and triple jumper Caterine Ibarguen, and Bahamas sprinter Shaunae Miller-Uibo.
Levine gets four-year doping ban
British sprinter Nigel Levine has been suspended from all sport for four years after testing positive for banned drug clenbuterol, UK Anti-Doping announced yesterday.
Levine failed a drugs test on November 24 last year and it emerged in February that he had been provisionally suspended.
Announcing the four-year ban on Tuesday, UKAD said the 29-year-old’s ban will be backdated to December 13, 2017 and run until December 12, 2021.
Levine was part of Britain’s 4x400 metre relay team that competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics and is a European indoor and outdoor gold medallist in the event as well as a three-time world indoor medallist.
Abderrahman Samba
