Bolt heads World Athlete of the Year list

LONDON // Jamaica's triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt is among six Beijing gold medallists shortlisted for the 2008 World Athlete of the Year awards. Bolt, who set three world records when he won the 100 metres, the 200m and the 4x100m relay, joins Cuba's 110m hurdles champion Dayron Robles and the Olympic long-distance double winner Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia in the men's category.

The Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba, who is the 5,000 and 10,000m champion, is joined by the 800m gold medallist and Golden League winner Pamela Jelimo of Kenya and the Russian pole vault champion and world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva in the women's section. The finalists were chosen following a poll of internet fans and the International Associations of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Family; consisting of IAAF officials, member federations, ambassadors, leading athletes and selected members of the international press.

The winners will be announced during the 2008 World Athletics Gala in Monaco on Nov 23. *Reuters