World heptathlon Champion and Golden Girl on the track, Jessica Ennis, has been shortlisted for the IAAF World Athlete of the Year award. Ennis stormed to victory in Berlin to become World Champion and this year saw her crowned European Champion in Barcelona and World Indoor Champion in the pentathlon.
Ennis’s biggest rivals for the prize are likely to be high jumper, Blanka Vlasic, and sprinter, Allyson Felix. Veronica Campbell-Brown, Milcah Chemos Cheywa, Meseret Defar, Fabiana Murer, Nadezhda Ostapchuk, Olga Rypakova and Anita Wlodarczyk were also nominated.
Ennis will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Sanya Richards, the American athlete who won gold in the 4x400m relay and bronze in the 400m at the Beijing Olympics.
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Related stories:
Athletics: London 2012 a ‘priority’ for heptathlete
Athletics: Gold for Jess Ennis is Barcelona
Athletics: Jess Ennis launches new initiative to help school sport
Athletics: Ennis storms to victory in Doha
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Paula Radcliff won the award back in 2002 and 1993 saw Great Britain scoop both the men’s and women’s title with Colin Jackson and Sally Gunnell.
The shortlist will be whittled down to three next month before a special jury of the International Athletic Foundation decides on the winners. They will be announced at the IAAF World Athletics Gala in Monaca on 21st November.
Kirsty Page, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
