November 11 - Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva (pictured) are the leading contenders for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) athlete of the year awards.

 

Bolt set three world records last year at the Beijing Olympics and broke two of those marks - in the 100 and 200 metres - in August at the World Championships in Berlin.

 

Isinbayeva broke her own world record by clearing 5.06 mtres at the Weltklasse meet in Zurich in August.

 

Her performance beat the mark of 5.05 she cleared at the Beijing Games a year earlier.

 

Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, America's Tyson Gay, Australia's Steven Hooker and Norway's Andreas Thorkildsen are also in the running, as are Amrica's Sanya Richards, New Zealand's Valerie Vili, Croatia's Blanka Vlasic and Poland's Anita Wlodarczyk, who have all been shortlisted by the IAAF for the awards.

 

The winners will be announced at the IAAF Gala in Monte Carlo on November 22.