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South Africa’s Caster Semenya and Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya, have been nominated alongside eight other female athletes for the 2018 Female World Athlete of the Year by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF).
The IAAF media department said on Monday that this week marked the opening of the voting process for the 2018 World Athletes of the Year.
The voting process was ahead of the 2018 IAAF Athletics Awards scheduled for Dec. 4 in Monaco.
It said that “IAAF is pleased to confirm a list of 10 nominees for female world athlete of the year who were selected by an international panel of athletics experts comprising representatives from all six continental areas of the body,”
It listed the nominees for 2018 Female World Athlete accordingly:
Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain who is a European champion and World lead in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay and also Commonwealth Games relay gold and 200m bronze medallist.
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Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech who is a World steeplechase record holder by eight seconds, backed up by the third-quickest mark of all-time.
She is also a winner of seven out of eight steeplechase finals, including the Continental Cup, African Championships and Diamond League.
Chepkoech is also a Commonwealth Games silver medallist in the 1500m event.
Sifan Hassan of Netherlands is also a World lead at one mile and 3000m, the latter set when winning at the Continental Cup, and European champion in 5000m; European records at 5000m and half marathon.
She is also a World Indoor medallist in the 1500m and 3000m.
Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia is a Continental Cup winner, Diamond League champion and Central American and Caribbean champion at both long and triple jumps.
She is also a world lead and unbeaten athlete in eight finals at triple jump.
Mariya Lasitskene, an Authorised Neutral Athlete is a winner of 25 out of 26 contests at high jump, including the World Indoor Championships, European Championships, Diamond League final and Continental Cup.
She is also a World lead in both indoors and outdoors.
Bahamas’s Shaunae Miller-Uibo has been unbeatable across five events in 15 races (13 finals and two preliminaries), including a 200m/4x100m relay double at the Continental Cup.
She is a World lead and a three time winner in the 400m with the world’s fastest time since 2006, she is also a Commonwealth Games and Diamond League champion in 200m.
She is the World bests in indoor 300m and 150m straight.
Sandra Perkovic of Croatia is a winner of 11 out of 13 contests at discus throw, including the European title for a record fifth time, she has the seven longest throws of the year.
Caster Semenya of South Africa has been unbeaten in her nine 800m finals, including the Commonwealth Games, African Championships, Diamond League final and Continental Cup.
She is a Commonwealth champion at 1500m and African Champion in the 400m and World leads in the 800m and 1000m.
Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium is a European champion, World lead and unbeaten at heptathlon, she is world number three in high jump.
Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk is a European champion, IAAF Challenge winner and world lead at hammer throw.
IAAF said on its website that a three-way voting process will determine the finalists, saying that its Council and the IAAF Family will cast their votes by email.
It added that fans can vote online via the IAAF’s social media platforms. Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram this week.
It said that the IAAF Council’s vote will count for 50% of the result, while the IAAF Family’s votes and the public votes will each count for 25% of the final result.
It said that voting for the Female World Athlete of the Year closes on Nov. 12.
It also said that at the conclusion of the voting process, five men and five women finalists will be announced by the IAAF.
It added that the male and female World Athletes of the Year will be announced live on stage at the IAAF Athletics Awards in Monaco.