Chinese ace Liu Xiang, the men's 110-meter hurdles world record
holder, leads an internet poll for the World Athlete of the Year
award.
Liu, who came to spotlight this year by breaking the world
record with a storming 12.88 seconds in Lausanne, Switzerland, has
taken up 56.18 percent of the total votes cast via internet, said
the IAAF on its official website.
The 23-year-old Chinese is followed by sprinter Asafa Powell of
Jamaica and 400-meter Olympic and world champion Jeremy Wariner of
America, with respective 19.72 percent and 7.13 percent.
The ten-man shortlist, which was revealed on Wednesday by the
IAAF, also included the likes of long distance runner Kenenisa
Bekele of Ethiopia and American sprinter Tyson Gay.
The top three out of the ten athletes will be presented to a
special jury of the International Athletic Foundation, who will
then make a final selection of Athlete of the Year and announce the
winner at the 2006 IAAF World Athletics Gala in Monaco on November
12.
(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2006)
