Britain's Sir Mo Farah heads a Justin Gatlin-less top 10 for men's World Athlete of the Year
Monday 2 October 2017 23:35, UK
Controversial world 100m champion Justin Gatlin has been left off a list of nominees, headed by Britain's Sir Mo Farah, for the IAAF men's World Athlete of the Year.
The 35-year-old American, who has served two doping bans, was a surprise winner of the blue riband male event in London's World Championships in August as Jamaican great Usain Bolt bowed out of his top-class career with a disappointing bronze medal.
However, when the International Association of Athletics Federations named its 10 male and female nominees for the 2017 awards, Gatlin's name was conspicuous by its absence.
It is the first time since 2004, when Gatlin was also omitted, that the world or Olympic 100m champion has been left off the list.
Gatlin's omission is no surprise, though, as the IAAF changed its rules in 2015 to exclude from its list anyone who has ever been sanctioned for a serious doping offence.
That came after Germany's Olympic discus champion Robert Harting asked for his own name to be removed from the list in protest at Gatlin's inclusion in 2014.
The 2017 list is led by 10,000m world champion Mo Farah and South Africa's 400m star Wayde van Niekerk.
The women's list includes comeback queen Sally Pearson of Australia, the 100m hurdles champion, and South Africa's Caster Semenya, the winner of the 800m.
