Justin Gatlin left off final shortlist for IAAF World Athlete of the Year award
Last Updated: 17/10/14 11:56am
Justin Gatlin has failed to make the three-man shortlist for the IAAF World Athlete of the Year award.
The sprinter, who served a one-year ban for testing positive for a banned stimulant in 2001 and then failed a second test in 2006, which led to a four-year ban, was included on an original 10-man shortlist after a brilliant year in which he posted six of the fastest 100m times.
The 32-year-old ran 9.77 seconds in Brussels last month - the fastest-ever time by an athelte over 30.
However, his inclusion was heavily criticised and fellow nominee, Germany's Olympic discus champion Robert Harting, asked to be removed from the list in protest.
Kenyan Dennis Kipruto Kimetto, who last month became the first man to break two hours three minutes for the marathon, Qatari high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshmi and French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie, who cleared 6.16metres to break Sergey Bubka's 21-year-old indoor world record, will now compete for the men's award.
New Zealand shot-putter Valerie Adams, who extended her winning streak to 56 competitions in 2014, is joined on the women's shortlist by Dutch sprinter Dafne Schippers and Ethiopia's distance runner Genzebe Dibaba.
The winners will be selected during the 2014 World Athletics Gala in Monaco on November 21.