Following another successful year for the GB and NI team, British Athletics has today announced the shortlists for the annual British Athletics Athlete of the Year Awards. For the first time ever, fans will be able to vote in the six categories by visiting the British Athletics Facebook page.
Six athletes have been nominated for the Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year and Young Athlete of the Year and there are also awards for the Coach of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Club of the Year.
Mo Farah (coach: Alberto Salazar) is nominated in the Male Athlete of the Year category along with European Indoor 60m silver medallist James Dasaolu (Steve Fudge), double IPC world champion Aled Davies (Anthony Hughes), World Championships 200m finalist and double European Under 23 champion Adam Gemili (Fudge), T44 100m world champion Jonnie Peacock (Fudge) and T42 200m gold medallist Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine), who also ran 40 marathons in 40 days for charity.
After setting a British record en route to winning her second 400m world title, Christine Ohuruogu (Lloyd Cowan) is one of six women in the running for the Female Athlete of the Year award. She is joined by T12 100m and 200m silver medallist Libby Clegg (Antoine), T34 100m and 200m gold medallist Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks), F51 discus world champion Josie Pearson (Hughes), IAAF World Championships 100m hurdles silver medallist Tiffany Porter (Rana Reider) and double European Indoor champion Perri Shakes-Drayton (Chris Zah).
Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie), who won IAAF World Championship 4x100m bronze aged just 17, is a finalist for Young Athlete of the Year alongside Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Mike Holmes), who was fifth in the heptathlon at the World Championships in Moscow, and European Team Championships 800m winner Jessica Judd (Rob Denmark). Three young Paralympic athletes are also nominated in the form of F46 javelin world champion Hollie Arnold (Hughes), IPC World Championships T38 100m gold and 200m silver medallist Sophie Hahn (Joseph McDonald) and Lyon T37 100m and 200m finalist Rhys Jones (Antoine).
Also recognised for their achievements in 2013 are Lloyd Cowan (Christine Ohuruogu), Steve Fudge (James Dasaolu and Jonnie Peacock), Rana Reider (Tiffany Porter, 4x100m women’s relay team), Jenni Banks (Hannah Cockroft), Keith Antoine (Richard Whitehead, Rhys Jones, Libby Clegg) and Anthony Hughes (Aled Davies, Kyron Duke, Josie Pearson, Hollie Arnold), who have all been shortlisted Coach of the Year.
Following nominations from the four home countries, there is a shortlist of four for the Volunteer of the Year award. Dawn and Mark Hookway are nominated for their involvement in the TAC Distance Running Group, Nathan Jones is nominated for his team management, coaching, officiating and administration work at Carmarthen and District Harriers, Raymond Black is nominated due to his tireless commitment to Willowfield Temperance Harriers and Jim McLaren is also nominated for his voluntary work in Scotland.
Each home country also made a nomination for the Club of the Year award with the four finalists being Bristol & West AC, Cardiff AAC, City of Derry Spartans AC and Edinburgh AC.