Yomi Omogbeja (20/09/2004)

Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele has won the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) male athlete of the year award for 2004.

Bekele was selected from a shortlist of five athletes, after a worldwide public voting, by the IAAF Foundation Council panel and announced during the World Athletics Gala at the Grimaldi Forum, Monte-Carlo last night.

The 22-year-old has produced an exemplary series of performances this year, winning an Olympic gold medal in the 10,000m and a silver in the 5000m, as well as setting a new World 5000m & 10,000m records.

Bekele aslo set a World Indoor 5000m record and won his third consecutive World Cross Country double earlier in the year.

Bekele smashes another World record

He said: "After so many great races and good results, it's very special that this award comes next for me.

"I'm very young and to win this prize, is very special at this age. I hope that in the future, I can do it again.

"To finally win this is very exciting, and I'm very very happy."

El Guerrouj comes good

Meanwhile three-time world athlete of the year, Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj was awarded for the best male performance in the world this year for his Olympic 1500m triumph over Kenya's Bernard Lagat.

Africans have thus won the world male athlete of the year title for the fourth consecutive year.

Earlier in the second day of competition, Olympic silver medallist Hasna Benhassi of Morocco took advantage of Olympic champion Kelly Holmes's absence to win the women's 800m in 2:01.42.

American Jearl Miles-Clark was second in 2.01.73 while Moroccan Amina Ait-Hammou came third with 2.01.78.

Ghana's Ignaisious Gaisah beat the three Athens Olympic medallists with a leap of 8.32m to win the men's long jump.

The IAAF Foundation Council panel is made up of:

IAF ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

1988 Carl Lewis (USA) Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA)
1989 Roger Kingdom (USA) Ana Fidelia Quirot (CUB)
1990 Steve Backley (GBR) Merlene Ottey (JAM)
1991 Carl Lewis (USA) Katrin Krabbe (GER)
1992 Kevin Young (USA) Heike Henkel (GER)
1993 Colin Jackson (GBR) Sally Gunnell (GBR)
1994 Noureddine Morceli (ALG) Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA)
1995 Jonathan Edwards (GBR) Gwen Torrence (USA)
1996 Michael Johnson (USA) Svetlana Masterkova (RUS)
1997 Wilson Kipketer (DEN) Marion Jones (USA)
1998 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) Marion Jones (USA)
1999 Michael Johnson (USA) Gabriela Szabo (ROM)
2000 Jan Zelezny (CZE) Marion Jones (USA)
2001 Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) Stacy Dragila (USA)
2002 Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) Paula Radcliffe (GBR)
2003 Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) Hestrie Cloete (RSA)
2004 Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS)