The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic GamesAugust 8-24 2008
World champion hurdler Liu Xiang won the candidateship for the IAAF 2007 World Athlete of the Year, website sohu.com reports.
The world athletics governing body released the candidate list on Tuesday. Liu Xiang entered the final round for the second straight year.
Twenty-two athletes, half of whom are male, will compete for the titles.
An online ballot was launched the same day. The top three winners in each competition qualify for the final run.
Besides Liu Xiang, Ethiopian long-distance race legend Haile Gebrselassie and Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell are also favorites for men's title.
No Chinese is in women's selection, which is highlighted with big names such as Russian pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva and the title holder in 2006, Sanya Richards, from the US.
