25 Nov 2017
Monaco, 24 November 2017. Aspire Academy graduate and Qatar super star athlete, Mutaz Essa Barshim was named IAAF male Athlete of the Year in Monaco on Friday night 24th November 2017. The award completes a remarkable year in which Mutaz was also crowned Asian athlete of the year and became world champion in August.
Qatari high jumper Barshim, 26, went through the season unbeaten and won gold at the World Championships. Mutaz won ahead of Britain's four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah who was nominated in the men's category after winning world 10,000m gold and 5,000m silver at world championships and South Africa’s World 400m and Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk was also nominated in the men's category.
Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium, won gold in the heptathlon in London to add to her Olympic title at Rio 2016 was named the IAAF female athlete of the year during the same night in Monaco.