James Finishes 7th In Athlete of the Year Voting
1/13/2012 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
Jan. 13, 2012
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -
Former University of Alabama track standout, World Champion and two-time NCAA Champion Kirani James finished seventh in Track & Field News' annual Athlete of the Year voting.
The 19-year-old 400 meter World Champion earned the ranking after going undefeated in the event in his first professional season. Less than two months after winning his second consecutive NCAA 400 meter outdoor title, he roared onto the international scene and shocked the field at the IAAF World Championships by posting a then personal best time of 44.60. Hailing from his native Grenada, James clipped defending champion LaShawn Merritt by a stride for the gold medal to become the youngest 400-meter world champion in history by more than two years.
He finished his season with a personal best of 44.36 in a Diamond League race in Zurich, Switzerland. David Rushida, a Kenyan 800-meter runner and world record holder in the event, earned the publication's Athlete of the Year honor. Notable names such as sprinter Usain Bolt and marathoner Geoffrey Mutai finished second and fifth, respectively.
Voting by the 33-member international panel was scored on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Of the 33 ballots cast in Athlete of the Year voting, James was voted as high as second on one of them and 17 of the voters tabbed him as sixth or better.
In the 400 meters, James finished the season comfortably ranked as the world's top athlete in the event.
James wasn't the only athlete affiliated with Alabama track to finish the season ranked by Track & Field News as UA volunteer assistant coaches Alonso Edward and Mookie Salaam were ranked in the 200 meters. Edward, who represents Panama in international competition, finished the season ranked seventh in the world. Salaam recorded the seventh fastest 200-meter time on the world list and finished the season ranked fifth among Americans.
The rankings are generated by a panel of experts from the publication with athletes judged on three weighted criteria - honors won, win-loss record and top performances.
