(Photo: Jeremy Wariner -USA)

Monte-Carlo - The 2006 World Athletics Gala in Monaco on November 12, the prestigious annual global awards night for athletics, as well as the crowning of the 2006 World Athlete of the Year (Man and Woman), will witness the announcement of the 2006 Performance of the Year (Man and Woman) live on stage.

The nominees for the 2006 Performance of the Year have been selected by a panel of IAAF experts, and the winners will be decided solely by a Special Jury of the International Athletic Foundation (IAF).

The short list is as follows:

MEN
Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) winning his fifth consecutive short and long race double at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka.

Francisco Javier Fernandez (ESP) winning the 20km at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in front of his home crowd in La Coruna.

Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) winning the Berlin marathon in a World leading time of 2:05.56 after breaking the 20km and Half Marathon World records previously this year.

Christian Olsson (SWE) winning his second European title in Gothenburg after a 2005 season ruined by injury.

Asafa Powell (JAM) for the second time equalling his own World record of 9.77 in Zurich which matched the same performance in Gateshead just over a month before.

Irving Saladino (PAN) winning the Long Jump at the ISTAF Golden League in Berlin to win a share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot.

Saif Saaeed Shaheen (QAT) doubling 3000m Steeplechase and 5000m in Athens, a feat never achieved previously at an IAAF World Cup.

Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) throwing the Javelin at 91.59m to become the sixth all-time best thrower.

Jeremy Wariner (USA) running 43.62 at the Rome Golden League meeting, the best time since Michael Johnson's World record in 1999, to become the fourth fastest ever runner at the distance.

Liu Xiang (CHN) producing a stunning 12.88 in Lausanne to become the outright holder of the 110m Hurdles World record.

WOMEN
Kajsa Bergqvist (SWE) breaking the 14-year-old World Indoor High Jump record of Heike Henkel in Arnstadt with a clearance of 2.08m

Meseret Defar (ETH) breaking the 5000m World record in New York City.

Tia Hellebaut (BEL) setting two national records to clinch the High Jump European title ahead of World champion and home crowd favourite Kajsa Bergqvist.

Janet Jepkosgei (KEN) out-sprinting Maria Mutola to win the African Championships just a few months after she had also defeated Mutola at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Lornah Kiplagat (NED) setting a new World 20km record to win the inaugural edition of the IAAF World Road Running Championships.

Carolina Kluft (SWE) winning her second European title in the Heptathlon in Gothenburg.

Gulfiya Khanafeyeva (RUS) setting a new Hammer Throw record of 77.26 metres.

Tatyana Lysenko (RUS) winning the European title after breaking the World Hammer Throw record two times this season.

Sanya Richards (USA) breaking the 400m American record with a fantastic time of 48.70 at the Athens World Cup, the best performance since Marie-Jose Perec's and Cathy Freeman's times in the Atlanta Olympic final.

Sherone Simpson (JAM) winning the 100m in 10.89 at the World Athletics Final after she misjudged her 200m race the previous day.