Monte-Carlo - The shortlist for the 2006 Performances of the Year has been decided.

The shortlist of 6 names (3 men and 3 women) will now be presented to a Special Jury of the International Athletic Foundation, who will make the final selection of the Performances of the Year and announce the winners, live on stage, at the 2006 World Athletics Gala in the Salle des Etoiles of the Sporting Club d'Ete, Monte-Carlo, on the evening of Sunday 12 November.

The short list of final nominees for 2006 Performances of the Year is as follows:

In alphabetical order

Men:

Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) for throwing the Javelin 91.59m at the IAAF Golden League meeting in Oslo to become the sixth best thrower of all time

Jeremy Wariner (USA) for running 43.62 at the IAAF Golden League meeting in Rome, the best time since Michael Johnson's World record in 1999, so becoming the fourth fastest of all time

Liu Xiang (CHN) for running 12.88 at the IAAF Super Grand Prix in Lausanne to become the outright holder of the 110m Hurdles World record

Women:

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

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

Sherone Simpson (JAM) for running 10.89 to win the 100m at the IAAF World Athletics Final one day after a below-par performance at 200m

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Previous winners of the Performance of the Year Award:

2004 Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) / Kelly Holmes (GBR) 2005 Justin Gatlin (USA) / Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH)