Daphne, Ala: Ruth Jebet of Bahrain is the front runner in the United States Sports Academy’s Athlete of the Month ballot for May.
Public voting is presently in progress. Following the selection committee’s meeting, 12 candidates – six male and six female – from six countries comprise the list.
Jebet made the list after setting a meet and Asian record in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on 28 May 2016. Her record winning time was eight minutes 59.97 seconds. Jebet ran the second fastest time ever, missing the world record by 1.16 seconds.
A male and a female are voted monthly winners by the public and they then become candidates for the Academy’s prestigious Athlete of the Year award.
Votes can be cast on the Academy’s website atwww.ussa.edu till June 10, 2016.
Male nominees are Canelo Alvarez, boxing, Mexico; Stephen Curry, basketball, the US; Jason Day, golf, Australia; Clayton Kershaw, baseball, the US; Alexander Rossi, auto racing, the US; and Max Scherzer, baseball, the US.
Female nominees are Bethany Hamilton, surfing, the US; Kendra Harrison, track & field, the US; Ruth Jebet, track & field, Bahrain; Ariya Jutanugarn, golf, Thailand; Caster Semenya, track & field, South Africa; and Anita Wlodarczyk, track & field, Poland.
This is the 32nd year of the Academy’s Athlete of the Year programme, part of the institution’s annual Awards of Sport programme.
Each month, the public is invited to participate by nominate and vote for the male and female Athletes of the Month on the Academy’s website. Monthly winners become eligible for the prestigious Athlete of the Year honour, which is selected at year end by online public balloting.
Monthly and annual winners are announced on the Academy’s website and social media.