The 2008 World Athletics Gala on the 23rd November 2008, which will be held in Monaco will announce the winners of the 2008 World Athlete of the Year Awards. Some 1500 IAAF members and public users will vote. The weightage is 70% from IAAF and 30% from the public.

Finalist for 2008 World Athlete of the Year.

Men
Kenenisa Bekele ETH
Usain Bolt JAM
Dayron Robles CUB

Women
Tirunesh Dibaba ETH
Yelena Isinbayeva RUS
Pamela Jelimo KEN

Shortlisted for the Athlete of the Year Award via order of number of votes received (4th to 10th).

Men
Irving Saladino PAN
Haile Gebrselassie ETH
Samuel Wanjiru KEN
Andreas Thorkildsen NOR
Bryan Clay USA
LaShawn Merritt USA
Andrey Silnov RUS

Women
Veronica Campbell-Brown JAM
Melaine Walker JAM
Valerie Vili NZL
Barbora Spotakova CZE
Blanka Vlasic CRO
Gulnara Galkina-Samitova RUS
Françoise Mbango CMR