Valerie Adams receives her London Olympics gold medal in Auckland. Photo / Greg Bowker
Olympic gold medallist Valerie Adams is again a finalist for the IAAF's Woman Athlete of the Year award.
The double Olympic and three-time world champion shot putter has been nominated along with British heptathlete Jessica Ennis and US sprinter Allyson Felix.
Adams has had an unforgettable year following an Olympic
campaign which saw her initially claim silver before Belarusian rival Nadzeya Astapchuk was stripped of the gold for failing a drugs test.
The New Zealander also claimed six of the seven Diamond League titles, breaking four meet records in the process.
She has twice been nominated for the award (2009, 2011) but has never won.
Usain Bolt, who claimed the 100m-200m double for the second straight Olympics, American 110m hurdle champion Aries Merritt and 800m world record holder David Rudisha of Kenya have been nominated for Male Athlete of the Year.
