Eaton, Dibaba named 2015's World Athletes of Year

Decathlete Ashton Eaton of the US and Ethiopia's 1,500 metres world champion Genzebe Dibaba have been named the men's and women's World Athletes of the Year for 2015, the sport's world governing body IAAF has announced.

Both athletes set world records during 2015 in their respective categories and won gold medals in their respective events at the World Championships Beijing 2015, reports Xinhua.

"Ashton Eaton became the first decathlete to win the male World Athlete of the Year award after his spectacular performance in the Chinese capital, his only decathlon of the year, when he set a world record of 9045 and improved his own three-year-old mark by nine points," said an IAAF statement after the council meeting on Thursday.

"Genzebe Dibaba, after setting a world indoor 5,000m record of 14:18.86, was then unbeaten in her five 1,500m races during the summer."

With former IAAF president Lamine Diack under investigation on corruption and Russia suspended over massive doping, the world athletics ruling body cancelled the usual gala party to honour its World Athletes of the Year.