The Council of the International Athletic Foundation on Friday November 4, 2011, selected Jamaica's Yohan "The Beast" Blake, Usain "Lightning" Bolt, and last year's winner of 2010 the IAAF Male Athlete of the year, Kenyan distance runner David Rudisha, for this Year's IAAF Male Athlete of the Year award. Fellow Caribbean athlete, Grenadian Karani James, along with USA's Christian Taylor and Jesse Williams, who were among the top 10 nominated athletes, did not make the final cut.

Blake became the youngest 100 meters World Champion at age 21. He captured the event in 9.92 seconds in Deagu, Korea. "The Beast" also ran the second fastest 200 meters in history clocking 19.26 seconds to close out his season at the Brussels Diamond League meet.

Usain "Lightning" Bolt captured the 200 meters at the World Championship in a time of 19.40 seconds. He was undefeated over this distance all season. "Lightning" Bolt recorded the fastest 100 meters of the year, clocking 9.76 seconds at the Brussels Diamond League meet to close out his season. Together, they were part of Jamaica's world record team in the 4x100 meters relay, at 37.04 seconds.

On the women athletes' side, Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown, USA's Lashinda Demus and Carmelita Jeter were not selected for the IAAF Female Athlete of the Year shortlist. Shot-put World Champion, Valerie Adams of New Zealand, distance runner Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya and World 100 hurdles champion Sally Pearson of Australia were the women candidates selected.

The winners will be announced live onstage during the 2011 World Athletics Gala, on November 12, 2011, in Monaco.