By Mike RowbottomOctober 4 - Britain's Mo Farah, Jamaica's Yohan Blake and Australia's Sally Pearson are among the 10 men and 10 women shortlisted for the 2011 World Athlete of the Year Award - along with Usain Bolt (pictured), of course.

(United States) and Jesse Williams (United States).Women: Mariya Abakumova (Russia), Valerie Adams (New

Zealand), Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica), Tatyana Chernova (Russia), Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya), Anna

By Tom DegunSeptember 30 - The British Olympic Association (BOA) and the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to identify areas of mutual cooperation and form a strategic partnership ahead of the London 2012 Summer Games and Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

by the ROC this month after the NOC signed deals with the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and the New

Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC).The MoU with the BOA is designed to mutually benefit sports and aspiring

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected] storiesSeptember 2011: New

Zealand and Russia sign MoU to connect through sport and the Olympic MovementSeptember 2011: Australia

hoping new agreement with Russian Olympic Committee will give them Sochi 2014 edge

By Mike RowbottomSeptember 29 - This year's ING New York City Marathon will be contested by the man with

champion and 2011 World Champion Edna Kiplagat of Kenya, three-time United States Olympian Jen Rhines, New

Zealand Olympian Kim Smith, Jo Pavey of Great Britain, Portugal's championship long-distance duo of

We have a star-studded international field for the ING New York City Marathon 2011 that brings together

an incredible lineup of champions from this year's Boston, London, and LA marathons," said New York

personal best time of 2:19:19, the fastest time in the world this year.She finished third at the ING New

28 - Kurt Fearnley, the double Paralympic marathon champion, has been announced for this year's ING New

The Australian, who holds the course record and won in New York from 2006-2009 inclusive before being

New York is the highlight of my season," she said."

Zealand.

I am thrilled to be returning to the ING New York City Marathon this year," said McFadden."

Zealand claims HugOctober 2010: "I needed that" says 1500m champ FearnleySeptember 2010: Fearnley

By Tom DegunSeptember 22 - United States sprint star Jerome Singleton has claimed that his rivalry with Paralympic icon Oscar Pistorius can be one of the greatest in sport and that he can be to the South African what Muhammad Ali was to Joe Frazier and Larry Bird to Magic Johnson.

T42-46 gold in Beijing but he could only claim silver in the same event at the World Championships in New

Zealand behind a South African team that was led to victory by Pistorius.Contact the writer of this

By David GoldSeptember 18 - Spain's basketball squad are celebrating qualification for the 2012 Olympic Games after retaining the EuroBasket title in Kaunas, Lithuania, with a 98-85 win over France in the final, with their opponents also able to pack their bags for London next year.

2012.The European quartet will join the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rica, Venezuela, Angola, Nigeria, New

Zealand and two as yet to be determined Asian representatives, who will be decided at their regional

including top heptathlete Rebecca Wardell,  are set receive a $200,000 (£126,680) boost from the New

Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) to help them in their preparations for London 2012, it has been announced

The money will go towards a temporary high performance training centre in the New Zealand city with

World Cup due the the earthquake but the city will host the official welcome home function for the New

Zealand team after the London 2012 Olympics with high-profile athletes such as cyclist Alison Shanks

Zealand team after the Olympics.''

Zealand want to play Britain's Olympic team at Wembley as earthquake fundraiserFebruary 2011: Olympic

By Tom DegunSeptember 14 - United States wheelchair racing star Anjali Forber-Pratt has revealed that the chance to compete at the Crystal Palace Athletics Stadium in London last month has given her renewed excitement ahead of the 2012 Paralympic Games next year.

2008 Paralympics.Forber-Pratt's success continued at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships in New

Zealand this January where she claimed a gold and three silvers, as well as breaking the world record

By Tom DegunSeptember 14 - A major new study has estimated that the 2011 Rugby World Cup currently taking

place in New Zealand will generate £1.06 billion ($1.67 billion/€1.22 billion) for the global sports

report underlines, it will drive significant economic activity around the globe and, in particular, in New

Zealand, both during the Tournament and in the longer term."

includes £17 million ($27 million/€20 million) in Oceania and £6 million ($9 million/€7 million) in New

Zealand."

Aside from seven weeks of spectacular rugby, New Zealand 2011 will benefit New Zealand and New Zealanders

By Tom DegunSeptember 14 - The New Zealand Olympic Committee has signed a Memorandum of Understanding

 Stanley said the meeting was particularly positive and will significantly help New Zealand in their

We are looking at access for New Zealand athletes to accommodation and training facilities at the Russian

Zealand House in Sochi for the Olympic Games in 2014."

Zealand, as well as a desire to bring Russian athletes to New Zealand for competition and training."

Zealand business and sport."

By Duncan MackaySeptember 13 - New Zealand has been chosen to stage this year's Champions Trophy after

Zealand," FIH President Leandro Negre."

New Zealand will put on a first-rate Champions Trophy and has been extremely flexible and professional

After seeing the facilities and infrastructure first hand I am very confident that Hockey New Zealand

Zealand."

Zealand."

By Tom DegunSeptember 12 - Japan have secured qualification for the Olympic eventing competition at Greenwich Park next year following their second place finish at the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials.

acted as the London 2012 eventing team qualifying event for Asia-Pacific nations that took part.New Zealand

countries secured their Olympic participation at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games with Canada, New

Zealand, United States, Germany, and Belgium all booking their spots in London.France and Sweden qualified

By David GoldSeptember 11 - The 2004 Olympic men's basketball champions Argentina have qualified for the London 2012 Olympic Games after a 80-75 victory over South American rivals Brazil in the final of the FIBA Americas Championship in Mar de Plata.

next year will be Australia's women's and men's teams, who both opened up unassailable 2-0 leads over New

Zealand in best of three qualifiers in Sydney.The women's team will be looking to clinch a fifth successive

By Emily GoddardSeptember 9 - The greatest name in Australian archery will be a notable absentee from the London Olympics campaign as Simon Fairweather, who famously won Australia's only Olympic archery gold medal on home soil in Sydney in 2000, has quit as head coach a year out from the 2012 Games.

archer.Australia should qualify one male and one female archer for the London Games at the Oceania tournament in New

Zealand in January.There are only three remaining spaces in the Olympic men's and women's team events

By Mike RowbottomSeptember 8 - Yohan Blake made his first big statement as world 100 metres champion in Zurich tonight as he beat his fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell at the Samsung Diamond League meeting in a time of 9.82sec, a personal best by 0.07.

Robert Harting, who won the discus with a second round effort of 67.02 metres, and Valerie Adams of New

Zealand, who won the shot put with 20.51m.Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]

storiesAugust 2011: Yohan Blake is the new world 100m champion.