Olympic 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson is in contention to claim a second straight IAAF female world athlete of the year award.

Pearson - who edged out American Dawn Harper by two hundredths of a second to win the Olympic gold medal in London in August - was the only Australian nominee among the 10 men and 10 women named by the IAAF.

The 26-year-old Queenslander became the first Australian winner of the prestigious IAAF award last year after claiming her first world title in 12.28 seconds - the fastest 100m hurdles time in almost two decades.

The favourite for the 2012 women's award is Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who successfully defended her Olympic 100m crown in London.

The short list also includes New Zealander Valerie Adams, who belatedly won a second Olympic shot put title after Belarusian Nadzeya Ostapchuk was stripped of the gold medal following a positive drugs test.

Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt, who completed a second Olympic sprint double, and Kenyan David Rudisha, who broke his own 800m world record record in the Olympic final, are the favourites to win the men's award.

The winners will be announced next month at the IAAF's centenary celebrations in Barcelona.