Wellman the gold medal at last summer's World Athletic Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, was on Saturday named Athlete of the Year by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF).

Britain's Edwards broke the world triple jump record three times during the season, twice in winning the world title at Gothenburg in August, when he became the first man to break the 60-foot barrier.

Wellman picked up the silver medal with a best of 57 feet, 93 inches while Edwards' world record leap was 60 feet 01 inch.

American sprint queen Gwen Torrence was on Saturday named the IAAF female Athlete of the Year.

The awards came a day after allegations that last year's poll was rigged on the orders of IAAF chief Primo Nebiolo. The IAAF has denied the allegations.

"I am honoured and very excited to have been given this prestigious award,'' said Edwards, who will be Wellman's main rival at next year's Olympic Games in Atlanta. "This has been a really incredible year for athletics with some great performances so to win means a great deal.'' Edwards beat world 10,000 metres champion Haile Gebrselassie by just 19 votes in the annual poll of journalists and others involved on the athletics circuit. The Ethiopian broke the world 5,000 and 10,000 metres records during the year.

American Michael Johnson, winner of three gold medals in Gothenburg, was third.

Torrence, winner of the 100 metres world title and robbed of a 200 metres victory by disqualification, said: "I'm really looking forward to winning the 100 and 200 metres Olympic titles in my home town next year.'' The American from Atlanta was a clear winner over Irish world 5,000 metres champion Sonia O'Sullivan and Kim Batten, the American who broke the world 400 metres hurdles record to win the world title in Gothenburg.

The awards were presented at the annual IAAF gala in Monaco.

On Friday, former IAAF press chief Christopher Winner was quoted by USA Today as saying that Nebiolo ordered the 1994 poll to be rigged to ensure that the awards would go to athletes who were attending the gala, to make the ceremony more attractive to television.

Winner said British hurdler Sally Gunnell was demoted from first to fourth place and the women's award was given instead to American heptathlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

Nebiolo denied the allegations on Saturday, saying: "To say these things were arranged for the ceremony is false and stupid.'' 1995 Awards Top 10 men 1. Jonathan Edwards (Britain) 1,501 pts 2. Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia) 1,482 3. Michael Johnson (US) 1,251 4. Noureddine Morceli (Algeria) 1,082 5. Moses Kiptanui (Kenya) 921 6. Sergei Bubka (Ukraine) 140 7. Ivan Pedroso (Cuba) 129 8. Donavan Bailey (Canada) 60 9. Dan O'Brien (US) 56 10. Jan Zelezny (Czech Republic) 54 Top 10 women 1. Gwen Torrence (US) 1,301 2. Sonia O'Sullivan (Ireland) 823 3. Kim Batten (US) 691 4. Maria Mutola (Mozambique) 690 5. Fernanda Ribeiro (Portugal) 630 6. Ana Quirot (Cuba) 613 7. Inessa Kravets (Ukraine) 585 8. Hassiba Boulmerka (Algeria) 203 9. Marie-Jose Perec (France) 190 10. Ghada Shouaa (Syria) 187