US sprinter Justin Gatlin has been ditched from the final shortlist for World Athlete of the Year, the ­International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) revealed on Friday.

Gatlin, who has twice served doping bans, was a controversial inclusion on the original 10-man shortlist announced on October 3.

The prospect of a convicted drugs cheat winning the IAAF's athlete of the year award caused outrage in some quarters.