by Alfonz JuckThe World Athletics Awards celebrate all that is good and exciting for the sport of Athletics. We will go into much more depth this coming week, but wanted to get the word out on these amazing athletes, coaches, officials and key players in the media.
An early track spike, circa 1924-1928, cobbled by Adi Dassler, photo by adidas Communications
WORLD ATHLETICS AWARDS 2021
MONACO (MON): Olympic champions Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica and Karsten Warholm of Norway have been named the World Athletes of the Year at the World Athletics Awards 2021, a ceremony held virtually. “I just take it year by year,” said Thompson-Herah. “I went very close to the world record so you know, anything is possible. No spikes hanging up any time soon. The World Championships in Oregon is most definitely my next big target,” she said. “It was a very intense race, I knew the American and the Brazilian and all the other guys were really chasing me. I always go out hard and I never know what is going on behind me. I was just fighting all the way to the finish line. When I realised 45.94 was the reality, I was thinking: ‘This is not too bad. I’ll take it!,”said Warholm. Both won the award for the first time. Warholm is only second 400 m hurdler to win the award after Kevin Young back in 1992, also the first Norwegian ever. Thompson-Herah is third Jamaican woman after Merlene Ottey in 1990 and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 2013.
MONACO (MON): US talents were named Rising Stars of 2021. Olympic winner at 800 m Athing Mu (“It means the world to know that my support goes beyond friends and families and extends worldwide,” said Mu. “This award shows all young girls that your dreams can, indeed, come true.”) and World U20 record breaker Erriyon Knighton (“I’m really thankful for this award,” said Knighton. “One of my most memorable moments of this year was making it to the Olympic final in Tokyo and finishing fourth at the age of 17.”)
MONACO (MON): Member Federations Award went to Federacion Costarricense de Atletismo in recognition for their outstanding training, competition and development programme roll-out over the past 12 months, for their consultative work on the World Athletics Kids’ Athletics programme, and for successfully staging a host of international events over the past year. Peter Diamond, Executive Vice President of NBC Olympic programming recieved the President´s Award and legendary US coach Bobby Kersee the Coaching Achievement Award. The former international long jump star from India Anju Bobby George got the Woman of the Year Award.
MONACO (MON): Inspiration Award was given to high jump Olympic winners Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi. “I now call Mutaz like five times a week because I need to speak with him. I feel that now we are not just friends, we are really like blood brothers,” said the Italian. Barshim added: “I hope to inspire more people to love our sport and maybe share a gold one day!”
MONACO (MON): This year’s World Athletics Photograph of the Year was dedicated to the memory of Jean-Pierre Durand, one of the sport’s most prolific photographers and photo chief for a number of World Athletics Series events, who died in October. The winning picture was the one from women high jump qualification at the Olympic Games by Australian Ryan Pierse.
