Athletes of the Year, World and US ?

[dukehjsteve]

If the season ended today, who do you pick ?

Here's my 2 cents:

Men

World:

Usain Bolt ( duh) with Bekele an honorable 2nd
field: no one stands out above anyone else

US:

A bit tougher, but I say Angelo Taylor, with Merritt 2nd. But how about Clay ?
field: VACANT !

Women

World:

Dibaba, easy
field Isi, also easy

US

Tough to pass on Oly winners Brown Trafton and Harper, but I'll go with Shalane Flanagan

field: Brown Trafton, of course

[mike renfro]

I was going to shoot from the hip, as usual (mostly hitting my foot :shock: ), but I think I will wait out Weltklasse & Van Damme.

[pauluk63]

current (but could change)

Men
World- Usain Bolt
USA- Angelo Taylor

Field
World- Andrey Silnov
USA- Christian Cantwell

Women
Track
World- Tirunesh Dibaba
USA- Shalane Flanagan

Field
World- Yelena Isinbayeva
USA- Stephanie Brown Trafton

[kreynolds]

Re: Athletes of the Year, World and US ?

I'd put Dayron Robles ahead of Bekele. Without Bolt, Robles's season would be deemed super spectacular. Now it's merely spectacular: a WR, and a large crop of sub-13s.


[quote="dukehjsteve"]If the season ended today, who do you pick ?

Here's my 2 cents:

Men

World:

Usain Bolt ( duh) with Bekele an honorable 2nd
field: no one stands out above anyone else

[Jaack]

I'm a little bit :? at the Shalane Flanagan love. When compared to the likes of Dawn Harper, she was miles behind the winner, looks unlikely to ever come close to the standards of Dibaba et all and thus, I'm stumped as to why she would be considered, best US female performance? Is it because she's a non African and managed to mildly mix it with them? Is it because, American distance running hasn't had anything to shout about for a decade? Bottom line is, Flanagan ran a great BRONZE medal winning performance.

Harper was a few tenths outside the world record, destroyed a world class field, in her first international AND actually won a gold! :?

Even Felix, with a sub 22 second and silver medal performance, clearly tops Shalane. JMHO!

[Jon]

I'm a little bit :? at the Shalane Flanagan love.

It's the Mottram syndrome all over again :roll:

[mojo]

Let me add the top Canadian athletes for the wee Canukian group here:

Track -Gary Reed
Field- Dylan Armstrong

Track-Priscilla Lopes-Schielp
Field- Tabia Charles

See how easy it is when your choices are limited? Advantage Canada.

Our team overall did very, very well.
No whinging and handwringing here ala the Brits and the Yanks. 8-) :wink:

[Jaack]

European Athletes of the Year

Men
Track: Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad FRANCE. [The Only Euro Track medalist! :shock: ]
Field: Just because he threw an OR, Thorkildsen- but Majewski comes a close second! Europeans won every throw event in the end. Has that happened before?

Women:
Track: Samitova -Galkina for the World Record
Field: Who else? Yelena Isinbayeva, Spotokova gives her a good run for her money though!

African Athletes of the Year:
Men: Track -Bekele
Field- Mokoena
Women: Dibaba & Mbango-Etone

[Davidokun]

Europeans won every throw event in the end. Has that happened before?

Yes, and as recently as 2000:

Men
Shot: Arsi Harju (Finland)
Discus: Virgulius Alekna (Lithuania)
Hammer: Szymon ZióÅ‚kowski (Poland)
Javelin: Jan Železný (Czech Republic)

Women
Shot: Yanina Karolchik (Belarus)
Discus: Ellina Zvereva (Belarus)
Hammer: Kamila Skolimowska (Poland)
Javelin: Trine Solberg-Hattestad (Norway)

[AS]

Europeans won every throw event in the end. Has that happened before?

Only on the men's side... a Kiwi and an American messed up the female half...

[AS]

I reckon Robles should be in the mix for 2nd on the men's side:

How's this for a sequence (and with some more racing to come)?:
12.87 (#1 all-time)
12.88 (=#2)
12.91 (=#5)
12.93 (=#13)
12.96
13.04
13.08
13.12

Has been beaten once (Berlin by 0.01s) though!

[Davidokun]

Europeans won every throw event in the end. Has that happened before?

Only on the men's side... a Kiwi and an American messed up the female half...

At least somebody's paying attention. ops:

[Powell]

I'm a little bit :? at the Shalane Flanagan love. When compared to the likes of Dawn Harper, she was miles behind the winner, looks unlikely to ever come close to the standards of Dibaba et all and thus, I'm stumped as to why she would be considered, best US female performance? Is it because she's a non African and managed to mildly mix it with them? Is it because, American distance running hasn't had anything to shout about for a decade? Bottom line is, Flanagan ran a great BRONZE medal winning performance.

Harper was a few tenths outside the world record, destroyed a world class field, in her first international AND actually won a gold! :?

Season-wise, Harper wasn't even the best US athlete in her event, so I don't see how she can be the US AOY.

[Powell]

Europeans won every throw event in the end. Has that happened before?

Yes, and as recently as 2000:

Men
Shot: Arsi Harju (Finland)
Discus: Virgulius Alekna (Lithuania)
Hammer: Szymon ZióÅ‚kowski (Poland)
Javelin: Jan Železný (Czech Republic)

Women
Shot: Yanina Karolchik (Belarus)
Discus: Ellina Zvereva (Belarus)
Hammer: Kamila Skolimowska (Poland)
Javelin: Trine Solberg-Hattestad (Norway)

Also in 1972, 1980, 1984 and 1988.

[mump boy]

I'm a little bit :? at the Shalane Flanagan love. When compared to the likes of Dawn Harper, she was miles behind the winner, looks unlikely to ever come close to the standards of Dibaba et all and thus, I'm stumped as to why she would be considered, best US female performance? Is it because she's a non African and managed to mildly mix it with them? Is it because, American distance running hasn't had anything to shout about for a decade? Bottom line is, Flanagan ran a great BRONZE medal winning performance.

Harper was a few tenths outside the world record, destroyed a world class field, in her first international AND actually won a gold! :?

Even Felix, with a sub 22 second and silver medal performance, clearly tops Shalane. JMHO!

DOH Jaack she's blonde !!!