AOY 2017 (and POY)

[Fielding Melish]

Could both AOYs be high jumpers – Barshim & Lasitskene (who officially is an “ANA”!)?

Good case could be made for Semenya. Total domination against competition and clock in flagship event (800m), another WC medal in second event (1500) and world best at 600m.

A lot of POY possibles on the road.

Joyciline Jepkosgei broke significant time barrier with her half-marathon WR, an event that has WC competitions, and en route set WRs at 10km, 15km and 20km.

Mary Keitany ran women’s only marathon WR and set WR at 30km and world best at 25km.

Johan Deniz WC record at 50km walk and #2 all-time.

Then there is not world record eligible but Kipchoge’s 2:00:25 for marathon. Ran fastest time in history for every kilometer (every meter?) from 22km to 42km and final time more than 2:30 faster than official WR. (And, of course, there could be bona fide WR at Berlin end of month.)

[gmak]

For me, it's between Lasitskene and Stefanidi with Perkovic a close 3rd.

[gm]

Kendricks has to be in the conversation with his undefeated season in the PV.

[Powell]

For me, it's between Lasitskene and Stefanidi with Perkovic a close 3rd.

No way Włodarczyk is outside the top 3.

[ceil]

Vetter's 94.44 for POY maybe? Best throw in the event in 21 years. Likewise, Perkovic's 71.41 being the best throw since 1992.

[mump boy]

There are no outstanding favourites this year and for the men I struggle to find 10 people to consider.

Vetter and Perkovic are definitely performance of the year. With Rohler and Keitany 2nd.

Autumn marathon season could change this.

[aaronk]

My blog does its US & World AOY's (& POY's & Events of the Year & Personality of the Year) on December 31st, so anything I offer now is strictly hypothetical & preliminary!!
But here's my Top 5 picks, as of today---

Men's World AOY
Sam Kendricks
Johannes Vetter
Mutaz Barshim
Thomas Rohler
Ryan Crouser
HM to Manyonga & Deniz

(You read the above correctly---there are NO runners in my Top 5---right now!!

Men's Performance of the Year
Vetter's 309-10
Crouser's 74-3.75
Rohler's 308-1
Stahl's 233-10
Kerley's 43.70 & Coleman's 9.82 & Manangoi's 3:28.80
HM to Edris for his 12:55 & his defeat of Farah & to Deniz's 3:33:12

Men's USA AOY
Kendricks
Crouser
Coleman
Kerley
Gatlin

Men's USA Performance of the Year
Crouser's 74-3.75
Coleman's 9.82
Kerley's 43.70
Chelimo's 7:31.57
Murphy's 3:51.99 & 2:17.17
HM to Rupp's 2:09:58 & Gatlin's win over Bolt

Women's World AOY
Lasitskene
Stefanidi
Obiri
Wilson
Thiam
HM's to Coburn, Perkovic, Keitany, Hinriques, Miller-Uibo, Jepkosgei, Morris, Wlodarczyk

Women's World Performance of the Year
Coburn's win
Perkovic's 234-3
Thiam's 7013
Keitany's 2:17:01
Wilson's 1:55.61
HM's to Jepkosgei's 4 WR's, Frerichs's 2nd, Naser's 4 PR's, SMU's 21.88 & 49.46, Obiri's 4:16.56, the entire USATF 400H field, Pearson's win, Lasitskene's 6-9, Stefanidi's 16-1.25

Women's USA AOY
Coburn
Wilson
Frerichs
entire USATF 400H field
Cragg

Women's USA Performance of the Year
Coburn & Frerichs---a tie
Wilson's 1:55.61
Cragg's WC marathon
Saunders's 64-10
Berry's 251-10
HM's to Williams's & Bougard's 6564 & 6557, Bunch's 64-5.25, Simpson's 4:19.98, Bowie's 21.77, Felix's 49.65, Hasay's 2:23:00 & 67:56, Cunningham's 6-6.25

ADD---
My blog gives ZERO consideration to anything Semenya, Wambui & Niyonsaba does!

ADD: Forgot about Wilson's 1:22.39!!
Also Tirunesh Dibaba's 2:17:56 behind Keitany!

As for my Personality's of the Year, they're easy!!

Men
Usain Bolt (for BEING Bolt!!)

Women
Grunewald & Bartoletta---but edge given to Gabe!

[Tuariki]

Men's World AOY
Ryan Crouser
HM to Manyonga

Crouser? Ridiculous – Not with his WC
Manyonga – definitely well ahead of Crouser

Men's Performance of the Year
Kerley's 43.70 & Coleman's 9.82 & Manangoi's 3:28.80

Kerley? And Coleman? Don’t think so
Managoi - yes

Women's World AOY
Wilson
Obiri
Thiam
HM's to Coburn, Perkovic, Henriques, Miller-Uibo, Jepkosgei, Morris, Wlodarczyk

Wilson – you are dreaming aaronk – you don’t get extra credit for being American
Coburn – A great victory at WC. Adding in the rest of season does not come close to AOY
Perkovic – Admittedly contentious for top 5 – but take out all 1980s and she is #1 all time
Wlodarczyk – Definitely top 5
Miller-Uibo – You are dreaming again
Morris – dreaming – you don’t get extra credit for being American
Keitany & Jepkosgei & Henriques – definitely POY, not so sure about AOY

Women's World Performance of the Year
Wilson's 1:55.61
Frerichs's 2nd, Naser's 4 PR's, the entire USATF 400H field, Pearson's win,

Wilson – dreaming again
Freirich’s – I know she is American but that’s all she brings to the table
USATF 400H – yawn
Pearson – I was very happy to see her win. POY? No way

My blog gives ZERO consideration to anything Semenya, Wambui & Niyonsaba does!

As for my Personality's of the Year, they're easy!!

Men
Usain Bolt (for BEING Bolt!!)

Women
Grunewald & Bartoletta---but edge given to Gabe!

Don’t blame you for the ZERO consideration aspect, but that still doesn’t put Wilson in the top 5 for World AOY or World POY.

Bolt – an easy choice. He’ll probably be personality of the year next year as well – all he has to do is turn up

Grunewald & Bartoletta – maybe in NW Washington. I like Thiam

[Juicy News]

Some love for Obiri?
Keitany is also pretty dominant on the roads, and should be considered when she dutifully wins NY in November.

Also there may be some fireworks at the Berlin marathon.

[gh]

crouser isn't even a lock to be No. 1 in the shot

[aaronk]

My above picks were done almost entirely off the top of my head!
Also, I just pick ONE person for each award---then offer as many HM's as I want!
Lastly, I base most of my choices on marks & records!
That's why I put Crouser so high---his 74-3.75, plus his 2 or 3 73+'s at year's end!

As for Wilson's 800, if you eliminate the 3 named above, Wilson's 1:55.61 is the fastest 800 this year.
Add her 600, and she's a virtual lock!

Coburn's win wasn't the fastest, but its shock value puts it in first for me.
When you say "Performance", that should include both the mark itself and/or its value as a "PERFORMANCE".

BTW, if I choose the "USATF 400H field" as my "POY", it would be a first for me!

Anyway, with much more to come (DecaNation, Talence, the fall marathons), it's too early to make "final" picks!

[gh]

...

Then there is not world record eligible but Kipchoge’s 2:00:25 for marathon. Ran fastest time in history for every kilometer (every meter?) from 22km to 42km and final time more than 2:30 faster than official WR. (And, of course, there could be bona fide WR at Berlin end of month.)

I'll definitely be giving strong consideration to the Monza mark as POY.

[mump boy]

ADD---
My blog gives ZERO consideration to anything Semenya, Wambui & Niyonsaba does!

In that case your blog deserves ZERO consideration

[Merner521]

I'll definitely be giving strong consideration to the Monza mark as POY.

But Kipchoge's run there was likely the slowest in the history of the track!

[AyZiggy]

I'm solidly on the Kendricks bandwagon for men's AOY. Going undefeated in the pole vault hasn't been done since Disney World opened.