What is the best years by an athlete ever?

[parkerrclay]

With all the talk about Bolt this year, where does he rank amond the best seasons ever by a track athlete? And, for that matter, Bekele and Jelimo also?

Here are a few that come to mind:
Owens 35/36
Hayes 60
Lewis 84
Zatopek 52
Bubka 91
Nurmi 24
Johnson 96

Female:
JJK 87
Rudolph 60
Blankers-Koen 48
FloJo 88*

[Davidokun]

Hayes entry should be 1964, not 1960.

[Per Andersen]

Elliott '58

[EPelle]

Said Aouita 1987 comes to mind for me when discussing one particularly great season for a particular athlete.

[eldrick]

rono '78

i'm not sure anyone has ever broken wrs at 3 olympic-contested events in the same year ( + 3k wr )

[bambam1729]

Sandor Iharos in 1955 is similar to Rono's year of 1978

[EPelle]

I:ve stated the obvious (for me, that is) some time ago: Gunder Hägg with 15 WR in three months in 1942. Not all of them were Olympic distances, but nevertheless.

[joeltetreault]

I'll throw this one into the ring: Kipketer's 1997 season: World Champs win, and the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 8th fastest 800m times of all time. He first tied Coe's WR, then went on to break it twice. One top of that, he broke the WR twice for the indoor 800.

[Jake]

Seb Coe:
1979 (3 WRs in 41 days)
1981 (4 WRs + World Cup 800m win).

Steve Cram:
1983 (World 1500m title + Euro Cup 1500m win + world no 1 at 800m)
1985 (3 WRs in 19 days inc Dream Mile win + Euro Cup 1500m win)

Steve Ovett:
1980: (Olympic 800m title + 3 WRs)

[jhc68]

Juantorena 1976

[LopenUupunut]

Parry O'Brien 1956?

[dukehjsteve]

Glenn Davis 1958

wr at 440 y 45.7
wr at 400 m h 49.2

Has anyone else ever had 2 wr's in the flat and the hurdles for 1 lap ?! And in the same year.

[EPelle]

1987. Stefka Kostadinova. 28 meets, 27 victories. Two world championship titles and a European title. Twelve competitions over 2.00m - including seven at 2.05m or higher, and a seven-meet two-metre streak.

One world record.

Last time her personal best has been equalled or bettered by anyone else? Never.

[Bauchwalzer]

best years

Ron Clarke 1965? Harrison Dillard 1948? John Thomas 1960? Before that year, no one (outside of himself during the '59 indoor season) had ever jumped seven feet more than once, but he had 27 meets at seven feet or higher, 15 of those over Charles Dumas' WR and 14 of those over Yuriy Styepanov's one-time WR, plus earned a bronze medal in the Olympics. Valeriy Brumel also in 1960? He came out of (almost) obscurity to improve 7 5/8" over his previous season's best, set 1 Euro indoor record, 4 Euro outdoor records and 9 national junior records (some of which were also world junior records) plus earned a silver medal at the Olympics. Volodomir Yashchenko 1978? He set 2 world indoor records (as well as 4 Euro indoor records), 1 world outdoor record (as well as 3 Euro outdoor records), 11 national junior records (most of which were also world junior records) and copped Euro indoor and outdoor titles.

[deanouk]

Jake said:

Seb Coe:
1979 (3 WRs in 41 days)
1981 (4 WRs + World Cup 800m win).

Steve Cram:
1983 (World 1500m title + Euro Cup 1500m win + world no 1 at 800m)
1985 (3 WRs in 19 days inc Dream Mile win + Euro Cup 1500m win)

Steve Ovett:
1980: (Olympic 800m title + 3 WRs)

Coe 79: - indoor AAA 3000m champion, outdoor AAA - 1st Britain at 400m, fastest leg by Britain in Europa Cup 4x 400m, European Cup 800m champ, 3 WRs in 41 days, undefeated at all distances above 400m, AW & T&FN "Athlete of the Year", BBC "Sports personality" of the year.

Coe 81: - indoor AAA 3000m champion, outdoor AAA 800m champ, Europa Cup & World Cup 800m champ, 4 WRs outdoors (800, 1000, Mile x 2) and 1 WR indoors (800), undefeated at ALL distances, AW & T&FN "Athlete of the Year".

Ovett in '80 and Cram in '85 both beaten by Coe.