“It is just crazy if I think about this story,” said Tamberi. The shared high jump victory between Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi became one of the biggest talking points of the Olympic Games – not only for everything it represented in their own individual careers, having both battled serious injuries since the last Games, but mainly for the act of respect and sportsmanship between two friends. 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. “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.”įederacion Costarricense de Atletismo (Costa Rica) “I’m really thankful for this award,” said Knighton. He went on to finish fourth in the Olympic final with 19.93. Knighton first set world U18 bests of 20.11 and 20.04 over 200m, but his rapid rise continued and he broke Bolt’s world U20 record for the distance with 19.88 and 19.84. Throughout 2021 the 17-year-old took down several marks that had belonged to sprint legend Usain Bolt. “This award shows all young girls that your dreams can, indeed, come true." “It means the world to know that my support goes beyond friends and families and extends worldwide,” said Mu. She also excelled at 400m, clocking a North American U20 record of 49.57 for the distance. She broke the senior US 800m record with her triumph in Tokyo and then improved it to 1:55.04 just a few weeks later. The US teenager was undefeated at 800m all year, winning Olympic gold at the distance following a long but successful collegiate season. I am looking forward to watching what you can all do in 2022." Thank you to all our athletes around the world. We cemented our position as the number 1 Olympic sport coming out of Tokyo, we have the most God-given talented athletes on the planet and our sport is the most accessible of all sports. "As a sport, we are in an incredibly strong position. So we’re delighted to recognise some of our stars at tonight’s awards. "We have this year celebrated some jaw-dropping performances in Tokyo, at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi and through our one-day meeting circuits – the Wanda Diamond League and the Continental Tour. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe congratulated all of tonight’s winners and finalists on their extraordinary achievements this year. When I realised 45.94 was the reality, I was thinking: ‘This is not too bad. I was just fighting all the way to the finish line. I always go out hard and I never know what is going on behind me. “It was a very intense race, I knew the American and the Brazilian and all the other guys were really chasing me. And I didn’t see the victory coming before crossing the finish line. “First when I saw the time (in Tokyo), I was like, ‘This must be a mistake!’ Because I didn’t see that one coming. In a race of incredible depth, the top three athletes finished inside the pre-2021 world record. Having already broken the world record with 46.70 in Oslo in the lead-up to the Games, Warholm exceeded all expectations in the Japanese capital to claim gold in a stunning world record of 45.94. Warholm uncorked one of the most remarkable performances in athletics history when he stormed to gold in the 400m hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics. That couldn’t happen in Tokyo but hopefully, in Eugene,I can get my friends and family to come and cheer me on.” “It is close to home, I hope friends and family can come out and watch. “The World Championships in Oregon is most definitely my next big target,” she added. “I went very close to the world record so you know, anything is possible. “I just take it year by year,” said Thompson-Herah. On top of her Olympic triple, she also clocked world-leading times of 10.54 and 21.53 over 100m and 200m respectively, moving to second on the world all-time lists and coming within touching distance of the long-standing world records.
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Thompson-Herah produced one of the finest sprint seasons in history this year, retaining her Olympic 100m and 200m titles in Tokyo and adding a third gold medal in the 4x100m relay. 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 on Wednesday.