{"id":298,"date":"2023-12-05T00:42:38","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T08:42:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/?page_id=298"},"modified":"2024-12-26T15:10:49","modified_gmt":"2024-12-26T23:10:49","slug":"tfns-world-mens-athletes-year","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/","title":{"rendered":"T&FN’s World Men’s Athletes Of The Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

(switch to Women\u2019s AOYs<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Track & Field News<\/em> has been formally choosing an Athlete Of The Year since \u201959, but unfortunately had to skip the pandemic year of \u201920.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Our Men\u2019s World Rankings began with the \u201947 season, but for that year through the \u201958 campaign, the concept of a formally chosen AOY didn\u2019t exist in our pages.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the all-time men\u2019s No. 1s, with the event(s) in which they made the World Rankings that year (if the events are out of normal event order, that reflects the existence of a \u201cprimary\u201d discipline):<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
1950s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1959<\/td>\nMartin Lauer (West Germany)<\/td>\n110 Hurdles, Decathlon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
1960s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1960<\/td>\nRafer Johnson (USA)<\/td>\nDecathlon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1961<\/td>\nRalph Boston (USA)<\/td>\nLong Jump, 110 Hurdles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1962<\/td>\nPeter Snell (New Zealand)<\/td>\n800, 1500\/Mile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1963<\/td>\nCK Yang (Taiwan)<\/td>\nDecathlon, Pole Vault<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1964<\/td>\nPeter Snell (New Zealand)<\/td>\n800, 1500\/Mile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1965<\/td>\nRon Clarke (Australia)<\/td>\n5000, 10,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1966<\/td>\nJim Ryun (USA)<\/td>\n1500\/Mile, 800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1967<\/td>\nJim Ryun (USA)<\/td>\n1500\/Mile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1968<\/td>\nBob Beamon (USA)<\/td>\nLong Jump<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1969<\/td>\nBill Toomey (USA)<\/td>\nDecathlon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
1970s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1970<\/td>\nRandy Matson (USA)<\/td>\nShot<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1971<\/td>\nRod Milburn (USA)<\/td>\n110 Hurdles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1972<\/td>\nLasse Viren (Finland)<\/td>\n5000, 10,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1973<\/td>\nBen Jipcho (Kenya)<\/td>\n1500\/Mile, Steeple, 5000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1974<\/td>\nRick Wohlhuter (USA)<\/td>\n800, 1500\/Mile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1975<\/td>\nJohn Walker (New Zealand)<\/td>\n800, 1500\/Mile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1976<\/td>\nAlberto Juantorena (Cuba)<\/td>\n400, 800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1977<\/td>\nAlberto Juantorena (Cuba)<\/td>\n400, 800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1978<\/td>\nHenry Rono (Kenya)<\/td>\nSteeple, 5000, 10,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1979<\/td>\nSeb Coe (Great Britain)<\/td>\n800, 1500\/Mile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
1980s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1980<\/td>\nEdwin Moses (USA)<\/td>\n400 Hurdles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1981<\/td>\nSeb Coe (Great Britain)<\/td>\n800, 1500\/Mile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1982<\/td>\nCarl Lewis (USA)<\/td>\n100, 200, Long Jump<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1983<\/td>\nCarl Lewis (USA)<\/td>\n100, 200, Long Jump<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1984<\/td>\nCarl Lewis (USA)<\/td>\n100, 200, Long Jump<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1985<\/td>\nSa\u00efd Aouita (Morocco)<\/td>\n1500\/Mile, 5000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1986<\/td>\nYuriy Syedikh (Soviet Union)<\/td>\nHammer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1987<\/td>\n*Sa\u00efd Aouita (Morocco)<\/td>\n1500\/Mile, 5000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(*the original voting leader was Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, but his AOY status was revoked after his admission to drug use)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1988<\/td>\nSergey Bubka (Soviet Union)<\/td>\nPole Vault<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1989<\/td>\nRoger Kingdom (USA)<\/td>\n110 Hurdles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
1990s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1990<\/td>\nMichael Johnson (USA)<\/td>\n200, 400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1991<\/td>\nSergey Bubka (Soviet Union)<\/td>\nPole Vault<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1992<\/td>\nKevin Young (USA)<\/td>\n400 Hurdles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1993<\/td>\nNoureddine Morceli (Algeria)<\/td>\n1500\/Mile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1994<\/td>\nNoureddine Morceli (Algeria)<\/td>\n1500\/Mile, 5000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1995<\/td>\nHaile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia)<\/td>\n5000, 10,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1996<\/td>\nMichael Johnson (USA)<\/td>\n200, 400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1997<\/td>\nWilson Kipketer (Denmark)<\/td>\n800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1998<\/td>\nHaile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia)<\/td>\n5000, 10,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1999<\/td>\nHicham El Guerrouj (Morocco)<\/td>\n1500\/Mile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
2000s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2000<\/td>\nVirgilijus Alekna (Lithuania)<\/td>\nDiscus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2001<\/td>\nHicham El Guerrouj (Morocco)<\/td>\n1500\/Mile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2002<\/td>\nHicham El Guerrouj (Morocco)<\/td>\n1500\/Mile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2003<\/td>\nF\u00e9lix S\u00e1nchez (Dominican Republic)<\/td>\n400 Hurdles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2004<\/td>\nKenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia)<\/td>\n5000, 10,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2005<\/td>\nKenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia)<\/td>\n5000, 10,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2006<\/td>\nAsafa Powell (Jamaica)<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2007<\/td>\nTyson Gay (USA)<\/td>\n100, 200<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2008<\/td>\nUsain Bolt (Jamaica)<\/td>\n100, 200<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2009<\/td>\nUsain Bolt (Jamaica)<\/td>\n100, 200<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
2010s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2010<\/td>\nDavid Rudisha (Kenya)<\/td>\n800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2011<\/td>\nDavid Rudisha (Kenya)<\/td>\n800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2012<\/td>\nDavid Rudisha (Kenya)<\/td>\n800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2013<\/td>\nBogdan Bondarenko (Ukraine)<\/td>\nHigh Jump<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2014<\/td>\nRenaud Lavillenie (France)<\/td>\nPole Vault<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2015<\/td>\nAshton Eaton (USA)<\/td>\nDecathlon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2016<\/td>\nWayde van Niekerk (South Africa)<\/td>\n400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2017<\/td>\nMutaz Barshim (Qatar)<\/td>\nHigh Jump<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2018<\/td>\nEliud Kipchoge (Kenya)<\/td>\nMarathon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2019<\/td>\nKarsten Warholm (Norway)<\/td>\n400 Hurdles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
2020s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2020<\/td>\nno voting; pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis (Sweden) named \u201cMVP\u201d<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2021<\/td>\nRyan Crouser (USA)<\/td>\nShot<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2022<\/td>\nMondo Duplantis (Sweden)<\/td>\nPole Vault<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2023<\/td>\nRyan Crouser (USA)<\/td>\nShot<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024<\/td>\nMondo Duplantis (Sweden)<\/td>\nPole Vault<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Copyright \u00a9 Track & Field News 2024<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(switch to Women\u2019s AOYs) Track & Field News has been formally choosing an Athlete Of The Year since \u201959, but… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-298","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nT&FN's World Men's Athletes Of The Year - Track & Field News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"T&FN's World Men's Athletes Of The Year - Track & Field News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"(switch to Women\u2019s AOYs) Track & Field News has been formally choosing an Athlete Of The Year since \u201959, but... Read More\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Track & Field News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-12-26T23:10:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/\",\"name\":\"T&FN's World Men's Athletes Of The Year - Track & Field News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-12-05T08:42:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-26T23:10:49+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"T&FN’s World Men’s Athletes Of The Year\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/\",\"name\":\"Track & Field News\",\"description\":\"The Bible of the Sport Since 1948\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"T&FN's World Men's Athletes Of The Year - Track & Field News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"T&FN's World Men's Athletes Of The Year - Track & Field News","og_description":"(switch to Women\u2019s AOYs) Track & Field News has been formally choosing an Athlete Of The Year since \u201959, but... Read More","og_url":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/","og_site_name":"Track & Field News","article_modified_time":"2024-12-26T23:10:49+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/","url":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/","name":"T&FN's World Men's Athletes Of The Year - Track & Field News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-12-05T08:42:38+00:00","dateModified":"2024-12-26T23:10:49+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/tfns-world-mens-athletes-year\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"T&FN’s World Men’s Athletes Of The Year"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/","name":"Track & Field News","description":"The Bible of the Sport Since 1948","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=298"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137867,"href":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/298\/revisions\/137867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trackandfieldnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}