It is that time again for the annual world male and female awards and recognition. The question on everyone mind is who will be crowned the 2021 World Male and Female Athletes of the Year. The Covid-19 pandemic had delayed the 2020 Tokyo Games until the summer of 2021 but this did not diminish the athletes’ performances as evidence by demolishing of several world records. Indeed, 2021can be remembered as one for the record books. Impressive performance from Karsten Warholm, Ryan Crouser, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Sydney McLaughlin, Athing Mu, Yulimar Rojas and Hassan make this year selection extremely difficult. Let the debate begins.
Warholm and Crouser for Male AOY
On the men's side, it basically comes down to two individuals, the Norwegian Karsten Warholm and the American Ryan Crouser.
Personally, I don't think anyone could honestly deny the impressive performances of the Norwegian, Karsten Warholm, who broke the 400m hurdles world record twice within mere weeks. On the first occasion, July 1, 2021, Warhom erased the American Kevin Young's twenty-nine-year-old world record of 46.78 to establish a new mark of 46.70. And at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, he lowered his own mark of 46.70, posting a new and phenomenal time of 45.94 seconds in the 400m hurdles.
Indeed, it was the first time in history that anyone broke the 46 second time barrier in the 400m hurdles. To my mind, these performances must put Warholm at the top of the pile. Warholm is also the 2021 Diamond League Champion in the 400m Hurdles. Simply put, Warholm has taken the 400m Hurdles event to another level.
The American Ryan Crouser is another worthy and deserving candidate for World Male Athlete of the Year. On June 18, 2021, Crouser established a world record of 23.37m in the shot put. The American has been very consistent this year, winning the shot put at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in an Olympic Record of 23.30m. Ryan Crouser is also the 2021 Diamond League Champion in the event.
World Female Athlete of the Year
The World Female Athlete of the Year is a little more difficult to determine. Certainly, there are a few worthy and deserving candidates.
First, there is the Dutch middle and long distance runner, Sifan Hassan, who won two gold and one bronze at the recent 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Second, there is the American pair of Sydney Mclaughlin and Athing Mu, who each won two gold medals. Sydney Mclaughlin broke the world record twice, weeks apart. At the 2021 US National Trials, Mclaughlin erased the world record of her compatriot, Dalilah Muhammad, posting an unbelievable 51.90 seconds in the 400m hurdles. One month later, Mclaughlin posted 51.46 seconds to obliterate and lower her personal best in the event. Indeed, it was the second time that she would go below the 52-second barrier.
Notwithstanding the above-mentioned, Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah won three gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. She was the only athlete, male or female, to achieve this unusual feat. Thompson-Herah also bettered Florence Griffith-Joyner's daunting thirty-three-year-old Olympic Record of 10.62, posting an astounding 10.61 before posting 21.53 in the 200m, the second fastest in the history of female sprinting.
Two weeks later, at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, Thompson-Herah lowered her personal best in the 100m, posting an "insane" time of 10.54 seconds, the second fastest time in the history of female sprinting. Indeed, this 10.54 is regarded by many track and field experts to be the uncontroversial best effort in the 100m by any female sprinter. Thompson-Herah, who is also the 100m Diamond League Champion, has recorded four sub 10.70 seconds, the most in any one season, by a female. Undoubtedly, Elaine Thompson-Herah has had the greatest season in history by any female sprinter.
The winner is …
In conclusion, this commentary picks the Norwegian, Karsten Warholm, as the World Male Athlete of The Year, and the Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah as the World Female Athlete of The Year.
Henley Taylor
Freelance Sports Writer
Edited by Raymond Byfield
Elaine Thompson photo courtesy of her facebook page
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