We continue our countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2021 on 1 December by taking a closer look at the achievements of the five women and five men who have this week been confirmed as the finalists for the Athlete of the Year awards.
&nbsp;
<h2>Elaine Thompson-Herah</h2>
In an outstanding year for sprinting, Elaine Thompson-Herah was the top performer in the world and became the first woman in history to win back-to-back Olympic sprint doubles.
The Jamaican got her 2021 season off to a strong start, speeding to a wind-assisted 10.76 and a wind-legal 10.78 in early May. She was surprisingly beaten in both disciplines in high-quality races at the Jamaican Championships, but her third-place finishes in 10.84 and 22.02 were more than sufficient to earn her places on the team for the Olympic Games.
Job done at the national championships, Thompson-Herah then headed to Europe to continue her preparation for the Games and showed she was rounding into top form with victory over 100m at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Szekesfehervar. She stopped the clock at 10.71, a Hungarian all-comers&rsquo; record and just one hundredth shy of her PB &ndash; but, more significantly, finishing comfortably ahead of compatriot and world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. 
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 In her final outing before heading to Tokyo, Thompson-Herah claimed a confidence-boosting victory over 200m at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Gateshead, confirming she was ready to defend her Olympic titles in the Japanese capital.
Her Olympic campaign began with an incredibly easy looking 10.82 100m heat win &ndash; faster than the gold medal-winning times at all but four editions of the Games. And she then went even quicker in the semifinals, winning her race in 10.76.
But even then, her margin of supremacy and winning time in the final still came as a shock. Despite running into a -0.6m/s headwind, she claimed gold in an Olympic record of 10.61 to win by 0.13 &ndash; which, in sprinting terms, is significant.
Following one rest day to reflect on a Jamaican podium sweep in the shorter sprint, Thompson-Herah was back on track for the 200m. She ran a comfortable &ndash; though borderline risky &ndash; 22.86 to advance from her heat, but then looked imperious in the semifinals as she stopped the clock at an equal PB of 21.66, despite slamming on the proverbial brakes before the finish line.
After promising more, she delivered more in the final. She claimed 200m gold in 21.53, breaking the long-standing Jamaican record that had previously been held by sprint icon Merlene Ottey, and moving to second on the world all-time list.
&ldquo;The ups and downs (since the 2016 Olympics) have been so many,&rdquo; she said after her 200m victory. &ldquo;To come here five years later and to win two events is just amazing.&rdquo; 
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 She wasn&rsquo;t done there, though. She capped her Olympic campaign three days later when teaming up with her Jamaican teammates to claim gold in the 4x100m, setting another national record with 41.02.
&ldquo;The feeling is surreal to capture three golds and we got a national record,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;We are grateful."
Many would have forgiven Thompson-Herah for taking her foot off the gas after the euphoria of her Olympic triple triumph, but she stunned the world yet again in her first race after the Games. Up against another high-quality 100m field at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Eugene, she stormed to victory in 10.54, consolidating her position as the second-fastest woman in history for the event.
She rounded out her season with a 10.64 run in Lausanne, finishing a close second to Fraser-Pryce, and victories in Paris (10.72) and at the Wanda Diamond League final in Zurich (10.65) &ndash; her 15th sub-11-second performance of the year.
&ldquo;It was a long season with ups and downs,&rdquo; said the 29-year-old. &ldquo;But next year, the world record is definitely on my mind.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
<h2>Karsten Warholm</h2>
The men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles final in Tokyo was, without doubt, a defining moment for the sport.
The World Championships final in 2019 provided just a small taste of what to expect when Norway&rsquo;s Karsten Warholm held off USA&rsquo;s Rai Benjamin to retain his title. And while the pandemic forced the postponement of the Olympics, it also increased the anticipation for the most hotly contested discipline of the No.1 sport at the Games.
Benjamin was the first to show his cards in 2021. The talented all-round sprinter clocked a world-leading 47.13 in early May and followed it with victory at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Doha. Warholm, meanwhile, opened his outdoor campaign by breaking his own world best in the 300m hurdles with 33.26.
Benjamin then responded with a 46.83 run to win the US Olympic Trials, displacing Warholm in the No.2 spot on the world all-time list and coming within 0.05 of the long-standing world record. But Warholm, in his first 400m hurdles race of the year, finally accomplished what he&rsquo;d been threatening to do for the past few years and broke Kevin Young&rsquo;s world record with a 46.70 run at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Oslo. 
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 "It has been really tough sitting at home and doing hard work and knowing that people are taking a shot at that world record for a long time, and seeing how Rai ran at the Trials,&rdquo; said Warholm. &ldquo;All respect to my competitors but it's very special and nice for me to be able to be the first to break that world record. It was important to me. It&rsquo;s also very special to do it here in Bislett in front of a great crowd, and I really think there is more in the tank.&rdquo;
He wasn&rsquo;t wrong. He won in Monaco eight days later with 47.08, improving on his own meeting record set 12 months prior, confirming all was on track for the Olympics later that month.
Warholm breezed through the rounds in Tokyo, winning his heat in 48.65 and his semifinal in 47.30 &ndash; faster than his gold medal-winning times at the past two World Championships and the 2018 European Championships. All the big contenders, Benjamin included, also safely advanced to the final, setting the scene for a mouth-watering showdown.
It didn&rsquo;t disappoint. The duo pushed one another the entire way, but Warholm ultimately proved the strongest, edging ahead in the closing stages to cross the line victorious.
Then people looked to the clock, and for a brief moment it appeared as though the figures may be incorrect. Surely it wasn&rsquo;t possible for a human to break 46 seconds for the event? But then, Warholm has always seemed borderline superhuman. And soon his winning time was confirmed at a staggering 45.94.
In what will go down as not only the best ever 400m hurdles race but one of the greatest moments in athletics history, the rest of the field produced stunning times too. Benjamin finished second in 46.17 &ndash; well inside the previous world record &ndash; and Brazilian youngster Alison dos Santos claimed bronze in 46.72, faster than Young&rsquo;s pre-2021 world record time. The athletes in fourth, fifth and sixth all finished comfortably inside 48 seconds. 
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 &ldquo;This is by far the biggest moment of my life,&rdquo; said Warholm. &ldquo;Last night I had this special feeling in my chest when I'm nervous. It's the feeling I had as a six-year-old on Christmas Eve. It's a feeling you don't think you'll ever have again. But I had it last night.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just so big,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;I had a world championships (gold). I had European championships. I had the world record, the European record. The Olympic gold medal is what everybody talks about. I knew this race was going to be the toughest of my life, but I was ready.&rdquo;
He maintained his 400m hurdles winning streak after the Olympics, claiming the Wanda Diamond League crown in Zurich in 47.35 before wrapping up his season with victory at the ISTAF meeting in Berlin.
Even then, almost six weeks after his triumph at the Games, few had managed to contextualise what Warholm had achieved in Tokyo. But perhaps his arch-rival Benjamin put it best when, in the aftermath of the Olympic final, he said: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think Usain Bolt&rsquo;s 9.5 was better than this.&rdquo;
And not many would disagree.

We take a closer look at the achievements of the five women and five men who have been confirmed as finalists for Athlete of the Year.

Focus on finalists: Elaine Thompson-Herah and Karsten Warholm

We continue our countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2021 on 1 December by taking a closer look at the achievements of the five women and five men who have this week been confirmed as the finalists for the Athlete of the Year awards.
&nbsp;
<h2>Yulimar Rojas</h2>
Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas earned the World Female Athlete of the Year award in 2020 off the back of a world indoor record and an undefeated year. But her achievements in 2021 have been even better, by far outweighing anything she has accomplished in previous seasons.
She opted not to compete indoors this year and instead opened her campaign in May, leaping to a world-leading 15.14m in Ibiza. In her next competition, she bounded out to 15.43m to equal her outright personal best, matching the distance of her world indoor record from 2020.
After winning at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Doha with 15.15m, Rojas contested the long jump at a low-key meeting in La Nucia. She produced two wind-assisted leaps beyond seven metres, including a best of 7.27m (2.7m/s) &ndash; the farthest leap in the world in 2021 under any conditions &ndash; and a wind-legal PB of 6.88m, breaking the Venezuelan record. 
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 Rojas returned to her main event one week later, winning in Madrid with a wind-assisted 15.34m and backing it up with a wind-legal 15.19m. She maintained her consistent 15-metre form at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco, her final pre-Olympic outing, where she produced the top mark of the day with 15.12m.
But she timed her peak to perfection and hit her best form at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. She opened her account in the final with an Olympic record of 15.41m to take an early lead, then followed it with 14.53m and a foul before a 15.25m leap in the fourth round. After one more foul in round five, she regained her composure for her final leap and sailed out to a stunning 15.67m, smashing the long-standing world record by 17 centimetres.
&ldquo;I am lost for words; I can&rsquo;t describe this feeling and this moment,&rdquo; said Rojas, whose phases on her record-breaking jump were 5.86m, 3.82m and 5.99m. &ldquo;Gold medal winner, with an Olympic record, and a world record ... Wow!
&ldquo;I was focused on giving my best, enjoying myself, and it came out,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;It makes me happy. I have to enjoy it now, and live the experience.&rdquo; 
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 Her incredible form continued after the Olympics and she won at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Lausanne with a wind-assisted 15.56m and a wind-legal Diamond League record of 15.52m &ndash; the second and third-best leaps in history in any conditions. She capped her remarkable season with victory at the Wanda Diamond League final in Zurich, sailing out to 15.48m.
Rojas was the top performer in all nine of her competitions in 2021, leaping beyond 15 metres in all eight of her triple jump contests. She now owns five of the top six jumps in history in any conditions, all of which she produced this year.
&nbsp;
<h2>Eliud Kipchoge</h2>
When it comes to assessing an athlete&rsquo;s supremacy over one season, marathon runners are usually at a slight disadvantage as most of them are only able to contest a small handful of races within a 12-month period.
But it&rsquo;s also worth bearing in mind that marathon fields are much larger &ndash; and therefore more competitive &ndash; than those for most track and field disciplines. And the length of the race means there&rsquo;s more opportunity for things to go wrong.
So when an athlete like Eliud Kipchoge produces two stunning performances over the classic distance within one year, it can count for a lot.
The world record-holder contested two marathons in 2021. His first was in Enschede at the NN Mission Marathon event, a race created to provide an opportunity to athletes seeking a qualifying performance for the Olympic Games. As such, it attracted a high-quality international field. 
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 Kipchoge&rsquo;s place on Kenya&rsquo;s Olympic team had already been confirmed, but he was keen for a competitive run-out ahead of the Games. He ran as part of the lead pack through 15km (43:46) and half way (1:01:43), and then had just two pacemakers for company by the time he reached 30km (1:28:10). Shortly after, with 1:35 on the clock, Kipchoge left his pacemakers behind.
His tempo didn&rsquo;t actually increase in the closing stages, but he maintained his sub-three-minute kilometre pace, which brought him to the finish line in a world-leading 2:04:30, winning by more than two minutes.
&ldquo;Mission accomplished,&rdquo; said Kipchoge. &ldquo;The conditions were really good, a bit windy, but I had no complaints. The race was perfect.&rdquo;
Four months later, Kipchoge lined up in Sapporo for the Olympic marathon alongside 105 of the world&rsquo;s best distance runners as he looked to become just the third man in history to win back-to-back titles over the distance. 
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 In Rio, when he won his first Olympic title, Kipchoge waited until the 36th kilometre to break away. In Sapporo, his decisive move came in the 31st. By the 38th, the Kenyan more closely resembled a solitary figure out on a morning training run than a man leading the Olympic marathon. He'd built a lead of more than one minute by that point, with no other runner within view.
Despite the tough conditions, Kipchoge won in 2:08:38, six seconds quicker than his Rio victory and the fifth-fastest run in Olympic history. His winning margin of 1:20 was the biggest in an Olympic men&rsquo;s marathon since Frank Shorter's win in 1972.
&ldquo;I think I have fulfilled the legacy by winning the marathon for the second time, back-to-back,&rdquo; said Kipchoge. &ldquo;I hope this helps to inspire the next generation.&rdquo;

Focus on finalists: Yulimar Rojas and Eliud Kipchoge

We continue our countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2021 on 1 December by taking a closer look at the achievements of the five women and five men who have this week been confirmed as the finalists for the Athlete of the Year awards.
&nbsp;
<h2>Sydney McLaughlin</h2>
Ever since she first emerged as a high school phenomenon seven years ago, Sydney McLaughlin has been touted as a future star of the sport. And in 2021, with two world records and an Olympic gold, the 400m hurdler fulfilled her promise.
She had experienced the Olympic stage as a teenager back in 2016, reaching the semifinals less than two weeks after her 17th birthday. But this time, having established herself as one of the best athletes in the world, McLaughlin took a far more calculated approach to the Olympics, knowing it was her moment to shine.
She spent the first half of the season focused on the sprint hurdles and honing her speed. She set four PBs across the span of five races, reducing it to 12.65 &ndash; a time that would have been sufficient to advance to the Olympic final.
From June onwards, McLaughlin switched to her specialist event, the 400m hurdles, and won at the Continental Tour Bronze meeting in Nashville with 52.83 &ndash; the fastest season-opening time in the history of the event.
She didn&rsquo;t race again until the US Trials 19 days later, where she easily advanced through the rounds, running 54.07 in her heat and 53.03 in her semifinal, setting up yet another mouth-watering clash between her and world and Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad. 
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 In two of their clashes in 2019 &ndash; the US Championships and World Championships &ndash; Muhammad won in world record time. But this time it was McLaughlin who emerged victorious, winning the US Olympic Trials in 51.90, breaking Muhammad&rsquo;s world record and becoming the first woman to beat 52 seconds for the discipline.
&ldquo;It's one of those moments that you dream about and think about when you&rsquo;re going to be able to put it together,&rdquo; she said after the race. &ldquo;I knew, from the moment I woke up today, it was going to be a great day. Afterwards there was a real &lsquo;I did it&rsquo; moment and I&rsquo;m going to cherish this for the rest of my life.&rdquo;
The next time the duo met was at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, which played out in similar fashion to the US Trials &ndash; only much quicker. In an enthralling duel, McLaughlin held off her compatriot to win gold in a stunning 51.46 &ndash; faster than the world records for the 400m flat up to 1970.
&ldquo;I'm absolutely delighted,&rdquo; McLaughlin said. &ldquo;It was a great race. I'm just grateful to be out here celebrating that extraordinary race and representing my country.&rdquo; 
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 Three days later, McLaughlin was back on track for the 4x400m. Teaming up with Muhammad, 800m winner Athing Mu and sprint legend Allyson Felix, the US quartet claimed gold in 3:16.85 &ndash; the fifth-fastest time in history and the quickest in the world since 1993.
Still aged just 22, there&rsquo;s plenty more than McLaughlin wants to accomplish.
&ldquo;It's an honour (to be the fastest 400m hurdler ever),&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;So many amazing women have come before me and will come after me. I'm excited for what the future holds. I just want to leave my mark and be part of such an amazing sport, because the glory isn't forever.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
<h2>Mondo Duplantis</h2>
He may not have improved on his own world record this year, but in many ways Mondo Duplantis&rsquo;s 2021 season was his best yet.
The Swedish pole vaulter &ndash; winner of the Male World Athlete of the Year award in 2020 &ndash; earned his first senior global title when winning Olympic gold in Tokyo. He also notched up 15 victories and 14 six-metre clearances between January and September, setting world-leading marks of 6.10m indoors and outdoors.
Fittingly, his season started and ended with six-metre vaults. His first came in Dusseldorf (6.01m), which was followed six days later by a 6.03m win in Rouen. After clearing a world-leading 6.10m in Belgrade, he won the European indoor title in Torun with a championship record of 6.05m. 
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 His outdoor season really got going at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Hengelo, where he sailed over a world-leading meeting record of 6.10m to match his indoor season&rsquo;s best height. From there until Tokyo, he was undefeated and cleared six metres in every competition, winning in Karlstad (6.00m), Oslo (6.01m) and Stockholm (6.02m).
Despite the pressure that comes with being a gold medal favourite at an Olympic Games, Duplantis kept his cool in Tokyo and cleared all of his heights with his first attempt, starting at 5.55m and then progressing to 5.80m, 5.92m and 5.97m before wrapping up the competition with a winning height of 6.02m.
&ldquo;The world record would have been nice and I felt like I was close but I won the Olympics so I&rsquo;m not going to sit here and complain about it too much,&rdquo; said Duplantis, who attempted a world record height of 6.19m at 12 of his competitions in 2021. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a surreal feeling &ndash; winning Olympic gold is something that I have wanted for so long and I finally did it.&rdquo; 
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 He suffered a rare &ndash; but understandable &ndash; defeat in his first competition after Tokyo, finishing fourth in Lausanne, but then returned to winning ways for his final three competitions of the year, securing victories at the Wanda Diamond League meetings in Paris (6.01m), Brussels (6.05m) and at the final in Zurich (6.06m).
&ldquo;Ever since I was a little kid, I loved this sport so much and I always believed that it would take me to some great places,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This sport has given me so much. I can never repay it.&rdquo;

Focus on finalists: Sydney McLaughlin and Mondo Duplantis

We continue our countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2021 on 1 December by taking a closer look at the achievements of the five women and five men who have this week been confirmed as the finalists for the Athlete of the Year awards.
&nbsp;
<h2>Faith Kipyegon</h2>
Even by the lofty standards that any defending Olympic champion would set for themselves, Faith Kipyegon exceeded all expectations in 2021.
The Kenyan middle-distance runner retained her Olympic 1500m crown in a Games record, set a world-leading time over 1500m, and won nine of her 10 races throughout the year, producing some of the fastest times in history.
She stepped down in distance to the 800m when she opened her season at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Doha at the end of May, comfortably beating a field of two-lap specialists to win in 1:58.26.
Two weeks later, she contested her first 1500m of the season at the Diamond League meeting in Florence. In another epic clash with arch rival Sifan Hassan, Kipyegon finished a close second in 3:53.91, breaking her own Kenyan record in the process. That was to be the last and only one of her races of 2021 in which Kipyegon was beaten.
One month later, and having had a few races under her belt, Kipyegon gained revenge on Hassan at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco. She kicked hard as she came off the final bend, opening up a huge gap on Hassan to win by more than two seconds in 3:51.07, the fourth-fastest time in history and just one second shy of the world record. 
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 It was the perfect confidence booster ahead of the Olympic Games in Tokyo &ndash; not that Kipyegon has ever been lacking in self-belief. Even when Hassan announced that she&rsquo;d be attempting an ambitious triple at the Games, Kipyegon remained quietly confident.
She advanced through the rounds with ease, winning her heat in 4:01.40 and her semifinal in 3:56.80. But Hassan &ndash; the only woman to have beaten Kipyegon over 1500m since the start of 2017 &ndash; was on a roll, having won gold over 5000m just four days before the 1500m final, and looked invincible every time she set foot on Tokyo&rsquo;s track.
The Olympic final played out in similar fashion to the World Championships final from 2019 with Hassan and Kipyegon dictating the pace, keeping the likes of Laura Muir and Gabriela Debues-Stafford at bay. The first 1000m was covered in 2:38.4 and the pace gradually increased as the race went on until Kipyegon made her decisive move with half a lap left.
Kicking hard on the final bend, Kipyegon managed to shake off a fading Hassan as she sprinted to victory, eventually crossing the line in 3:53.11 to break an Olympic record that had stood for 33 years. Muir came through to take silver ahead of Hassan. 
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 &ldquo;Once I crossed the finish line, it was a very emotional moment for me,&rdquo; said Kipyegon after becoming just the second woman in Olympic history to win back-to-back 1500m titles. &ldquo;I thought about my daughter (Alyn) who I left behind at home. She wanted me to bring home a gold medal, and I am so happy and excited I did that.&rdquo;
Having achieved her fifth consecutive top-two finish at a global championships, Kipyegon didn&rsquo;t take her foot off the gas. She went on to win at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene, setting a US all-comer&rsquo;s record of 3:53.23, and then won the Diamond Trophy in Zurich in 3:58.33, once again beating Hassan to the title. Fittingly, she capped her season on home soil with a victory at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Nairobi.
By the time she wound down her season in mid-September, Kipyegon had become the first woman in history to break 3:54 four times in one year. And although she is better known for being a championship performer than a time-trial runner, the 27-year-old now owns three of the 10 fastest times in history.
&ldquo;I came back after giving birth and I feel like a role model for the young mothers out there and the young athletes,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I hope to show them that when you go for maternity leave, this does not mean the end of your career. You can come back strong and win races.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
<h2>Ryan Crouser</h2>
Where to begin when trying to describe the dominance US shot putter Ryan Crouser has shown in 2021?
His world records &ndash; 23.37m outdoors and 22.82m indoors &ndash; are probably the best starting point. Both of the previous marks had been set more than 30 years prior.
Or perhaps his performance at the Tokyo Olympics, where he smashed the Games record with 23.30m to win gold. For context, silver medallist Joe Kovacs threw 22.65m &ndash; comfortably in excess of the previous Olympic record &ndash; but Crouser beat him by a whopping 65 centimetres.
Or maybe his flawless season of 16 victories (including qualifying rounds) is more notable, extending his current two-year unbeaten streak to 27 wins.
But his incredible tally of 22-metre &ndash; and now 23-metre &ndash; throws cannot be ignored. He racked up 58 throws beyond 22 metres this year alone &ndash; more than any other shot putter has achieved across a whole career span, and he now owns the three farthest throws in history. 
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 Crouser started 2021, quite literally, how he meant to go on; in the first round of his first competition of the year, he broke the world indoor record. His 22.82m throw in Fayetteville added 16 centimetres to the record, and he backed it up later in the series with a throw of 22.70m, also beyond the previous mark.
He opened his outdoor campaign with 21.93m, which, despite being a world-leading mark at the time, was the only competition in which Crouser didn&rsquo;t throw beyond 22 metres. He followed it with wins in Fayetteville (22.69m) and Tucson (22.60m) and then returned to Tucson to throw a world-leading PB of 23.01m &ndash; the first 23-metre throw in the world for 31 years.
Crouser didn&rsquo;t compete again until the US Trials one month later. After breaking the meeting record in qualifying with 22.92m, Crouser smashed the world record in the final with 23.37m, adding 25 centimetres to the long-standing mark.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve wanted that world record for so long, it feels like a weight has been lifted,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I've been thinking about this moment since I started throwing. To finally do it is pretty special."
At the Olympics in Tokyo, he lived up to his status as one of the biggest favourites in any discipline and secured gold with an Olympic record of 23.30m. His five other throws in the final &ndash; 22.54m, 22.74m, 22.83m, 22.86m and 22.93m &ndash; were all beyond the previous Olympic record. 
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 Crouser was determined to win in Tokyo to honour his grandfather Larry, the patriarch of the Crouser throwing dynasty which has spawned three Olympians, who died the week before his grandson left for Tokyo.
After his triumph, Crouser held up a handwritten sign that said: &ldquo;Grandpa, we did it. 2020 Olympic champion."
&ldquo;My Grandpa got me started throwing, and he played a huge role in my throwing career,&rdquo; said Crouser. &ldquo;To lose him the week before coming to the Olympics obviously was sad, but I feel like he was able to be here in spirit.&rdquo;
Crouser&rsquo;s fine run of form continued after the Olympics. Returning to Eugene&rsquo;s Hayward Field &ndash; the site of Crouser&rsquo;s world record earlier in the year and venue for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 &ndash; Crouser set a Wanda Diamond League record with 23.15m.
Victories in Lausanne (22.81m) and Chorzow (22.39m) followed, then he won the Diamond Trophy in Zurich with 22.67m. He ended his season with a 22.84m triumph in Zagreb.
Whichever way you look at it, Crouser has produced not only the greatest ever shot put season this year, his 2021 campaign could well be one of the best seasons of any track and field athlete in history.

Focus on finalists: Faith Kipyegon and Ryan Crouser

We continue our countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2021 on 1 December by taking a closer look at the achievements of the five women and five men who have this week been confirmed as the finalists for the Athlete of the Year awards.
&nbsp;
<h2>Sifan Hassan</h2>
&ldquo;If you do long distance,&rdquo; said Sifan Hassan after claiming her third Olympic medal in Tokyo, &ldquo;it's like building a house.&rdquo; If that&rsquo;s the case, then the Dutch distance running star has produced a palace in 2021.
Hassan was replying to a comment about her having been seen running in the Olympic Village in between her nine-day schedule of six races in Japan. "It's not only about talent,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;You can have two or three talents, but you have to work hard also."
So there she was, building hard towards her unprecedented medal treble. It paid off, as she left Japan with two golds, in the 5000m and 10,000m, plus bronze in the 1500m. Eleventh on the medals table &ndash; that&rsquo;s where Hassan would have placed had she formed her own one-woman team.
"Many people doubted that it would happen,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Is it possible, is it not possible? When I think about it, it feels like a dream. But it has happened.
&ldquo;This Olympics is one of the best feelings I've ever had in my life. It's something special. I'll never forget it.&rdquo;
Hassan&rsquo;s season had started with wins over 5000m and 800m in the USA in May, but she took things to another level a couple of weeks later. Running 29:06.82 at the FBK Games in Hengelo, the 28-year-old took more than 10 seconds off the world 10,000m record that had been set by Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. 
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 &ldquo;I am so happy to share this record in front of my Dutch fans,&rdquo; said Hassan, who had previously broken world records in the mile, one hour event and road 5km.
Incredibly, the 10,000m mark stood just two days, as back on the same Hengelo track, Letesenbet Gidey improved it by a further five seconds to 29:01.03 to win the Ethiopian Trials.
But rather than that world record being the pinnacle of her season, Hassan was only just getting started. Four days after her Hengelo run, she ran 3:53.63 for a 1500m win at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Florence. The following month she clocked 3:53.60 to place second in Monaco &ndash; behind Kenya&rsquo;s Faith Kipyegon, who would go on to retain her Olympic title &ndash; and then it was time for Tokyo. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/610e7eb7455c4a1d10ace1c5.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 First came 5000m gold. Despite running, and falling, in the 1500m heats earlier on in the day, Hassan returned to the track 12 hours later to clock 14:36.79 after timing her winning kick to perfection.
Four days later she secured bronze in the 1500m behind Kipyegon and Britain&rsquo;s Laura Muir and she was back on the track less than 24 hours after that, seeking to become only the second woman after Ethiopia&rsquo;s Tirunesh Dibaba in 2008 to complete the Olympic 5000m and 10,000m double.
She achieved it. Unleashing her trademark kick, she covered the final 100m in 13.6, clocking 29:55.32 to get gold.
&ldquo;I am so happy and I cried during the medal ceremony,&rdquo; said Hassan. &ldquo;I actually realised that I am done, the Games are over.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
<h2>Joshua Cheptegei</h2>
The world 5000m record-breaker became the Olympic champion in 2021. Despite wondering whether he should even race the event at all in Tokyo, Joshua Cheptegei rebounded to get 5000m gold, running the second-fastest ever Olympic time of 12:58.15 one week after securing silver in the 10,000m.
&ldquo;I have learned the most important things are achieved no matter the difficulties or challenges,&rdquo; Cheptegei told NN Running Team when reflecting on his year. &ldquo;Of course, I don&rsquo;t look at my medal every day, but when I do it acts as a reminder that, wow, I can fight back, and I know in the future I can get better and better.&rdquo;
That&rsquo;s an exciting prospect, given that the Ugandan 25-year-old is already a treble world record-holder, a world champion and now an Olympic champion.
After the high of setting world records at 5000m, 10,000m and 5km on the road in 2020, Cheptegei started this year on a winning note, claiming victory at the Monaco Run &ndash; the same event at which he broke the world record with 12:51 12 months earlier. 
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 But then an infection affected his preparations for the Olympic Games and after a 3000m win at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Ostrava, he was disappointed to place sixth at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Florence. &ldquo;I was not really healthy at the time with an infection. It shattered my body,&rdquo; he said.
After winning the world 10,000m title in Doha in 2019, Cheptegei was determined to add another global title to his CV, so he refocused ahead of the Olympics. Lining up for his sole 10,000m race of the year, he was slightly ahead with four laps to go and followed Ethiopia&rsquo;s Selemon Barega as he led at the bell, crossing the finish line in 27:43.63 for his first Olympic medal.
Four days later he was back in action for the 5000m heats, before he took his place in the final a week after his 10,000m silver medal performance.
&ldquo;Part of me thought it was not a wise decision to race,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but the other part said, no, you&rsquo;ve prepared for this.&rdquo;
This time, only a win would do. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/610d367cc628cc00175b7a4a.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 With 600m remaining, he made his move and surged away untroubled, gaining victory in 12:58.15 &ndash; a winning time only bettered at the Olympics by Kenenisa Bekele&rsquo;s Games record of 12:57.82 from 2008.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really a great moment,&rdquo; he said afterwards. &ldquo;I made a small mistake and I was regretting (having) to become a silver medallist (in the 10,000m).
&ldquo;I came here to become an Olympic champion and my dream has been fulfilled today on a beautiful evening.&rdquo;
After Tokyo, he had one more race left to run &ndash; the two miles at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Eugene. Clocking a world-leading 8:09.55, he ended his year on a high.
&ldquo;It really means a lot to me to win here in Oregon,&rdquo; he said, fresh from racing on the track that will host next year&rsquo;s World Athletics Championships, &ldquo;and it will always be in my heart.&rdquo;

Focus on finalists: Sifan Hassan and Joshua Cheptegei

With eight&nbsp;days to go until the&nbsp;World Athletics Awards 2021, the names of the five finalists for Female World Athlete of the Year have been confirmed.
The five athletes, who represent five countries from four area associations, have produced some exceptional performances across a range of athletics disciplines in 2021, at the Tokyo Olympic Games, one-day meeting circuits and other events around the world.
The finalists are (in alphabetical order):
Sifan Hassan, NED - Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion - Olympic 1500m bronze medallist - Broke the world 10,000m record
Faith Kipyegon, KEN - Olympic 1500m champion - Diamond League 1500m champion - Kenyan 1500m record
Sydney McLaughlin, USA - Olympic 400m hurdles champion - Olympic 4x400m champion - Set two world 400m hurdles records
Yulimar Rojas, VEN - Olympic triple jump champion - Diamond League triple jump champion - World triple jump record
Elaine Thompson-Herah, JAM - Olympic 100m, 200m and 4x100m champion - Diamond League 100m champion - National 100m and 200m records, second fastest of all time 
<h3>Voting procedure for 2021 World Athletes of the Year</h3>
A three-way voting process determined the finalists.
The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family cast their votes by email, while fans voted online via the World Athletics social media platforms. The World Athletics Council&rsquo;s vote counted for 50% of the result, while the World Athletics Family&rsquo;s votes and the public votes each counted for 25% of the final result.
Voting closed on 6 November.
The male and female World Athletes of the Year will be announced at the World Athletics Awards 2021, which will be held virtually on 1 December.
World Athletics

World Athletics is pleased to confirm the five finalists for Female World Athlete of the Year.

Finalists announced for Female World Athlete of the Year 2021

As the countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2021 continues, a&nbsp;digital exhibition has been created featuring&nbsp;the 25 images shortlisted for the Photograph of the Year award.
From the 112 images that were submitted, a panel of judges &ndash; comprising Raquel Cavaco Nunes, Ivo Gonzalez, Pascal Rondeau, Akani Simbine and Katerina Stefanidi &ndash; selected the below 25 shortlisted images and then the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/world-athletics-photograph-year-2021-finalists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three finalists</a>.
The finalists were announced on 16 November and the winning photograph will be revealed during the World Athletics Awards 2021 on 1 December.
&nbsp;
<h2>Digital exhibition of shortlisted images</h2>
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bc93bd72b7995b5a7e460.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Neeraj Chopra of India competes in the men's javelin throw final during the Tokyo Olympic Games Photo by Christian Bruna, European Pressphoto Agency B.V.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bca11d72b7995b5a7e463.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Athletes' reflection on the track. The heptathlon at the 14th Chinese National Games, won by&nbsp;Ninali Zheng Photo by Yujia Dou, Track &amp; Field Camp
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bcac3d72b7995b5a7e466.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Joy. Athletes celebrate at the World Athletics Relays in Silesia Photo by Michal Dubiel, 400mm.pl
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bcc6df9144532a3313e2e.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs wins the gold medal in the men's 100m final at the Tokyo Olympics&nbsp; Photo by Naoki Enokido
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bcce1f9144532a3313e31.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />An athlete competes in the classic pentathlon at the Czech Republic Veterans Championships Photo by Eduard Erben, CPA
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61925906447534976d7b8a7e.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Viktoriya Tkachuk of Ukraine competes in the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles semifinals at the Tokyo Olympic Games Photo by Vegard Grott, Bildbyran
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61925975447534976d7b8a84.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Sweden&rsquo;s Mondo Duplantis competes in the men's pole vault final at the Tokyo Olympic Games Photo by Matthias Hangst, Getty Images
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bcf1ff026a6c5c80a98c4.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Decathletes celebrate together following their competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games Photo by Richard Heathcote, Getty Images
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bcfc2f026a6c5c80a98c7.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Portugal&rsquo;s Pedro Pichardo celebrates his win in the men&rsquo;s triple jump at the Tokyo Olympic Games Photo by Clodagh Kilcoyne, Reuters
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd088f026a6c5c80a98ca.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Karsten Warholm of Norway reacts after crossing the finish line having broken the men&rsquo;s world 400m hurdles record to win Olympic gold in Tokyo Photo by Kota Kiriyama, The Sankei Shimbun
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd10d397b78ee3f4f5276.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Kaede Maegawa of Japan competes in the women&rsquo;s long jump T42 final during the Tokyo Paralympic Games&nbsp; Photo by Joel Marklund, OIS (Olympic Information Service)
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd197397b78ee3f4f5279.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Kyle Blignaut of South Africa in action during men's shot put qualification at the Olympic Games in Tokyo Photo by Dylan Martinez, Reuters
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd2aaf026a6c5c80a98cd.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />The Hunger (athletics) Games. Pole vaulter Malen Ruiz De Azua competes at the European Athletics Team Championships Super League in Silesia Photo by Sergio Mateo Maria, Sportmedia
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd332f026a6c5c80a98ce.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />General view of the silhouettes of athletes in action as rain falls during the third women's 400m hurdles semifinal at the Tokyo Olympic Games Photo by Hannah McKay, Reuters
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd3c5f026a6c5c80a98d1.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Brazil&rsquo;s Lucas Mazzo, with a Brazilian flag emblazoned contact lens, cools down during the men&rsquo;s 20km race walk at the Tokyo Olympic Games Photo by&nbsp;Morgan Treacy, INPHO
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd432f026a6c5c80a98d4.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Ntando Mahlangu of South Africa competes in the men&rsquo;s long jump T63 final at the Tokyo Paralympic Games Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos, Getty Images
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd4a8f026a6c5c80a98d7.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Yulimar Rojas from Venezuela reacts after her last attempt during the final of the women&rsquo;s triple jump at the Tokyo Olympic Games. With a jump of 15.67m from her final attempt, she breaks the Olympic and world record Photo by Oscar Munoz Badilla, freelance / fotografiadeportiva
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61925940447534976d7b8a81.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Rachel McCoy of the United States competes in the women's high jump qualification at the Tokyo Olympic Games while her fellow competitors shelter from the sun Photo by Ryan Pierse, Getty Images
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd528f026a6c5c80a98da.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />A pole vault competitor is reflected in a puddle at Tokyo's Olympic Stadium Photo by Juan Ignacio Roncoroni, Delegacion de la Agencia Efe en la Republica Argentina
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd5a0f026a6c5c80a98dd.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />USA&rsquo;s Tara Davis jumps at the Tokyo Olympic Games, with her hair falling into the sand pit Photo by Felix Sanchez Arrazola,&nbsp;Fotorunners
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd653af5892f62390619c.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Due to Covid-19 restrictions in South Africa, a marathon is run on a motorsport race track, in dark and very cold conditions. This marathon at Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town served as a last-minute opportunity for elite athletes from South Africa, and her neighbouring countries, to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo Photo by Roger Sedres, Image SA / Gallo Images
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd6e9e639d1a22e51f9cc.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Jorge Urena of Spain competes in the decathlon high jump at the Tokyo Olympic Games Photo by Patrick Smith, Getty Images
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd748e639d1a22e51f9cf.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />USA's Raven Saunders reacts as she competes in the women's shot put final during the Tokyo Olympic Games Photo by Ben Stansall, AFP
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd7d8e639d1a22e51f9d2.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Yanique Thompson of Jamaica pulls up as Christina Clemons of USA and Tobi Amusan of Nigeria leap in the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles semifinal at the Tokyo Olympics Photo by Michael Steele, Getty Images
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619bd837f026a6c5c80a98e0.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />The Poland team celebrates after winning mixed 4x400m gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Photo by Aleksandra Szmigiel, Running Creatives / Reuters

The 25 images shortlisted for the Photograph of the Year award have been included in a digital exhibition.

Digital exhibition: 2021 World Athletics Photograph of the Year shortlisted images

With nine days to go until the&nbsp;World Athletics Awards 2021, the names of the five finalists for Male World Athlete of the Year have been confirmed.
The five athletes, who represent five countries from three area associations, have produced some exceptional performances across a range of athletics disciplines in 2021, at the Tokyo Olympic Games, one-day meeting circuits and other events around the world.
The finalists are (in alphabetical order):
Joshua Cheptegei, UGA - Olympic 5000m champion - Olympic 10,000m silver medallist - World-leading 8:09.55 for two miles
Ryan Crouser, USA - Olympic and Diamond League shot put champion - Undefeated all year - World shot put records indoors and outdoors
Mondo Duplantis, SWE - Olympic pole vault champion - Diamond League pole vault champion - European indoor pole vault champion
Eliud Kipchoge, KEN - Olympic marathon champion - Largest winning margin in men&rsquo;s Olympic marathon since 1972 - Winner of Enschede Marathon
Karsten Warholm, NOR - Olympic 400m hurdles champion&nbsp; - Diamond League 400m hurdles champion - World 400m hurdles record and world 300m hurdles best 
<h3>Voting procedure for 2021 World Athletes of the Year</h3>
A three-way voting process determined the finalists.
The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family cast their votes by email, while fans voted online via the World Athletics social media platforms. The World Athletics Council&rsquo;s vote counted for 50% of the result, while the World Athletics Family&rsquo;s votes and the public votes each counted for 25% of the final result.
Voting closed on 6 November.
The male and female World Athletes of the Year will be announced at the World Athletics Awards 2021, which will be held virtually on 1 December.
World Athletics

Finalists announced for Male World Athlete of the Year 2021

As the countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2021 continues, we shine a spotlight on the five women and five men who have been nominated for this year&rsquo;s Rising Star awards.
The winners will be selected by an international panel of experts and be announced live at the World Athletics Awards 2021 on 1 December.
&nbsp;
<h2>Zerfe Wondemagegn</h2>
Having already represented Ethiopia at the senior World Championships in 2019 at the age of 16, steeplechase specialist Zerfe Wondemagegn made a big step up in class in 2021.
The Ethiopian Olympic Trials in Hengelo was her first international race of the season, but she showed no signs of rustiness as she booked her place on the national team with a third-place finish. Her clocking of 9:16.95 also broke the Ethiopian U20 record and elevated her to fourth on the world U20 all-time list. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619783968c2f740e0c96c95c.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 She didn&rsquo;t race again over the barriers until the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Despite being the youngest of all 41 entrants in the steeplechase, Wondemagegn advanced through the heats and reached the final. Up against the best steeplechasers in the world, Wondemagegn finished eighth in 9:16.41, once again breaking the national U20 record and consolidating her position on the world U20 all-time list.
She was back on national duty just two weeks later at the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21, where she earned the silver medal behind Kenya&rsquo;s Jackline Chepkoech.
&nbsp;
<h2>Sasha Zhoya</h2>
French youngster Sasha Zhoya is one of the most all-round gifted athletes on the planet, but this year he focused almost exclusively on the sprint hurdles this year &ndash; and it more than paid off.
He opened his season with a swift 13.38 clocking into a -3.8m/s headwind, hinting that much more was to come. It wasn&rsquo;t long before he improved on that, as six days later he ran 13.02 on his way to winning the French U20 title, elevating him to fourth on the world U20 list.
His momentum continued at the European U20 Championships in Tallinn, where he ran 12.98 in the semifinals. His time was faster than the official world U20 record, but the 2.4m/s following wind meant it wasn&rsquo;t valid for record purposes. One day later, he won the gold medal in a championship record of 13.05. 
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 Zhoya capped his season at the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21. After breezing through his heat in 13.12, he broke the world U20 record in the semifinals with 12.93. He went much quicker in the final the next day, stopping the clock at a sensational 12.72 (1.0m/s) &ndash; the fastest time ever recorded for the 110m hurdles at any age level and in any conditions.
&ldquo;Now all I need to do is to replicate my junior performance to the senior category as I focus on transiting into the seniors,&rdquo; he said after his triumph in the Kenyan capital. &ldquo;I am ready to tackle all the senior competitions in 2022, including the World Championships in Oregon.&rdquo;

We focus on the five women and five men who have been nominated for this year’s Rising Star awards.

Spotlight on Rising Stars: Zerfe Wondemagegn and Sasha Zhoya

As the countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2021 continues, we shine a spotlight on the five women and five men who have been nominated for this year&rsquo;s Rising Star awards.
The winners will be selected by an international panel of experts and be announced live at the World Athletics Awards 2021 on 1 December.
&nbsp;
<h2>Athing Mu</h2>
Athing Mu has this year earned the rare honour of being nominated for both the main Athlete of the Year award and the Rising Star award.
Both nominations are more than justified too, because not only has the US runner been one of the leading U20 athletes in the world, she has also dominated the 800m on the senior international stage.
As she has done in previous years, Mu split her focus between the 400m and 800m this year. She set an indoor 400m best of 50.52, an outright PB at the time, then three weeks later set a world U20 indoor record of 1:58.40 for 800m.
Her stunning form continued outdoors and in her first race of the season she clocked an 800m PB of 1:57.73, breaking the North American U20 record. She broke three continental U20 records over 400m, clocking 49.84 and 49.68 before her 49.57 victory at the NCAA Championships. 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8MFSeTY7_d8" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
 After that, she focused exclusively on the 800m. Just three weeks after turning 19, she won the US Trials in a world-leading 1:56.07 to book her place on the Olympic team. But despite heading to Tokyo as the world leader in her event, there was some hesitation over her status as a gold medal favourite, given her young age, relative inexperience at the senior level, and the fact she had endured a long collegiate season.
There was no need to worry, though, as Mu dominated the two-lap event to win in 1:55.21, breaking the senior US record. She added another gold medal to her collection in the 4x400m, anchoring the US team to victory in 3:16.85 and producing the fastest split of the race with 48.32.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m accomplishing all the crazy things,&rdquo; said Mu. &ldquo;Being an Olympic gold medallist, that&rsquo;s insane. But I knew this is where I was supposed to be at this point in time. I knew this was definitely possible.&rdquo;
She capped her season with a world-leading 1:55.04 win at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Eugene, improving on her own US record. By that point, she had won 35 of her 36 races throughout the year, set 24 PBs (seven indoors, 17 outdoors, including relays), broke one world U20 record, one senior national record, and eight area U20 records.
&nbsp;
<h2>Tadese Worku</h2>
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Tadese Worku was one of the standout performers at the World U20 Championships Nairobi 21, emerging from the Kenyan capital with a gold and a silver medal.
He almost pulled off an ambitious distance double within the space of 24 hours. On the opening day of the championships he comfortably won the 3000m in 7:42.09, finishing two-and-a-half seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Despite Nairobi&rsquo;s altitude &ndash; not at all conducive to fast times in distance races &ndash; Worku&rsquo;s winning time broke the championship record. 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yihwmtzKTew" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
 The next day, Worku was back on track for the 5000m. In a frantic final sprint for the line, Worku was narrowly beaten by Benson Kiplangat as the Kenyan finished 0.28 ahead to take gold.
Outside of the major U20 event of the year, Worku featured prominently on the international racing circuit. He set an indoor 3000m PB of 7:41.06 in Lievin and reduced his outdoor best for the distance to 7:34.75 when finishing second to world champion Muktar Edris in Szekesfehervar. He also won over the distance in Chorzow, beating Olympic steeplechase champion Soufiane El Bakkali.
He excelled over longer distances too, clocking a PB of 26:58.30 over 10,000m in Hengelo, narrowly missing out on making Ethiopia&rsquo;s Olympic team at their hotly contested trials and moving to sixth on the world U20 all-time list.
Worku capped his season with a 26:56 national U20 record for 10km on the roads, moving to second on the world U20 all-time list. He ends the year with world U20 leading marks for 3000m indoors and outdoors, as well as for 10,000m and 10km.

Spotlight on Rising Stars: Athing Mu and Tadese Worku

Ahead of next month&rsquo;s World Athletics Awards 2021, World Athletics is delighted to announce the six finalists for the 2021 Member Federation Award.
First awarded last year, the Member Federation Award honours a national governing body that has gone above and beyond to serve its athletes, fans and greater community.
Each of the six area associations was asked to nominate three member federations. A vote by the World Athletics Executive Board selected the six finalists, one from each area association.
The winner will be announced at the World Athletics Awards 2021 to be held virtually on Wednesday 1 December and streamed live on the World Athletics YouTube channel.
The six nominees, listed alphabetically, are:
&nbsp;
<h2>Athletics Australia (AUS) &ndash; Oceania</h2>
Despite some hiccups with Covid restrictions, Australia was able to host two Continental Tour Bronze and one Continental Tour Silver meetings. The domestic season culminated in one of the largest Australia Championships ever, which was highlighted by Nicola McDermott becoming the first Oceanian woman to clear two metres in the high jump.
The Australian team in Tokyo was the second most successful Australian athletics team of all time at an Olympic Games, achieving three medals, five Australian records, 14 top-eight finishes, 20 personal bests and finishing 10th out of 197 nations on the placing table.
Australia has more than 120,000 young participants actively involved in Kids&rsquo; Athletics. Australia has been trialling the rollout of the updated World Athletics Kids&rsquo; Athletics programme and is looking to implement it across its member associations in 2022.
&nbsp;
<h2>Athletics Kenya (KEN) &ndash; Africa</h2>
So often the leading African nation on medals tables at international events, Kenya maintained that record at the Tokyo Olympic Games, placing third overall behind USA and Italy. The country also topped the medals table at the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21, where they earned 16 medals, eight of them gold.
While most of the country&rsquo;s medals from international events in 2021 came in endurance disciplines, the likes of Ferdinand Omanyala &ndash; who set an African 100m record of 9.77 at the Continental Tour Gold event in Nairobi &ndash; showed Kenya&rsquo;s diversity as an athletics nation.
Along with hosting the World U20 Championships and the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Nairobi, Kenya has been an active player in the UN&rsquo;s Sports for Climate Action initiative.
&nbsp;
<h2>Czech Athletic Federation (CZE) &ndash; Europe</h2>
Although the restrictive measures in the Czech Republic fundamentally affected sport from the autumn of 2020 to the spring of 2021, the Czech Athletic Association decided to follow up on the successful &lsquo;Back on Track&rsquo; project.
On 2 June 2021, as part of the follow-up project &lsquo;Athletes Together&rsquo;, thanks to the huge interest of the clubs, there were meetings at 253 places all over the country. The events were attended by more than 23,000 people of all ages and performance levels, from members of the national team to families with children and guests from other sports. The meetings also served as a recruitment event earlier than the usual September time.
&nbsp;
<h2>Federacion Costarricense de Atletismo (CRC) &ndash; North &amp; Central America and the Caribbean</h2>
The Costa Rican athletics federation has created and activated protocols for training, competitions and development over the past 12 months, despite the challenges of the pandemic.
The FECOA also developed a regional competition structure at all levels across the entire country. Meanwhile, the federation&rsquo;s national plan has enabled the nation&rsquo;s top athletes to reach the highest level of competition, including the Olympic Games and World U20 Championships.
Thanks to their decade-long experience of Kids' Athletics, Costa Rica was one of the nations that were consulted during the creation of the relaunched World Athletics Kids&rsquo; Athletics programme. They are now working on putting the new programme into practice.
In the past 12 months, the country has hosted the senior Central American Championships twice, as well as the NACAC U23, U20 and U18 Championships. Since the start of the pandemic, Costa Rica was the first federation in America to host international events.
&nbsp;
<h2>Federacion Ecuatoriana de Atletismo (ECU) &ndash; South America</h2>
Ecuador hosted two of the most important South American competitions in 2021: the senior South American Championships, and the South American U23 Championships.
When the 2021 senior event in Buenos Aires was cancelled just days before the championships were due to begin, the Ecuadorian Athletics Federation accepted the challenge to host it. Held in Guayaquil across the last three days of May, the event went ahead and allowed many of the continent&rsquo;s best athletes to prepare and qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
More recently, Guayaquil hosted the continental U23 championships, which had originally been set to take place in Georgetown, Guyana in 2020. All 13 South American member federations took part, providing an opportunity for young athletes to qualify for the Pan American Junior Championships later this year.
&nbsp;
<h2>Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JPN) &ndash; Asia</h2>
One of the oldest member federations in Asia, Japan this year achieved an important milestone in its history when it hosted the Tokyo Olympic Games.
The country achieved two medals: a silver and a bronze in the men&rsquo;s 20km race walk &ndash; an area of the sport that has thrived in recent years. The country is now one of the strongest race walking nations in the world and continues to perform consistently well across most athletics disciplines.
JAAF has also developed an active network of local athletics associations, organising annual championships for various age groups and a sophisticated training system for coaches.

World Athletics is delighted to announce the six finalists for the 2021 Member Federation Award

Nominees announced for 2021 Member Federations Award

As the countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2021 continues, we shine a spotlight on the five women and five men who have been nominated for this year&rsquo;s Rising Star awards.
The winners will be selected by an international panel of experts and be announced live at the World Athletics Awards 2021 on 1 December.
&nbsp;
<h2>Christine Mboma</h2>
The Namibian teenager not only notched up four world U20 records over the half-lap sprint, she pieced together one of the greatest seasons of any senior 200m sprinter in history.
She set a PB of 22.73 in her first race of the year back in May, then improved to 22.67 to win in Prague, following it with a victory in Madrid 12 days later.
But despite that string of victories, the form she displayed at the Olympic Games took many of her rivals by surprise. She won her heat in 22.11, breaking the world U20 record, then improved to 21.97 in the semifinals before clocking 21.81 in the final to take silver.
That remained her only loss in a 200m final in 2021. From there, she went on to win the world U20 200m title in 21.84 and anchored Namibia to silver in the 4x100m. She dipped below 22 seconds again to win at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Brussels, then went even faster six days later to win the Diamond Trophy in Zurich, clocking another world U20 record of 21.78. 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DdShcgLKdes" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
 Mboma capped her season with victories in Zagreb (22.04) and Nairobi (22.39).
In total, Mboma recorded five sub-22-second performances over 200m this year. Only Jamaican legend Merlene Ottey (seven, 1990) and world record-holder Florence Griffith-Joyner (six, 1988) have achieved more in a single season.
Mboma now also owns the six fastest times in history by an U20 athlete.
&nbsp;
<h2>Emmanuel Wanyonyi</h2>
Emmanuel Wanyonyi raced exclusively in Nairobi this year and won only one final &ndash; but that victory came in the race that mattered most.
Before he reached the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21, Wanyonyi had finished second at the Kenyan trials for the event, meaning he had barely registered on the radar as a pre-championship medal hope.
But, inspired by running in front of a home crowd in Nairobi, Wanyonyi was the fastest through each round of the men&rsquo;s 800m at the World U20 Championships, clocking 1:46.51 in his heat and 1:46.15 in his semifinal. By the time he advanced to the final, the 17-year-old was brimming with confidence. 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hxn18G0LQGI" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
 Teammate Noah Kibet led for the first half of the final, going through 400m in a swift 49.39 with Wanyonyi just a stride behind. Kibet continued to lead until the final bend when Algeria&rsquo;s Mohamed Ali Gouaned edged ahead, but Wanyonyi wasn&rsquo;t finished.
Digging deep, Wanyonyi hit the lead with about 30 metres remaining and crossed the line in 1:43.76. Not only was his time a championship record, it was also a Kenyan U18 best.
&ldquo;Running a time of 1:43.76 at high altitude and setting a championship record has just confirmed that indeed I am good in this race,&rdquo; said Wanyonyi, who is coached by 2007 world champion Janeth Jepkosgei. &ldquo;I will keep pushing to see how much I can lower my new personal best. Who knows, maybe I can one day bring down Rudisha's world record.&rdquo;

After top year, Mu continues to shoot for the stars

Rising star Knighton taking one step at a time in pursuit of greatness

With great success comes rising recognition for award winner Warholm

Thompson-Herah and Warholm named World Athletes of the Year

Guide to the World Athletics Awards 2021