Following confirmation from the Confederation of African Athletics, we note the death of Lamine Diack, President of the IAAF from 1999 to 2015.
World Athletics

Following confirmation from the Confederation of African Athletics, we note the death of Lamine Diack, President of the IAAF from 1999 to 2015.

Former IAAF President Lamine Diack dies

Colombia's women and Brazil's men rewrote the South American U23 4x100m records at the inaugural Pan American Junior (U23) Games, taking place in Cali's Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium &ndash; venue for next year's World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22 &ndash; from 30 November to 4 December.
In a close battle with the Brazilian quartet on Thursday (2), the Colombian team of Maria Murillo, Natalia Linares, Shary Vallecilla and Laura Martinez produced a 43.59 win on home soil, going much faster than the 43.98 record set by a Brazilian team in 2007. With three athletes aged 17 or 18, the young squad looks poised to break the national senior mark of 43.03, set in 2004.
It was the third medal of the Games for Linares, a world U20 long jump finalist this past summer, as she ran to bronze in the 100m and clinched the long jump silver medal with her last attempt.
The relay win capped a glorious day for the host country. After two days waiting for their first continental title, South American U23 champion Jennifer Rodriguez brought the first gold with her high jump win. Supported by an energetic crowd, the 22-year-old equalled her personal best of 1.90m and had three good tries at 1.93m, just 1cm shy of the national record.
The Brazilian men&rsquo;s team was equally impressive in the sprint relay. Adrian Vieira, Lucas Vilar, 100m winner Erik Barbosa and Lucas Rodrigues remained composed throughout all the exchanges to stop the clock at 39.21, better than the 39.29 set by their teammates at the World U20 Championships in 2021. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61aa82867e5017badd3eeaa9.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 Olympic sprinter Gabriela Anahi Suarez opened the golden path for Ecuador with an impressive 100m win in 11.32, over two tenths of second faster that her closest rival. She is favourite to complete the sprint double after setting a personal best of 23.10 against a head wind in the 200m heats and she also claimed 4x100m bronze.
Fresh from his world U20 silver medal, Mexico&rsquo;s Luis Aviles produced another impressive display in the 400m, leading from the start to win in 45.59. Cuba&rsquo;s Leonardo Castillo (45.79) and Venezuela&rsquo;s Javier Gomez (46.13) were pushed to their limits and were rewarded with personal bests.
It was Mexico&rsquo;s second gold medal on the same day, as it came minutes after Anahi Alvarez dominated the women's 1500m, winning by almost 10 seconds in 4:20.68.
Another standout performance came in the women&rsquo;s 400m, won by Fiordaliza Cofil (52.10) just 90 minutes after she advanced to the 200m final. Her closest rival, Martina Weil, lowered her Chilean record to 52.35 in her mother&rsquo;s homeland. She is the daughter of 1992 Olympic 400m bronze medallist and World Athletics vice president Ximena Restrepo.
South American U23 record-holder and Olympian Chayenne da Silva dominated the 400m hurdles in 55.97 to cement Brazil&rsquo;s lead in the medal table (seven gold medals). While 2018 world U20 silver medallist Maikel Vidal leapt 7.97m to win long jump gold, one of Cuba&rsquo;s six gold medals in the first three days of the competition.
Ecuador&rsquo;s Olympian and 2018 world U20 silver medallist David Hurtado was equally impressive in the 20,000m race walk, winning in 1:21:55.03 .
With two days of competition remaining, 10 countries have won at least one gold medal, with another seven having at least one athlete on the podium.
Javier Clavelo Robinson for World Athletics

Colombia's women and Brazil's men rewrote the South American U23 4x100m records at the inaugural Pan American Junior (U23) Games.

South American U23 records fall at inaugural Pan American Junior Games in Cali

Tokyo Olympic medallists Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs will renew their rivalry at the Millrose Games &ndash; a World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting &ndash; in New York on 29 January.
Crouser is currently riding the most impressive run in the history of the shot put, but fellow US athlete Kovacs will be no pushover, and these two titans of throwing will join dozens of other Olympians at The Armory&rsquo;s New Balance Track &amp; Field Center, when they star in the Thorne men&rsquo;s shot put contest.
At the US Olympic Trials in June, Crouser threw 23.37m to break the 31-year-old world record. He followed that performance with a truly dominant showing at the Olympic Games, retaining his title and launching all six of his throws further than his own previous Olympic record.
The 28-year-old will open his 2022 season at the Millrose Games as he aims to continue pushing the record books out of reach.
&ldquo;I am excited to return to the Millrose Games to showcase one of Team USA&rsquo;s strongest events,&rdquo; Crouser said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an honour to compete in one of the premier indoor meetings at such a historic venue.&rdquo;
Kovacs, meanwhile, threw his personal best of 22.91m to win gold at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, beating Crouser by one centimetre. He then threw beyond 22 metres four times in Tokyo to earn his second consecutive Olympic silver medal. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61a936171d546f025c9f1c61.jpeg" alt="" width="100%" />(&copy; Ross Dettman)
 &ldquo;I am so excited to come back to compete at the Millrose Games,&rdquo; Kovacs said. &ldquo;This 2022 season will be one to remember in the United States and it starts at The Armory. I look forward to competing against Ryan Crouser and the rest of the field in front of family, friends, and the very knowledgeable New York track and field community.&rdquo;
The shot put at the Millrose Games takes place in the middle of the infield, putting athletes front and centre for The Armory spectators to witness. Crouser has won at the previous two Millrose Games, with Kovacs placing second on both occasions.
The pair are the latest athletes confirmed for the meeting, following the announcement of US 1500m champions Elle Purrier St Pierre and Cole Hocker for the WHOOP Wanamaker women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s miles.
Organisers for World Athletics

Tokyo Olympic medallists Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs will renew their rivalry at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting.

Crouser and Kovacs to battle once more at Millrose Games

It&rsquo;s no surprise to hear that since the Tokyo Olympic Games, Norway&rsquo;s men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles champion and world record-holder Karsten Warholm has been receiving even more attention in his home country.
Not that he minds, however, which is just as well as his solution otherwise is an idea he refuses to entertain.
&ldquo;Norwegians have been very kind to me,&rdquo; he smiles. &ldquo;There is a bit more attention, but if I want to get rid of the attention I could just run slower, and I don&rsquo;t see that as an option right now!&rdquo;
Given the year Warholm has had, that is an incredibly exciting prospect.
The 25-year-old is speaking to the world&rsquo;s media, fresh from having been named Male World Athlete of the Year at the World Athletics Awards 2021 in Monaco. The honour caps an incredible season in which the hurdles star twice broke the world 400m hurdles record &ndash; taking the event to a whole new level to become Olympic champion &ndash; and also claimed the Diamond Trophy, broke the world 300m hurdles best and extended his now three-year unbeaten streak in his specialist event. 
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TgRD11n4vT0" width="100%" height="475" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> 
It's another big moment for Warholm, as being named World Athlete of the Year is an honour he has been chasing since he claimed his first World Athletics award in 2017.
&ldquo;This award has been on my bucket list, especially since I got the Rising Star award some years back,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I feel like it&rsquo;s even better when you can complete that, because the Rising Star is an award to show that you are on the right path, but this award shows that I managed to take the big step into being an elite senior athlete as well. So, it&rsquo;s a very proud moment for me and I cherish and really appreciate that World Athletics has given me this award.&rdquo;
Back in 2017, Warholm was celebrating having won his first world title, just a couple of years after switching his focus from multi events to the single one-lap discipline. &ldquo;I figured what I liked even more than being a multi evener was to win and I wanted to go to the Olympics,&rdquo; Warholm, the 2013 world U18 octathlon champion and 2015 European U20 decathlon silver medallist, has explained.
His 2017 world gold, won in the rain in London, would prove to be just the start of his global success. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/a74b49ef-6abe-42dd-9c09-fad5a225bb82.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /> 
After improving his PB to 47.64 when winning European gold the following year, Warholm retained his world title in Doha in 2019 and moved to second on the world all-time list with a 46.92 clocking in Zurich that same season.
He would remain in that No.2 spot, consolidated by the 46.87 he ran in Stockholm in August 2020, until the USA&rsquo;s Rai Benjamin pushed him down a place by running 46.83 at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene this June. That came at the beginning of a remarkable few months for the discipline, in both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s events.
Five days later, Warholm lined up at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in his home Bislett Stadion in Oslo. Just 46.70 seconds after the gun went, he stormed over the finish line. The crowd, understandably, went wild, as did Warholm, with his time having taken 0.08 off the world record which had been set by Kevin Young at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, three and a half years before Warholm was even born.
"It might take another world record to win the Olympics,&rdquo; he said at the time.
He was right.
In Tokyo, in what proved to be one of the most incredible performances in athletics history, the Norwegian obliterated his own world record, running 45.94 to get gold in a race of remarkable depth. Behind him, both Benjamin and Brazil&rsquo;s Alison dos Santos finished inside Young&rsquo;s pre-2021 world record. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6108e095315c5c8e31410f1f.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /> 
&ldquo;It has been an incredible journey and I was very lucky to have that 2017 season where I won the gold in the 400m hurdles in London and nobody expected it, not even myself,&rdquo; Warholm explains. &ldquo;It gave me the belief that I was able to perform at the highest level and win medals.
"Then I had a bit of a tough 2018, I was beaten a lot that year, but I got back in 2019 and started to run really quick. Through the pandemic, I was able to train very well. Then in 2021 I was able to break the world record on home soil in Oslo. It felt almost like fate. It has been a lot of hard work and I think it is also a lot about consistency. That is what I have probably learned the most: you need to have a lot of years to be able to build something. It has been a very fun journey and I hope it will continue.&rdquo;
Someone who will, without doubt, continue to join him for the ride is Leif Olav Alnes &ndash; Warholm&rsquo;s coach and mentor since 2015, but above all, his friend.
&ldquo;Me and Leif, we are first of all really good friends and we spend a lot of time together,&rdquo; Warholm says. &ldquo;I really enjoy our relationship and what is good is our communication, I think that is probably the key. He is the brain, he is the architect behind this, and I am the machinery, so we work really well together.&rdquo; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61a90de8270a3642437f6334.jpeg" alt="" width="100%" />
 A dream team, and despite so much having already been achieved by the duo, there is plenty more to aim for in the next few years, with the World Athletics Championships in Oregon in 2022 and Budapest in 2023, and then the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.
&ldquo;I like that there is a lot of championships coming up, because it keeps you on your toes and you know that there will always be a chance where you can perform,&rdquo; Warholm says. &ldquo;When you have the medals, everybody wants to be in your position, so all the guys are chasing me now. I need to be able to perform and it is all about putting in the work. But at the same time, it is also tough because you don&rsquo;t get a lot of time to restart the system.
&ldquo;What I was actually very surprised about is how tired you get after something like the Olympics. You spend so many years preparing for that moment and then it is like, boom, empty, right? It mostly motivates me to go out there and try to defend my titles. You can never promise anything, you don&rsquo;t know what you can do, but anything can happen and that is why we love the sport.&rdquo; 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-theme="dark">
"I&rsquo;m so happy for this," says newly crowned Male World Athlete of the Year <a href="https://twitter.com/kwarholm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kwarholm</a>. "First when I saw the time [in Tokyo], I was like, &lsquo;This must be a mistake!&rsquo; Because I didn&rsquo;t see that one coming. And I didn&rsquo;t see the victory coming before crossing the finish line." <a href="https://t.co/BMCma5VmHy">pic.twitter.com/BMCma5VmHy</a>
&mdash; World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldAthletics/status/1466112982010765324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
 So those are his more immediate ambitions when it comes to the track, but how about his life aims in general?
&ldquo;It is difficult because right now, when you are an athlete, you are so focused that you forget that there is something coming after your career,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I sometimes think to myself that the only thing I know how to do is to run one lap with 10 hurdles!
&ldquo;What I can say is that I will always be good at getting over obstacles, and that is a nice thing to have on my resume. It&rsquo;s about finding a passion and that&rsquo;s what I like about where I am right now &ndash; this is my passion. Sometimes in an athletics career, you have to move on. It&rsquo;s a short career, and then I hope that I can find a new passion, something that I live and breathe for.
"I learn a lot from talking to people that are older than me because they have the life experience and it is funny to see how in life, there just comes chances and it is also about coincidences. It&rsquo;s just a coincidence that me and Leif met and we found a good tone. It is just about living and doing your best and a lot of things can happen, that is the fun part of it.&rdquo;
So, for now, he will continue to express that passion on the track &ndash; to train hard, compete and as a result, get recognised.
&ldquo;More people come to talk to me right now and take selfies, asking for autographs, especially children, and I like that, to be honest,&rdquo; he adds. &ldquo;Not just because of the recognition, that is one thing, but the other thing is I feel like I can inspire people somehow.
&ldquo;If you think about it, running 400m around a track and jumping over barriers, that is quite simple, but once you see what I see &ndash; what it gives to people and what they take from it &ndash; that is one of the things that makes it even more worth it for me.&rdquo;
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

It’s no surprise to hear that since the Tokyo Olympic Games, Norway’s men’s 400m hurdles champion and world record-holder Karsten Warholm has been receiving even more attention.

With great success comes rising recognition for award winner Warholm

To mark the 226th World Athletics Council Meeting in Monaco, a special Heritage display was staged this week in the foyer of Le Meridien Beach Plaza. The exhibit contained 15 recent acquisitions made by the World Athletics Heritage Collection, which will soon be on display in glorious 3D in the virtual <a href="https://worldathletics.org/heritage/mowa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum of World Athletics</a> (MOWA).
One of the oldest artefacts exhibited was a solid silver trophy donated by Kenya&rsquo;s Olympic legend Kipchoge Keino, and one of the youngest items on show was a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch. 
Yet arguably the greatest recent addition to the collection are three running spikes worn by eight-time world champion and four-time Olympic Games gold medallist Michael Johnson.
Entering the collection is one of Johnson&rsquo;s iconic gold spikes from Atlanta 1996 (right foot), one from Sydney 2000 (left foot), and thirdly, a shoe from Johnson&rsquo;s final race in 2001 (right foot). Each shoe is autographed. 
<h2>&ldquo;I can still vividly remember the chills I felt&hellip;&rdquo;</h2>
The trio now form part of the World Athletics Heritage Collection thanks the extraordinary generosity of Brad Hunt, who was Johnson&rsquo;s agent during his outstanding running career.
&ldquo;I visited the Heritage exhibition while at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha,&rdquo; commented Hunt. &ldquo;The scale of the collection was particularly impressive, considering it had only been created in 2018.
&ldquo;The historic display of artefacts included items from the careers of Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis and Usain Bolt. In men&rsquo;s sprinting history, there was one glaring omission. By offering the spikes which Michael (Johnson) gave me after some of his most memorable races, I hope to have helped fill that gap in the World Athletics Heritage Collection,&rdquo; added Hunt. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61a89edf73116aa9007eb294.jpg" alt="" width="1600" height="2275" /> 
Johnson stunned the world of sport in 1996. At the Atlanta Games he won an unprecedented Olympic men&rsquo;s 200m and 400m double. In the process, with a 19.32 clocking, Johnson destroyed his own 200m world record (19.66) which he had set less than two months before the Games on the same track at the US Olympic Trials.
&ldquo;Both Olympic shoes were given to me two or three weeks following the Games they were used in,&rdquo; confirmed Hunt. &ldquo;The 1996 shoe was given to me in Hawaii, where we travelled for our post-Olympic celebrations. The 2000 shoe was given to me in Los Angeles.
&ldquo;I can still vividly remember the chills I felt when I became the first person Michael told of his decision to wear gold spikes in the 1996 Olympic Games. We were sitting on a flight to Los Angeles from the Atlanta Olympic Trials to Los Angeles for Michael's first appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
&ldquo;Michael had just set his first world record (19.66 200m) the day before (23 June). We were discussing how much attention his purple spikes had received when he declared he would be wearing gold in the Games.&rdquo; 
<h2>14c gold in the material</h2>
Four years later, Johnson retained his Olympic 400m title in Sydney, Australia. Johnson had become world record-holder for the distance (43.18) at the World Championships in Seville, Spain, the previous year.
&ldquo;Although the 2000 shoe is made with actual 14c gold in the material, thus making them shinier (with significantly more material value), the 1996 shoe is my favourite because these gold shoes were an actual media phenomenon!
&ldquo;The amount of secrecy involved with the shoes' clandestine development and historical Olympic debut created one of the strongest identities an athlete has ever had with his or her footwear,&rdquo; concluded Hunt. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61a89f44160e98524e44fe66.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1212" /> 
The following year Johnson undertook his &lsquo;Golden Victory Lap&rsquo; tour, finishing his career at the Goodwill Games in Brisbane. It is one of the shoes which he wore in that last season which completes this extra special induction of footwear into the World Athletics Heritage Collection.
The three spikes will soon be on display in the virtual <a href="https://worldathletics.org/heritage/mowa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MOWA</a>. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61a89f0a160e98524e44fe63.jpg" alt="" width="1600" height="1021" /> 
In 2022, the spikes will also go on public show at MOWA&rsquo;s onsite public exhibitions in Portland and Oregon, USA, in the lead into and during the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.
Chris Turner for World Athletics Heritage

Three running spikes worn by eight-time world champion and four-time Olympic Games gold medallist Michael Johnson have been donated.

Johnson's iconic gold spikes join the Heritage Collection

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 (1).
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. 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.
&ldquo;I just take it year by year,&rdquo; said Thompson-Herah. &ldquo;I went very close to the world record so you know, anything is possible. No spikes hanging up any time soon!
&ldquo;The World Championships in Oregon is most definitely my next big target,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;It is close to home, I hope friends and family can come out and watch. I hope I get some crowd as well. That couldn&rsquo;t happen in Tokyo but hopefully in Eugene I can get my friends and family to come and cheer me on.&rdquo;
Warholm uncorked one of the most remarkable performances in athletics history when he stormed to gold in the 400m hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics. 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. In a race of incredible depth, the top three athletes finished inside the pre-2021 world record.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy for this,&rdquo; said Warholm. &ldquo;First when I saw the time (in Tokyo), I was like, &lsquo;This must be a mistake!&rsquo; Because I didn&rsquo;t see that one coming. And I didn&rsquo;t see the victory coming before crossing the finish line.
&ldquo;It was a very intense race, I knew the American and the Brazilian and all the other guys were really chasing me. I always go out hard and I never know what is going on behind me. I was just fighting all the way to the finish line. When I realised 45.94 was the reality, I was thinking: &lsquo;This is not too bad. I&rsquo;ll take it!&rsquo;"
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe congratulated all of tonight&rsquo;s winners and finalists on their extraordinary achievements this year.
"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 &ndash; the Wanda Diamond League and the Continental Tour. So we&rsquo;re delighted to recognise some of our stars at tonight&rsquo;s awards.
"As a sport, we are in an incredibly strong position. 2021 has been an excellent year. 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. Thank you to all our athletes around the world. I am looking forward to watching what you can all do in 2022."
The other award winners were: 
Female Rising Star 
<h3>Athing Mu</h3>
The US teenager was undefeated at 800m all year, winning Olympic gold at the distance following a long but successful collegiate season. 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. She also excelled at 400m, clocking a North American U20 record of 49.57 for the distance.
&ldquo;It means the world to know that my support goes beyond friends and families and extends worldwide,&rdquo; said Mu. &ldquo;This award shows all young girls that your dreams can, indeed, come true."
&nbsp;
Male Rising Star 
<h3>Erriyon Knighton</h3>
Throughout 2021 the 17-year-old took down several marks that had belonged to sprint legend Usain Bolt. Knighton first set world U18 bests of 20.11 and 20.04 over 200m, but his rapid rise continued and he broke Bolt&rsquo;s world U20 record for the distance with 19.88 and 19.84. He went on to finish fourth in the Olympic final with 19.93.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really thankful for this award,&rdquo; said Knighton. &ldquo;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.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Member Federations Award 
<h3>Federacion Costarricense de Atletismo (Costa Rica)</h3>
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&rsquo; Athletics programme, and for successfully staging a host of international events over the past year.
&nbsp;
Inspiration Award 
<h3>Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi</h3>
The shared high jump victory between Qatar&rsquo;s Mutaz Barshim and Italy&rsquo;s Gianmarco Tamberi became one of the biggest talking points of the Olympic Games &ndash; 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.
&ldquo;It is just crazy if I think about this story,&rdquo; said Tamberi. &ldquo;Thank you very much for this trophy.
&ldquo;I now call Mutaz like five times a week because I need to speak with him. I feel that now we are not just friends, we are really like blood brothers.&rdquo;
Barshim added: &ldquo;I hope to inspire more people to love our sport and maybe share a gold one day!&rdquo;
&nbsp;
President&rsquo;s Award 
<h3>Peter Diamond, Executive Vice President of NBC Olympic programming</h3>
&ldquo;Athletics owes Peter a massive debt of gratitude,&rdquo; said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. &ldquo;Peter has worked alongside us for effectively 40 years and has been a constant source of great advice and wise counsel, and occasional humour that has softened the edges of any particular situation. And he has made athletics a lot better.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Coaching Achievement Award 
<h3>Bobby Kersee</h3>
The US coach has guided the careers of many legendary athletes over the years, but this year two of his charges made history. Allyson Felix became the most decorated female track and field Olympian in history after winning her 10th and 11th Olympic gold medals in Tokyo, while training partner Sydney McLaughlin broke two world records in the 400m hurdles and claimed Olympic gold in the discipline.
&nbsp;
Woman of the Year Award 
<h3>Anju Bobby George</h3>
The former international long jump star from India is still actively involved in the sport. In 2016 she opened a training academy for young girls, which has already helped to produce a world U20 medallist. A constant voice for gender equality in her role as Senior Vice President of the Indian Athletics Federation, Bobby George also mentors schoolgirls for future leadership positions within the sport.
&nbsp;
Jean-Pierre Durand World Athletics Photograph of the Year 
<h3>Ryan Pierse&rsquo;s photograph of the women&rsquo;s high jump qualifying at the Tokyo Olympic Games</h3>
 <img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61925940447534976d7b8a81.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 This year&rsquo;s award is dedicated to the memory of Jean-Pierre Durand, one of the sport&rsquo;s most prolific photographers and photo chief for a number of World Athletics Series events, who died in October.
&ldquo;This winning image was taken on one of the morning sessions in Tokyo and it was a hot one,&rdquo; said Pierse, who is from Australia. &ldquo;I wanted to illustrate the heat and how it was affecting the athletes. It is a picture that I worked on for a while, and it all came together. I am really happy with it.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s incredibly fitting that this award is named in memory of Jean-Pierre Durand,&rdquo; added Pierse. &ldquo;I had the pleasure of working alongside him, most recently at the Tokyo Olympics.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Olympic champions Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica and Karsten Warholm of Norway have been named the World Athletes of the Year

Thompson-Herah and Warholm named World Athletes of the Year

The World Athletics Council has today (1) agreed on the host cities of two future World Athletics Series events at their meeting in Monaco.
The 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships will be held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, and the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships will be held in Lima, Peru.
Glasgow successfully hosted the European Indoor Championships in 2019, and World Athletics will now take its 2024 championships to the same arena.
The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, hailed the decision.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m delighted that Glasgow has been chosen to host the prestigious World Athletics Indoor Championships in 2024,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;This will underline Scotland&rsquo;s global reputation as the perfect stage for events and is welcome news as we look to recover from the pandemic.&rdquo;
Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Deputy Leader of Glasgow City Council, added: &ldquo;Today&rsquo;s announcement by World Athletics recognises Glasgow&rsquo;s global reputation as a first choice host for major sporting events and as a city with a track record of delivering world-class event experiences. It&rsquo;s a privilege to be bringing the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships to the Emirates Arena, which is widely regarded as one of the best athletics venues in the world.&rdquo;
Ian Beattie, Chair of UK Athletics, was also delighted that his federation will have the opportunity to host this event.
&ldquo;World Athletics has demonstrated their confidence in the UK to host global athletics championships once again, and history has shown time and time again our ability to deliver amazing events,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re thrilled with the outcome and look forward to a successful championships working alongside our partners that will truly give all athletes a fantastic stage upon which to perform.&rdquo;
The dates of the event have yet to be finalised, but are expected to be in March 2024.
&nbsp;
<h2>Peru to host first World Athletics Series event in 2024</h2>
Lima will become the first city in Peru to host a World Athletics Series event when it welcomes the world&rsquo;s best junior athletes in mid-2024.
The President of the Peruvian Athletics Federation, Javier Chirinos Hoyos, said this was a big moment for athletics in Peru.
&ldquo;We are very happy and proud to have been chosen for the first time ever, to host the 2024 World U20 Championships,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Rest assured that we will organise the best event of this category in history. We have the experience and a great team to give the best in Lima in 2024. Thanks all and we will be waiting with open arms for all of you in Lima."
The general director of the Local Organising Committee, Luis Condeso Ocampo, added: &ldquo;We are very happy and grateful to World Athletics for trusting us to host the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2024. We assume this designation with great responsibility, and be sure that the Peruvian Athletics Federation, with all the support of the Peruvian Sports Institute, the Municipality of Lima, and all sportspeople in Peru, we will make the World U20 Championships in Lima an unforgettable experience for all participants.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
<h2>Russian Taskforce recommends an increase to 20 ANAs for 2022</h2>
The Council approved amendments to the Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) programme for 2022 on the recommendation of the Russian Taskforce.
In 2022, no more than twenty (20) athletes (in total, not per competition) will be granted eligibility to compete (as ANAs) in the following international competitions:
(a) the World Race Walking Team Championship to be held in Muscat, OMA, in March 2022;
(b) the World Athletics Indoor Championships to be held in Belgrade, SRB, in March 2022;
(c) the World Athletics Championships to be held in Oregon, USA, in July 2022;
(d) the European Championships to be held in Munich in August 2022;
(e) the World Half Marathon Championships to be held in Yanghzou, CHN, in November 2022;
(f) the European Cross Country Championships to be held in Turin in December 2022.
RusAF may choose which athletes will make up these 20 ANAs out of those who have applied for and been granted ANA status, but it must choose athletes in the International Registered Testing Pool in priority to any other athletes. No changes may be made to the 20 designated ANAs, for any reason, once they have been nominated by RusAF.
In addition, the ANA quota of 20 will be automatically reduced by 25% for each separate failure to comply with the ANA requirements (whether of additional testing or otherwise).
There is no cap on the number of Russian athletes who may compete (if invited, and if they have been granted ANA status) in international competitions that are not listed above. Therefore, no cap applies (for example) to the World Athletics U20 Championships to be held in Cali, COL, in August 2022.
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/documents/member-federation-resource-centre#collapserussian-reinstatement-conditions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In his report to the Council</a>, the Taskforce chair Rune Andersen said there was &ldquo;guarded optimism&rdquo; about RusAF&rsquo;s progress towards meeting the conditions for reinstatement to membership of World Athletics.
The full Taskforce Report can be found <a href="https://worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/documents/member-federation-resource-centre#collapserussian-reinstatement-conditions" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/documents/member-federation-resource-centre#collapserussian-reinstatement-conditions">here</a>.
World Athletics

World Athletics Council agrees on host cities of two future World Athletics Series events 

World Athletics Series events awarded to Glasgow and Lima

The World Athletics Council has today (30) confirmed the dates for several upcoming World Athletics Series events at its meeting in Monaco.
There will be a slight change of dates for the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22, which were originally scheduled for 2-7 August, next year.
These championships have been moved forward by one day and will now run from 1-6 August 2022, as the Local Organising Committee has advised that these dates are better suited to the local needs in Colombia.
The sixth edition of the World Athletics Relays will be held in Guangzhou, China on 13-14 May 2023.
Previously held in The Bahamas, Japan and Poland, this will be the second time that the World Relays will be held in Asia and the first time in China. They will serve as a qualifying event for the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23.
Later that year, the World Athletics Road Running Championships will make their debut in Riga, Latvia on 30 September-October 1.
This inaugural event will incorporate the existing World Athletics Half Marathon Championships, and will also feature the first world 5km championships.
Mass races will be held alongside the elite championships to allow recreational runners to be part of a global festival of road running.
The 226th World Athletics Council meeting continues tomorrow (1 December) in Monaco and will be followed by the broadcast of this year&rsquo;s World Athletics Awards.
Ten awards will be presented during the ceremony, which will begin at 6pm CET (GMT+1) and be streamed live on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics YouTube channel</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook page</a>. Marathon great Paula Radcliffe and long jump star Jazmin Sawyers will host the event.
World Athletics

World Athletics Council confirms dates for several upcoming World Athletics Series events

Dates announced for future World Athletics Series events in Cali, Guangzhou and Riga

Organisers of the M&uuml;ller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham have confirmed that Olympic pole vault champion and world record-holder Mondo Duplantis will compete at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting on 19 February 2022.
The last time the Swedish megastar competed indoors in the UK was at the 2020 edition of this event in Glasgow where he cleared 6.18m to set a world record that still stands.
The M&uuml;ller Indoor Grand Prix is back after a year&rsquo;s hiatus and so is the Olympic champion, poised to thrill British crowds again at the Utilita Arena Birmingham.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really excited for the M&uuml;ller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham,&rdquo; said Duplantis. &ldquo;The event holds fond memories for me. Going over 6.18m and breaking the world record was a special moment.
&ldquo;British fans are passionate, and they really know pole vault, which is great for us to compete in front of. I always like to look forward, not back, and with loads of big competitions this year I hope to start my season well.&rdquo;
Duplantis is the latest star of the Tokyo Olympic Games to announce his intention to compete in the UK&rsquo;s second city, following last month&rsquo;s confirmation of Olympic 800m silver medallist and British record-holder Keely Hodgkinson.
The 22-year-old Duplantis has redefined one of the sport&rsquo;s most awe-inspiring disciplines in recent years, clearing a world U20 record of 6.05m to win European gold in 2018, then claiming world silver in 2019 and setting two world records in 2020. Earlier this year he secured his first senior global title when taking gold in Tokyo with 6.02m.
Organisers for World Athletics

The Olympic pole vault champion will compete at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting on 19 February

World record-holder Duplantis confirmed for Birmingham

It was a year of world record-wrecking carnage. Every global men&rsquo;s mark from 1000m up to 30,000m was savaged in the track and field frenzy that was 1965.
The rampant Ron Clarke was the chief culprit, claiming 11 of the 23 &lsquo;victims&rsquo;, all the way from two miles to one hour. The towering Australian had the first word, clocking 13:34.8 in the Tasmanian state capital, Hobart, on 16 January. The final say, however, belonged to his great rival Kip Keino.
Today (30 November) marks the 56th anniversary of Keino&rsquo;s 5000m world record run in Auckland.
The anniversary coincides with the revered father of Kenyan distance running making a generous donation to World Athletics Heritage Collection and the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/heritage/mowa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum of World Athletics (MOWA)</a> of the silver trophy he collected for one of the sizzling performances with which he set European tracks alight in the northern hemisphere summer of 1965.
Running the Morley Mile at the White City Stadium in London on 30 August 1965, Keino became the first African to run a sub-four-minute mile, wowing the packed English crowd with a 3:54.2 clocking that made the middle distance novice the third-fastest man of all time: behind Frenchman Michel Jazy&rsquo;s two month old world record of 3:53.6 and New Zealander Peter Snell&rsquo;s former global mark of 3:54.1. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know I could run anything like as fast as that at a shorter distance,&rdquo; he said.
He returned to London the following year, won the race again and was given the trophy in perpetuity.
Three days before his 1965 victory, Keino had made the first of his two marks on the world record books, smashing East German Siegfried Hermann&rsquo;s 3000m time by six seconds with 7:39.6 in the Swedish coastal town of Helsingborg. 
<h2>Takes down Clarke&rsquo;s 5000m mark</h2>
Keino beat Clarke in two out of three races on the European circuit, but by the time he travelled to New Zealand in November, the Australian had made two further improvements to the 5000m world record, running 13:33.6 in Auckland in February and then 13:25.8 in Compton, California, in June.
Running at the Western Springs Stadium in Auckland 56 years ago, Keino registered mile splits of 4:16.0, 4:17.8 to reach two miles in 8.33.8. Though he tired significantly, with a 4:24.5 third mile, he closed with a final lap of 63.5 to break Clarke&rsquo;s record with a time of 13:24.2. Kiwi William Baillie was second in 14:01.2, with Yugoslav Franc Cervan third 14.02.0. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61a6334cbc3414677f2776a5.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 The clamour for a head-to-head was satisfied when Keino met Clarke over 5000m in Melbourne a month later. There was no world record this time but Keino, sporting the lucky orange baseball cap he bought as a souvenir from the Tokyo Olympics, was a decisive winner, prevailing by 40 metres.
Clarke reclaimed the world record decisively eight months later. The 13:16.6 he recorded in Stockholm in July 1966 stood for six years, until Lasse Viren chipped 0.2 from it as a homecoming celebration in Helsinki in September 1972, on the back of his first Olympic 5000m-10,000m double in Munich. 
<h2>Traffic and illness no bar to Olympic glory</h2>
As for Keino, he proceeded to become a double Olympic champion himself &ndash; four years and two disciplines apart.
The &lsquo;flying Kenyan policeman&rsquo; with the long, loping stride had already established himself as a formidable force and a hugely popular performer on the international circuit before his astonishing heroics at the Mexico Olympics in 1968.
Fifth in the 5000m at the 1964 Games in Tokyo, where he failed to reach the 1500m final, and winner of the mile and three miles at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, Keino chose to take on the daunting challenge of the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m in the punishing thin air of Mexico City.
The fact that he had to run the last mile to get to the stadium in time for the 1968 Olympic 1500m final, after his bus got stuck in traffic, was the least of the psychological (or, indeed, physical) obstacles he had to overcome before executing his most famous victory.
A week earlier, Keino had collapsed two laps from the end of the 10,000m final, suffering from acute stomach pains which proved to be the result of a severe gall bladder infection. He collapsed on the infield but, when the stretcher-bearers arrived, he insisted on picking himself up and finishing, even though he had been disqualified. His compatriot Neftali Temu went on to win, claiming Kenya&rsquo;s first Olympic gold medal.
Four days later, despite being unable to digest solid food, Keino took the silver medal in the 5000m behind Mohamed Gammoudi of Tunisia, with Temu in third.
As the long-time trailblazing standard-bearer for Kenyan track and field, Keino felt it his duty to bring home 1500m gold. He was still suffering stomach pains on the morning of the final three days later. The West German team doctor warned he would be risking his life if he competed and told him to stay in bed and rest.
When the doctor left, however, Keino jumped out of bed, got dressed and caught the bus to the stadium. &ldquo;I must run for my country,&rdquo; he insisted. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61a634c6bc3414677f2776a8.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 Despite his physical frailty, and the race to get to the stadium, Keino proceeded to produce one of the great middle-distance runs of all time.
Blitzing clear of the pack after his Kenyan teammate Ben Jipcho&rsquo;s blistering 56-second opening lap, Keino finished 20 metres clear of Jim Ryun, the US favourite who held the world records for 800m, 1500m and the mile, and who had been unbeaten at 1500m and the mile for three years. Keino knew the only way to neutralise Ryun&rsquo;s deadly finish was to amass an unassailable lead. He won in 3.34.9, an Olympic record, with Ryun a distant runner-up in 3.37.8.
Asked how he summoned such a stunning performance, Keino replied: &ldquo;I was thinking to myself, &lsquo;This is the race of my life. If I die here, I die here&rsquo;.&rdquo;
Such fearlessness came naturally to the son of a Nandi herdsman who escaped death at the claws of a leopard at the age of 12. The young Keino came across the wild cat preying on a goat and had to flee and hide up a tree to escape.
At the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Keino defied death threats to run in the 5000m final. &ldquo;A man only dies once,&rdquo; he told the Kenyan officials who attempted to dissuade him from lining up. He finished third in the race, behind Scots Ian Stewart and Ian McCafferty but won the 1500m.
He was also threatened by a man with a gun while warming up for the 1500m at the Martin Luther King Memorial Freedom Games at Villanova University, Philadelphia, in 1970. &ldquo;What are you doing here, monkey?&rdquo; the assailant asked. &ldquo;I told him I was a human being in my country,&rdquo; Keino recounted. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t win the race &ndash; I was second to Marty Liquori &ndash; but I did my best.&rdquo;
Keino finished second to Finland&rsquo;s Pekka Vasala in the 1500m final at the1972 Olympic Games in Munich but claimed his second Olympic gold as a novice 3000m steeplechaser. &ldquo;I jumped the hurdles like a horse,&rdquo; he said. 
<h2>Kip Keino Children&rsquo;s Home</h2>
Hezekiah Kipchoge Keino was born in Kipsamo in the Nandi Hills in western Kenya. His parents died when he was young, and he was brought up by an aunt.
He ran four miles barefoot to school each morning, four miles back at lunchtime, and repeated the stamina-building exercise in the afternoon. After school and at weekends, he trotted around the surrounding hills for hours, herding the family&rsquo;s goats at high altitude.
At 81, he lives on the 500-acre farm he bought after his retirement from track competition in 1974. At Kazi Mingi Farm, in the hills near Eldoret, he has built perhaps his greatest achievement.
Over the past 40 years, hundreds of orphans and abandoned children have been raised by Keino and his wife, Phyllis, at the Kip Keino Children&rsquo;s Home there. The farm complex also houses the Kip Keino School and the Kip Keino High Performance Training Centre.
Laura and Chamatia are typical of the adopted Keinos. They were found by police officers on the streets of Eldoret, unable to move because of pneumonia. When no one claimed them from the city hospital, Keino&rsquo;s old police colleagues called Kip and Phyllis.
Others have been orphans of Aids victims. &ldquo;They are all my children,&rdquo; Keino said. &ldquo;My own mother died when I was three. I don&rsquo;t want anyone to grow up with that problem.
&ldquo;I came into this world with nothing and I will leave with nothing. While I am here, I should be mindful of those people who need help.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t help everyone, but we do what is within our ability. The money that we make from farm produce and from the training centre helps to subsidise the children&rsquo;s home and the school.&rdquo;
The inestimable Kip Keino will turn 82 on 17 January.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage

It was a year of world record-wrecking carnage

Keino makes donation to MOWA on anniversary of his 5000m world record

World Athletics has joined with a group of university and sports partners to support a major research project on child abuse in sport.
The study, called Child Abuse in Sport: European Statistics (CASES), has been led by Mike Hartill at Edge Hill University (UK) and Bettina Rulofs at Wuppertal University (Germany) with help from colleagues from across Europe. Data was collected from 10,302 adults in the UK, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Romania and Spain.
It is the first such study of this scale and the first prevalence study of its kind in sport in the UK and several other partner countries. The study investigated a wide range of behaviours that can be harmful to athletes, from verbal harassment and physical violence through to sexual abuse and neglect.
Key findings show that:
- 65% of adults (aged 18-30) reported experiencing psychological violence as children. - 44% reported experiencing physical violence inside sport as children. - Neglect was experienced by 37% of respondents. - 35% reported experiencing non-contact sexual violence. - 20% reported contact sexual violence. - The prevalence of interpersonal violence against children is lowest for respondents in recreational sport (68%) and highest for those who competed in international sport (84%). - Children belonging to ethic minority groups are significantly more likely to experience abuse at 76.9%. - Figures for each form of interpersonal violence were broadly similar across countries, suggesting the problem is not unique to one country.
It should be noted that the incidence of interpersonal violence against children in sport, was slightly lower than the incidence in the general community in each country surveyed.
While most people recall their experience of sport as children positively, sport is not immune from violence against children and this is timely research to remind sporting organisations that they must have strong safeguarding policies in place to ensure children are protected from violence and abuse, according to the researchers from Edge Hill University who worked on the report.
World Athletics, which <a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/world-athletics-safeguarding-policy">recently launched an overarching Safeguarding Policy</a> that will guide its 214 Member Federations to put in place their own policies by 2023, said: &ldquo;Safeguarding is about actions, not just words. Safeguarding is more than just a line in our integrity code of conduct. We need action &ndash; individually and collectively.&nbsp;
&ldquo;This research will inform the education, tools and guidance we will be creating with and for our Member Federations. We owe it to our athletes, competing now and in the future, to protect them from abuse, harassment and exploitation.&rdquo;
While the study found that 85% of adults reported having a positive experience in sport as children, three-quarters reported having had at least one experience of interpersonal violence inside sport before they turned 18.
Professor Hartill, who is also Director of Edge Hill&rsquo;s Centre for Child Protection and Safeguarding in Sport (CPSS), said: &ldquo;Our findings are obviously of great concern. We have seen a number of high-profile cases of child abuse in sport in recent times, but this research helps us to understand the scale of the problem more clearly.
&ldquo;The data shows that these experiences are common in the sports sector which is supposed to provide children with a positive and healthy space.
&ldquo;This study offers valuable evidence for sport organisations to work with and respond to. We are encouraged by the support the project has had from our sport partners and hope that our report is a good starting point for a cultural shift within sport.
&ldquo;As part of the project we will be developing educational resources with and for the sport sector aimed at enhancing understanding of this issue within its grassroots partners and affiliated bodies. Ultimately, the study aims to provide insights and develop resources for the sport sector that will support their efforts to safeguard children&rsquo;s welfare.&rdquo;
The project, funded by the European Union&rsquo;s Erasmus+ programme, is a partnership with seven universities and three sport partners &ndash; World Athletics, Sport England, and the German Sport Youth Federation.
The overall report and links to reports for each country can be <a href="https://sites.edgehill.ac.uk/cpss/projects/child-abuse-in-sport-european-statistics-cases/">found here</a>.

World Athletics has joined with a group of university and sports partners to support a major research project on child abuse in sport.

New research shows scale of child abuse in sport

The World Athletics Awards 2021 will be staged as a virtual event on Wednesday 1 December and will be a celebration of the sport, also honouring and recognising organisations and individuals from around the world in what has been another memorable and sometimes challenging year.
Ten awards will be presented at the World Athletics Awards 2021, which will begin at 6pm CET (GMT+1) on Wednesday and be streamed live on the World Athletics <a href="https://www.youtube.com/worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.youtube.com/worldathletics">YouTube channel</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthletics">Facebook page</a>. The ceremony will be hosted by marathon great Paula Radcliffe and long jump star Jazmin Sawyers. 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_r5PbtrF9A" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&nbsp;
<h3>World Athletes of the Year</h3>
The most eagerly-anticipated of the 10 awards will be Female and Male World Athlete of the Year, recognising the top-performing athletes of 2021. A three-way voting process &ndash; split between the World Athletics Council, the World Athletics Family, and the worldwide community of athletics fans &ndash; determined the five female and five male finalists.
This year's female finalists: &bull; Sifan Hassan, Netherlands &bull; Faith Kipyegon, Kenya &bull; Sydney McLaughlin, USA &bull; Yulimar Rojas, Venezuela &bull; Elaine Thompson-Herah, Jamaica
And this year's male finalists: &bull; Joshua Cheptegei, Uganda &bull; Ryan Crouser, USA &bull; Mondo Duplantis, Sweden &bull; Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya &bull; Karsten Warholm, Norway
Over the past five days, we published features on all 10: &bull;&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/focus-on-finalists-sifan-hassan-joshua-cheptegei" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/focus-on-finalists-sifan-hassan-joshua-cheptegei">Sifan Hassan and Joshua Cheptegei </a> &bull;&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/focus-finalists-faith-kipyegon-ryan-crouser" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/focus-finalists-faith-kipyegon-ryan-crouser">Faith Kipyegon and Ryan Crouser</a> &bull;&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/focus-finalists-sydney-mclaughlin-mondo-duplantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/focus-finalists-sydney-mclaughlin-mondo-duplantis">Sydney McLaughlin and Mondo Duplantis</a> &bull;&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/focus-finalists-yulimar-rojas-eliud-kipchoge" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/focus-finalists-yulimar-rojas-eliud-kipchoge">Yulimar Rojas and Eliud Kipchoge </a> &bull;&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/focus-finalists-elaine-thompson-herah-karsten-warholm" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/focus-finalists-elaine-thompson-herah-karsten-warholm">Elaine Thompson-Herah and Karsten Warholm</a> 
<h3>Female and Male Rising Stars</h3>
These awards shine the spotlight on the top U20 athletes of the year.
This year's female nominees: &bull; Keely Hodgkinson, Great Britain &bull; Silja Kosonen, Finland &bull; Christine Mboma, Namibia &bull; Athing Mu, USA &bull; Zerfe Wondemagegn, Ethiopia
And this year's male nominees: &bull; Sean Burrell, USA &bull; Erriyon Knighton, USA &bull; Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Kenya &bull; Tadese Worku, Ethiopia &bull; Sasha Zhoya, France
Who all also starred in a series of features: &bull;&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/spotlight-rising-stars-keely-hodgkinson-sean-burrell" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/spotlight-rising-stars-keely-hodgkinson-sean-burrell">Keely Hodgkinson and Sean Burrell </a> &bull;&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/spotlight-rising-stars-silja-kosonen-erriyon-knighton" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/spotlight-rising-stars-silja-kosonen-erriyon-knighton">Silja Kosonen and Erriyon Knighton</a> &bull;&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/spotlight-rising-stars-christine-mboma-emmanuel-wanyonyi" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/spotlight-rising-stars-christine-mboma-emmanuel-wanyonyi">Christine Mboma and Emmanuel Wanyonyi </a> &bull;&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/spotlight-rising-stars-athing-mu-tadese-worku" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/spotlight-rising-stars-athing-mu-tadese-worku">Athing Mu and Tadese Worku</a> &bull;&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/spotlight-rising-stars-zerfe-wondemagegn-sasha-zhoya" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/spotlight-rising-stars-zerfe-wondemagegn-sasha-zhoya">Zerfe Wondemagegn and Sasha Zhoya</a> 
<h3>Coaching Achievement Award</h3>
Given to a coach who has helped athletes thrive. 
<h3>Inspiration Award</h3>
This award will recognise an individual or group of individuals whose efforts have resulted in a particularly inspiring athletics event or experience. 
<h3>Member Federations Award</h3>
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.
The six nominees, listed alphabetically, are: &bull; Athletics Australia (AUS) &ndash; Oceania &bull; Athletics Kenya (KEN) &ndash; Africa &bull; Czech Athletic Federation (CZE) &ndash; Europe &bull; Federacion Costarricense de Atletismo (CRC) &ndash; North &amp; Central America and the Caribbean &bull; Federacion Ecuatoriana de Atletismo (ECU) &ndash; South America &bull; Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JPN) &ndash; Asia
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/nominees-2021-member-federations-award" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/nominees-2021-member-federations-award">More about the&nbsp;Member Federation Award nominees.</a> 
<h3>Woman of the Year Award</h3>
Recognising a woman who has dedicated her life to the sport of athletics. 
<h3>President&rsquo;s Award</h3>
This award recognises and honours exceptional service to athletics. 
<h3>Athletics Photograph of the Year</h3>
Awarded to the best athletics photograph of 2021, as decided by an expert panel of judges, who whittled down 112 entries to this year's three finalists: &bull; Ryan Pierse, Getty Images &bull; Matthias Hangst, Getty Images &bull; Vegard Grott, Bildbyran
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/world-athletics-photograph-year-2021-finalists" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/world-athletics-photograph-year-2021-finalists">More about the Photograph of the Year finalists.</a>
The full shortlist of 25 images can be seen in the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/world-athletics-photograph-year-2021-shortlisted-images" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/world-athletics-photograph-year-2021-shortlisted-images">online gallery</a>&nbsp;on the&nbsp;World Athletics Awards 2021 website.
World Athletics

With just two days to go until the World Athletics Awards 2021, the spotlight shifts to the annual celebration honouring the world's best athletes whose achievements helped contribute to another unforgettable year for the sport.

Suarez completes sprint double as Brazil dominates athletics at Pan American Junior Games

Jelagat and Cherono victorious in Valencia

Githae wins final edition of Fukuoka Marathon

Kamworor aims to conquer Valencia

Athlete of the Year award motivates Thompson-Herah to work towards career goals