Selected by a panel of experts the nominees for track and field athletes of the year have been named. In an unusual year of athletics there have been many world records and extraordinary performances. Who knows what 2021 will bring.
Male nominees
Donavan Brazier, USA
- ran world-leading 800m times indoors (1:44.22, North American indoor record) and outdoors (1:43.15)
Joshua Cheptegei, Uganda
- broke world records at 5000m (12:35.36), 10,000m (26:11.00) and 5km on the roads (12:51)
Timothy Cheruiyot, Kenya
- ran world-leading 3:28.45 over 1500m
Ryan Crouser, USA
- his 22.91m world-leading performance moved him to equal third on the world all-time list
Mondo Duplantis, Sweden
- broke the world record in the pole vault twice (6.17m and 6.18m) and produced the highest outdoor vault of all time (6.15m)
Jacob Kiplimo, Uganda
- won world half marathon title in a championship record of 58:49
- ran a world-leading 7:26.64 over 3000m, the fastest time in the world since 2007
Noah Lyles, USA
- undefeated in five finals
Daniel Stahl, Sweden
- threw a world-leading 71.37m
Johannes Vetter, Germany
- threw a world-leading 97.76m, the second farthest throw in history
Karsten Warholm, Norway
- ran a world-leading 46.87 in the 400m hurdles, the second fastest performance in history.
Female nominees
Femke Bol, Netherlands
- undefeated in six 400m hurdles races
- ran a world-leading 53.79 in the 400m hurdles
Letesenbet Gidey, Ethiopia
- set a world record of 14:06.62 over 5000m
Sifan Hassan, Netherlands
- set a world record of 18,930m in the one hour run
- set a European record of 29:36.67 over 10,000m, the fourth fastest performance in history
Peres Jepchirchir, Kenya
- won the world half marathon title
- twice broke the world half marathon record for a women-only race (1:05:34 and 1:05:16)
Faith Kipyegon, Kenya
- ran world-leading performances over 800m (1:57.68) and 1000m (2:29.15)
Laura Muir, Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- ran a world-leading 3:57.40 over 1500m
Hellen Obiri, Kenya
- ran a world-leading 8:22.54 over 3000m
Yulimar Rojas, Venezuela
- broke the world indoor triple jump record with 15.43m
Elaine Thompson-Herah, Jamaica
- undefeated in seven 100m races
- ran world-leading 10.85 over 100m
Ababel Yeshaneh, Ethiopia
- broke the world record in the half marathon with 1:04:31
The male and female World Athletes of the Year will be announced live at the World Athletics Awards 2020 on Saturday 5 December.
