You go into a year hoping for the best.
You end the year being totally awestruck at what just passed!
THAT was the 2017 INdoor season!!
In a season that saw a record-breaking number of records broken--AND a record number of marks making my Top 24 Performers lists--it becomes VERY difficult choosing the "best" athletes, or performances, from among the HUGE quantity of records and marks produced by some of the greatest-ever athletes this century---or even the whole history of the sport--has ever seen!!
BUT---decisions MUST be made--and so I have!
I present to you Aaron K's Track and Field Record Book's Annual Athlete of the Year Awards!
A brief guide--
These are MY choices, and mine alone!
Feel free to disagree---or to agree!---and to comment!
The AOY goes to the person who produced the OVERALL best season, with STRONG emphasis on major records broken (World, US, Collegiate, HS)!
The Performance of the Year goes to--obviously--the best performance by an INDIVIDUAL!!
(However, great Relay performances get Special Mention!!)
The Event of the Year is based SOLELY on numbers--meaning the number of marks an event has---dating from 2017--on my DDD's, or All-Time Top 24 Performers lists!
As to my Personality of the Year, I choose the athlete who---in positive OR negative ways!!--affected the sport!!
So, without further BS'ing, let's see who these people (and events) are!
(I'll do the Men first, then the Women--in each category! But, due to space limitations, I'll do this in TWO posts--this one for the World & US, the 2nd one for Collegiates & HS'ers!)
Athlete of the Year--World Men
CHRISTIAN COLEMAN
It was mainly his 200 time of 20.11 that decided it for me! Coming within 0.01 of a prestigious American (and Collegiate) Record, in a race where he was dominant makes him the obvious choice! But when you add his co-World-leading time of 6.45 in the 60, that cements it!! In a year when the major international meet was the European Championships, there were several MIA's! But that in no way should diminish the accomplishments of Mr Coleman!!
Honorable Mentions
Fred Kerley built his year in the 400 on consistency--as in consistently FAST!!
Casimir Loxsom led all in the 600, in what was basically the "Year of the 600"!!
Piotr Lisek was the year's dominant PV'er, and broke his National Record more than once!
In a year that saw the retirement of Ashton Eaton, France's Kevin Mayer challenged Eaton's WR Heptathlon, filling a gigantic vacuum!!
Performance of the Year--World Men
CHRISTIAN COLEMAN
As noted above , his 200 mark at the NCAA's was just awesome!! Even though it wasn't a World, American, or even Collegiate record, it was so magical to watch that he wins this award--no contest!!
Honorable Mentions
Kerley's 44.85 at the NCAA's capped a year that saw him running twice under 45 (albeit the other being on an Oversize Track!!)--something we haven't seen much of this century--or even in the entire history of INdoor track!!
Mayer's 6479 Hept score came within 20 points of the immortal Mr Eaton's CR--and stands as 2nd best A-T in the World--with Ashton alone ahead of him!
Andrew Pozzi's 7.43 in the 60H came in the year's biggest meet, and finished off a year of SEVERAL fast times!!
Event of the Year--World Men
The 600 has 8 marks on my A-T list, more than any other!
(The 5000 had 7, with the 300 having 6. No field event had more than 2!!)
Personality of the Year--World Men
KEVIN MAYER
I've already said it!
Mayer filled a HUGE empty place in the Heptathlon event, left by Eaton's sudden retirement!
Never forgetting Eaton's vast number of accomplishments, Mayer gave us hope this great event has a new hero to admire!
For having the confidence to do so makes this award choice an easy one!
Athlete of the Year--World Women
LAURA MUIR
In not 1, not 2, but THREE events, Ms Muir completely dominated the World's distance scene in 2017!
But it wasn't just her fast times, or number of British (Read-Scotland!) records broken, it was the WAY she did it!
She didn't take any prisoners--but her opponents might as well have been locked up in a cell--as she generally led every race she ran, from start to finish--then kicked fiercely at the end!!
MY kind of distance runner!!
Honorable Mentions
Ajee Wilson broke a tough American Record--and led the World--with her 1:58.27 800. But she backed that up with a fast 600--3rd best ever!--against a VERY tough opponent!
And she made it look so EASY!!
Ivana Spanovic and Gwen Berry had one SUPER series in their respective events--the LJ & WT--that spoke volumes of their greatness and consistency!
Nafissatou Thiam is only 22, but took over the Pentathlon with elegant grace and ease--even in the absence of the various Hyphens (JEH, KJT, and the newly retired BTE!!).
Kendra Harrison ran several fast 60H times--in a year where she's seeking redemption for her Olympic Trials failure!
And DESPITE the banning of her home nation from the sport, Russian HJ'er Mariya Kuchina's 6-8 leap led a World which denied CLEAN Russians the chance to show their stuff!
Well, Ms Kuchina definitely SHOWED us what she has to offer!!
Performance of the Year--World Women
GENZEBE DIBABA
Yes, the 2000 meters is a VERY obscure--and rarely run--event!
But G-D made mince-meat of the WR, and even topped the best time from OUTdoors!!
And she did so in a solo race--with her usual confident aplomb!!
Honorable Mentions
Ajee Wilson's 1:58.27 took down a tough American Record--and made the World list!
Her 600 wasn't anything to sneeze at either!
Harrison didn't quite get the AR, but she had a few fast times!
Thiam WAS on course for a 5000 points score, but fell short in her final events!
As noted above, Spanovic & Berry had tremendous series in their events.
Kuchina defied both gravity--and the IAAF!!--with her World-leading HJ!!
Event of the Year--World Women
The Weight Throw has 8 marks dated as from 2017!
The 300 has 6, while the 600 has 5!
Personality of the Year--World Women
LAURA MUIR
Not only prevailing in her races, it was her charismatic demeanor--her brave tactics--and her almost-shy acceptance of her new position among the World's best distance runners--that made this choice SUPER easy to make!!
Now for the United States!
Athlete of the Year--US Men
CHRISTIAN COLEMAN
As always, my US award for AOY is the same as the World's AOY---IF that athlete won the World award!!
Coleman did!
For his 200 time of 20.11, and for his 60 in 6.45--both World leaders (though his 60 was tied by another!)--Coleman's choice was obvious!
Super strong, he appears ready to challenge the World's best OUTdoors too!!
Honorable Mentions
Besides Mr's Kerley and Loxsom, two youngsters came through in VERY adult ways--and just one of them has turned Pro!!
I speak of Noah Lyles, who nipped the 300 WR at the age of 19--against a group of guys much older than him!
As for the NON-Pro, Jordan Geist's meeting with the 16 pound SP came off totally symbiotic!!
His 68-4--(Even though coming in December, it's considered part of the 2017 INdoor season!!) DESTROYED a HSR owned by none other than Rio Olympic Gold winner Ryan Crouser!!
At year's end, it remains one of the World's best!!
From a kid in High School!!!
Performance of the Year--US Men
CHRISTIAN COLEMAN
I can't say enough about that 200!!
The way he just FLEW around that banked oval in College Station TX was absolutely amazing!
He NEVER let up--sprinting right through the finish line tape!!
SO impressive!!
Honorable Mentions
Because Casimir Loxsom got the World Record with his 1:14.91--in a year when THREE Men broke the 1:15 barrier (for the 1st time!!), he deserves Special Mention here!
But Kerley's 44.85 was fabulous too!
(And yes, even his OT 44.94 deserves praise!!)
But maybe best of all was his LEAD-OFF 4X400 Relay leg of 44.96--in a race that produced the Collegiate Record!!
And I must put Mr Geist in this group!
If he had broken Crouser's HSR with the 12 pounder, no way he'd be on THIS list! But he did it with the Big Boys implement!!
Wow!
Event of the Year--US Men
The 600! It has 9 marks dated 2017 on my US DDD!!
But the 300 followed with 8!
Best field events (I include the Multi's here!!) were the Heptathlon and the WT--with 3 each!
Personality of the Year--US Men
KYLE MERBER
He didn't win his fastest race!
He looks sort of scrubby with his beard and headband.
He's sometimes obnoxiously ubiquitous on Twitter!
He's a loud mouth!
And guess what?
For ALL of the above reasons, Merber wins this award hands down!!
Gotta love the guy!
Athlete of the Year--US Women
AJEE WILSON
She ran faster than the only two American women on the A-T World list!
She beat one of the few women now running in the World who have run faster than 50 seconds in the 400 (OUTdoors!)!
And she did so with the most STOIC facial expressions I've ever seen on such a speedy demon!!
Never seeming to be going all-out, she nonetheless faces the World's women with confidence and power rarely seen!
And she's still just 22 years old!!
Honorable Mentions
In that 800 race, Charlene Lipsey stalked Wilson ALL the way, winding up the 2nd US woman on the A-T World 800 list!!
Kendra Harrison had 3 of the fastest-ever 60H times.
Despite failing to get the WR--or the AR!--she deserves her place here!
Kate Grace--who, by the "grace" of that shocking tumble at the Olympic Trials, became an Olympian for the 1st time--ran the fastest Mile and 1000 by US women this year!
Despite the absence of Jenny Simpson INdoors, she still had the OUTdoor AR holder in the 1500 to contend with!
And she beat her, becoming a true challenger to US Mile-1500 World contention!!
And don't forget her BEST event is the 800!!
But let's not ignore Raven Saunders, who led the WORLD in the SP!
Or Gwen Berry, who finally took down that tough WT World Record!
And Kendell Williams, who came THIS close to her CR in the Pentathlon!
One more height in the HJ, and she'd have broken it!!
Performance of the Year--US Women
RAVEN SAUNDERS
Yes, I know she's "just" a 20 year old College student!
Yes, I know that less than 4 years ago, her best SP reached just 42 feet!
But when a Woman of such an age--and rapid rise to HS, Collegiate, and US dominance--suddenly LEADS the WORLD!!---well, what can I say?
Raven-ous Raven wins this award easily!!
At Age 20, she bettered the best European mark!
And she topped the limited showings by AR holder Michelle Carter!!
But maybe best of all, she returned to her penchant of bettering her PR's by FEET, not inches!!
Homorable Mentions
Berry's World Record WT of 84-0 must lead this group!
But both of Wilson's marks definitely make the cut!
As does Harrison's 7.74 in the 60H, and Grace's 4:22.93 Mile!!
A VERY Special Mention goes out to the USA All-Stars team that broke the World and American records in the Distance Medley Relay!
And what a team!!
Emma Coburn--US Record holder in the 3000SC--Sydney McLaughlin--HSR holder in the 300 and 400--Brenda Martinez--One of America's greatest middle distance runners!--and Jenny Simpson--Olympic medalist & holder of several top US performances, in events ranging from the 800 to the 5000 meters!!
Event of the Year--US Women
My DDD lists consist of the Top 24 A-T Performers!
2017 saw the Women's 600 add ELEVEN times to that list!!
That's almost HALF of the A-T best times!!
Even more impressive was that so many of the US's best at 400 & 800 were MIA in this event this season!
What kind of numbers would we have if ALL of them had competed??!!
But the 300 wasn't far behind--with 9!
The best field event was the WT, with 6.
(The PV--normally a list-topper--had "only" 5!!)
Personality of the Year--US Women
JENN SUHR & RAVEN SAUNDERS!
Alpha & Omega!
Top & Bottom!
Devil & Angel!
Choose your metaphor, your euphemism!
Whatever word is used, the 2017 INdoor season saw one of each--for better AND for worse!
America's greatest-ever PV'er, Ms Suhr announced she would NOT be competing at the USATF meet JUST prior to the meet's opening!
She said she was "frustrated" with the way USATF presented her event!
BUT--she gave NO specific reasons!
She (and husband-coach Rick) just flew home, sending Facebook message after Facebook message, spouting their perceived "frustration" out in ever-more-frustrating fashion!
This produced a vast outflow of criticism via Twitter, FB, and the various T&F Message Boards!!
And total puzzlement!!
On the positive side of the coin, we had Raven Saunders!
Besides her demonstrated acumen with that round & heavy orb she throws out to Record-breaking distances, she has a dynamic & charismatic & crowd-enervating personality that shines from here to Sunday!!
Even if she were NOT one of the best athletes in the WORLD, she'd fill ANY room she graces her presence with---and I AIN'T talking about her size!!
Love that girl!!
Well, friends (Are we still friends--after the above choices & comments??), that covers the World & US awards!
I'll post my Collegiate & High School award selections soon!!
See you then!
No comments:
Post a Comment