AW ATHLETES OF THE YEAR 2006

You decide the winners...

It’s time for you – the reader – to pick your top British and international athletes of 2006...

Words: Jon Mulkeen Pictures: Mark Shearman

MOST would agree that 2006 has been quite a mixed bag of a year for the athletics world. From a British perspective, the one athlete on whom you can normally rely to score some major success, Paula Radcliffe, has been out of action due to injury and pregnancy. This gave many of the other Brits an opportunity to grab a share of the glory, although only a few really took up the offer.

The voting for British male athlete of the year will likely be quite open, as there are no obvious, odds-on contenders. While the women’s appears slightly more clear-cut, there are some genuine underdogs who are arguably just as deserving.

Yelena Isinbaeva’s lack of world records this year has given the other international female athletes a chance to step up to the helm. Indeed, the almost invincible Russian vaulter may struggle to make the top five.

There are three or four genuine contenders for the men’s accolade and in terms of merit, their achievements are almost inseparable. But all the names here are merely suggestions – feel free to name any athlete you like on the voting form.

Top British man

█ Marlon Devonish: Double AAA win and two medals at Europeans.

█ Nathan Douglas:World indoor finalist and European triple jump silver.

█ Sam Ellis: Surprise European 800m bronze medal.

█ Mo Farah: Big improvement on PB and won European 5000m silver.

█ Phillips Idowu: Commonwealth gold and 17.50m AAA triple jump win.

█ Dean Macey: Came back from injury to win Commonwealth gold.

█ Nick Nieland: Commonwealth javelin gold and European final.

█ Greg Rutherford: Euro silver and second-best jump by a Brit.

█ Andy Turner:Medals at both Commonwealths and Europeans.

█ Rhys Williams: Fourth in Melbourne and European bronze.

Top British woman

█ Tasha Danvers-Smith: Silver in Melbourne and Euro Cup winner.

█ Lisa Dobriskey: Pulled off surprise to win 1500m gold in Melbourne.

█ Jessica Ennis: Third in Melbourne heptathlon, eighth in Gothenburg.

█ Becky Lyne: Consistent on Euro circuit, 800m bronze in Gothenburg.

█ Joice Maduaka: Double AAA win, 100m PB and fourth in Euro final.

█ Lee McConnell: Commonwealth bronze in 400m hurdles with a PB.

█ Christine Ohuruogu: Beat World and Olympic champion to win Commonwealth 400m gold.

█ Jo Pavey:Won European Cup 3000m and set 5000m PB.

█ Nicola Sanders:Won AAA indoor 400m and made European final.

█ Kelly Sotherton: Commonwealth heptathlon gold, seventh in Europeans.

Top international man

█ Virgilijus Alekna: Euro discus gold and unbeaten throughout season.

█ Kenenisa Bekele:Won fifth world cross-country double gold.

█ Tyson Gay: Dipped under 9.9 and 19.70 in the 100m and 200m sprints.

█ Haile Gebrselassie: Set worldleading marathon mark of 2:05:56.

█ Francis Obikwelu: Scored European 100m and 200m double.

█ Asafa Powell:Won all 16 races and twice equalled world 100m record.

█ Saif Saaeed Shaheen:Won both 5000m and steeple at World Cup.

█ Andreas Thorkildsen:Won Euro javelin title and threw PB of 91.59m.

█ Jeremy Wariner:Won all races he finished and ran 400m PB of 43.62.

█ Liu Xiang: Set 110m hurdles world record of 12.88.

Top international woman

█ Kajsa Bergqvist:World indoor high jump record, leading outdoor mark.

█ Yuliya Chizhenko: Leading metric miler and world indoor champion.

█ Meseret Defar:World indoor 3000m gold, 5000m world record.

█ Lashinda Demus:Won 11 races, set world-leading 400m hurdles time.

█ Tirunesh Dibaba:World Cup 3000m title and 5000m PB.

█ Yelena Isinbayeva:World indoor and Euro gold, world indoor record.

█ Tatyana Lebedeva: Euro and world indoor gold, World Cup winner.

█ Tatyana Lysenko: European title and two hammer world records.

█ Sanya Richards: Golden league jackpot and American 400m record.

█ Sherone Simpson:World leading times for 100m and 200m.

Top British junior man

█ Harry Aikines-Aryeetey:World junior 100m gold and relay bronze.

█ Daniel Awde: Set national junior decathlon record (junior implements).

█ Wade Bennett-Jackson: Ran fastest 100m time (10.33) by British junior.

█ James Campbell: Set numerous Scottish senior javelin records.

█ Chris Clarke: Several sprint PBs and won world junior 4x400m bronze.

█ Luke Cutts: Improved massively in world junior pole vault final to 5.30m.

█ Gianni Frankis: Finished seventh in world junior 110m hurdles final.

█ Alex Nelson:Won world junior bronze medals in 200m and relay.

█ Martyn Rooney: Set national junior 400m record at Commonwealths and won world junior bronze.

█ Alex Smith: Set big hammer PB and made world junior final.

Top British junior woman

█ Sian Edwards: Tenth at World Cross and sixth in world junior 5000m.

█ Zara Hohn: Set PB of 13.61 to finish fifth in 100m hurdles at world juniors.

█ Sarah Hopkinson:Won world gymnasiade 1500m gold.

█ Vikki Hubbard: Broke English Schools’ high jump record with 1.88m.

█ Emma Jackson: AAA under-20 800m champ and fastest junior Brit.

█ Asha Phillip: Finished fourth in world junior 100m final at age 15.

█ Emily Pidgeon: Set big PBs at 3000m and 5000m.

█ Perri Shakes-Drayton: British 400m hurdles youth record.

█ Jade Surman: Broke Sally Gunnell’s national youth heptathlon record.

█ Steph Twell: Broke British 1500m youth record, made world junior final.

Best British performance

█ Sam Ellis: for his surprise 800m win in Gothenburg.

█ Mo Farah: for his huge 5000m personal best of 13:09.40.

█ Phillips Idowu: for his 17.50m triple jump win at the AAA championships.

█ Becky Lyne: for her 1:58.20 run over 800m in Gateshead.

█ Joice Maduaka: for her fourthplace finish in the Euro 100m final.

█ Jo Pavey: for her 14:39.96 PB over 5000m in Brussels.

█ Christine Ohuruogu: for her 400m surprise triumph in Melbourne.

█ Greg Rutherford: for his 8.26m leap at the AAA championships.

█ Nicola Sanders: for her 50.72 400m run at the indoor AAA.

█ Rhys Williams: for his bronze medal-winning run in Gothenburg.

Best international performance

█ Kajsa Bergqvist: for her world indoor record of 2.08m in Arnstadt.

█ Xavier Carter: for his 19.63 – the second-fastest 200m run of all-time.

█ Meseret Defar: for breaking the women’s world 5000m record.

█ Gerd Kanter: for his 73.38m throw, the third-best discus mark of all-time.

█ Deena Kastor: for her American marathon record of 2:19:36.

█ Tatyana Lysenko: for her world hammer record throw of 77.80m.

█ Asafa Powell: for his two 9.77 world record-equalling performances in the 100m.

█ Sanya Richards: for her American 400m record of 48.70.

█ Jeremy Wariner: for his worldleading 400m time of 43.62.

█ Liu Xiang: for his sprint hurdles world record-of 12.88.

Best British breakthrough

█ Lisa Dobriskey: for her surprise Commonwealth 1500m win.

█ Sam Ellis: for his Euro 800m bronze and 1:45.67 personal best.

█ Jessica Ennis: for her huge improvement at the Commonwealths.

█ Mo Farah: for his big lifetime best in the 5000m and European silver.

█ Becky Lyne: for her emergence as a true world-class 800m competitor.

█ Amanda Pritchard: for her subtwo- minutes 800m performance.

█ Greg Rutherford: for becoming the second-best ever British jumper.

█ Nicola Sanders: for making a great transition from hurdles to the flat.

█ Andy Turner: for his improved consistency and medals in the hurdles.

█ Rhys Williams: for his transition into the senior ranks.

Best international breakthrough 

█ Xavier Carter: for his 19.63 200m performance in Lausanne.

█ Tyson Gay: for becoming one of the all-time fastest all-round sprinters.

█ Tia Hellebaut: for her transition from also-ran heptathlete to European high jump champion.

█ Janeth Jepkosgei: for her improved form and consistency over 800m.

█ Gulfiya Khanafeyeva: for her hammer throw world record.

█ Dayron Robles: for a smooth transition from junior to senior.

█ Irving Saladino: for great long jump consistency and a superb set of marks.

█ Andrey Silnov: for his surprise European high jump 2.36m win.

█ Yelena Soboleva: for improving massively to run many fast 1500s.

█ Vanya Stambolova: for her 400m consistency and European gold.

█ REMEMBER: all the names above are merely suggestions – you are free to select any athletes in your voting.

Send in your nominations to aoy@athletics-weekly.co.uk. Closing date Wednesday December 6

From issue 61-42 (October 19, 2006) of Athletics Weekly , - available in WH Smith and all good newsagents, or on subscription

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