2021 USATF Athlete of the Year and Wing Awards

Jackie Joyner-Kersee Athlete of the Year

Sydney McLaughlin

• Set world record in the 400mH
• Won Olympic gold in WR 51.46
• Ran first leg on gold medal 4X400m at Tokyo, splitting 50.2

Allyson Felix

• Became the most decorated U.S. Olympic track and field athlete with 11 career medals
• Bronze in 400m at Olympics in a U.S.-leading 49.46
• Second leg on gold medal 4x400m at Tokyo with a 49.4 split
• 4th straight Olympic gold in 4x400m

Katie Nageotte

• Won Olympic pole vault gold with a 4.90m/16-0.75 clearance

Athing Mu

• Won Olympic 800m in 1:55.21, an American record
• Anchored 4x400m to Tokyo gold with a 48.32 split

Valarie Allman

• Won Olympic gold in discus with a 68.98m/226-4

Jesse Owens Athlete of the Year

Ryan Crouser

• Won Olympic gold in shot put with a 23.30m/76-5.5, the second farthest throw ever
• Undefeated season, winning 15 straight meets

Rai Benjamin

• Set American record of 46.17 in 400mH at Olympics for silver; broke old AR by .61 seconds.
• Anchored 4x400m to Olympic gold with a 43.40 split

Fred Kerley

• Silver medalist in Olympic 100m with a lifetime best 9.84
• Diamond League 100m champion, first man to ever win the 100m and 400m DL crowns in a career
• Set personal best of 19.76 in the 200m
• 10 wind-legal sub-10 clockings in the 100m, 4 legal sub-20s in the 200m; also had a 44.60 season best in the 400m

 

Kenny Bednarek

• Won Olympic silver in the 200m with a lifetime-best 19.68
• Ran 11 wind-legal sub-20 clockings for 200m, the most ever by one athlete in a single season
• Set a lifetime best of 9.89 to place fourth in the 100m at the Olympic Trials
• Won the Diamond League 200m title in 19.70 at Zurich
• Had four Diamond League wins in the 200m

Best Olympic Track Performance:

Rai Benjamin

•  Set American record of 46.17 in 400mH at Olympics for silver; broke old AR by .61 seconds
•  Anchored 4x400m to Olympic gold with a 43.40 split

Allyson Felix

• Became the most decorated U.S. Olympic track and field athlete with 11 career medals
• Bronze in 400m at Olympics in a U.S.-leading 49.46
• Second leg on gold medal 4x400m at Tokyo with a 49.4 split
• 4th straight Olympic gold in 4x400m

Sydney McLaughlin

• Set world record in the 400mH
• Won Olympic gold in WR 51.46
• Ran first leg on gold medal 4x400m at Tokyo, splitting 50.2

Athing Mu

• Won Olympic 800m in 1:55.21, an American record
• Anchored 4x400m to Tokyo gold with a 48.32 split

Best Olympic Field Performance:

Valarie Allman

• Won Olympic gold in discus with a 68.98m/226-4

Ryan Crouser

• Won Olympic gold in shot put with a 23.30m/76-5.5, the second farthest throw ever
• Undefeated season, winning 15 straight meets

Katie Nageotte

• Won Olympic pole vault gold with a 4.90m/16-0.75 clearance

Breakthrough Performer of the Year:

Courtney Frerichs

• Silver medal in 3,000m steeplechase at Olympic Games
• Set American record of 8:57.77 at Pre Classic, first American woman under 9:00 and No. 4 woman on all-time world performer list
• Third in Diamond League final

JuVaughn Harrison

• Won high jump and long jump at Olympic Trials, first man to ever do that double
• Also won the HJ/LJ double at the NCAA Championships indoors and outdoors
• First U.S. man since Jim Thorpe in 1912 to compete in the two events at the Olympic Games
• Finished fifth in the long jump and seventh in the high jump at Tokyo

Athing Mu

• Won Olympic 800m in 1:55.21, an American record
• Anchored 4x400m to Tokyo gold with a 48.32 split
• Won Olympic Trials 800m in 1:56.07
• Set American record of 1:55.04 to win Pre Classic 800m
• Set 7 American U20 outdoor records in the 400m & 800m
• Set world U20 indoor 800m record

Molly Seidel

• Olympic bronze in the marathon, first U.S. woman to medal since 2004
• Ran a personal best 68:29 for the half marathon, No. 8 on the all-time U.S. performer list
• Had world-leading 69:20 half marathon on Jan. 23

Fred Kerley

• Silver medalist in Olympic 100m with a lifetime best 9.84
• Diamond League 100m champion, first man to ever win the 100m and 400m DL crowns in a career
• Set personal best of 19.76 in the 200m
• 10 wind-legal sub-10 clockings in the 100m, 4 legal sub-20s in the 200m; also had a 44.60 season best in 400m

Cole Hocker

• 6th in Olympic 1,500m as the youngest man in the field at age 20
• His 3:31.40 was the fastest ever by an American at the Games
• Won Olympic Trials 1,500m
• Won NCAA outdoor 1,500m and indoor mile titles, along with indoor 3,000m