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2012 TRACK & FIELD NEWS
WOMEN’S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Valerie Adams The First Shot Winner
In 32 Years
Field eventers in general and throwers in particular have a tough time getting elected as Athlete Of The Year, but New Zealand shot star Valerie Adams turned the trick in the Olympic year, becoming the first since East Germany’s Ilona Slupianek in 1980.
The undefeated Kiwi won all 14 of her meets and had the year’s 16 longest throws as she completely dominated her event. She claimed 17 of the 35 votes for No. 1, with 4 others also getting mentions for the top spot.
The top 10, with the events in which they World Ranked and their voting totals:
| 1. Valerie Adams (New Zealand—shot) |
306 |
| 2. Jessica Ennis (Great Britain—heptathlon) |
285 |
| 3. Allyson Felix (USA—100, 200) |
280 |
| 4. Sally Pearson (Australia—100 hurdles) |
221 |
| 5. Sanya Richards-Ross (USA—200, 400) |
133 |
| 6. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica—100, 200) |
132 |
| 7. Sandra Perković (Croatia—discus) |
118 |
| 8. Yuliya Zaripova (Russia—steeple) |
95 |
| 9. Tiki Gelana (Ethiopia—marathon) |
66 |
| 10. Jenn Suhr (USA—pole vault) |
61 |
A more detailed version of this award—and all the T&FN honors for the year—will appear in the about-to-be published February edition.
© Track & Field News 2012
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PHOTO BY GIANCARLO COLOMBO/PHOTO RUN
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