# 2001 in the sport of athletics

This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2001.
The foremost competition of the season was the 2001 World Championships in Athletics in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The 2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships was the second major track and field event that year.

## Major events
### World

* World Championships
* World Cross Country Championships
* World Half Marathon Championships
* Grand Prix Final
* World Indoor Championships
* World Youth Championships
* World Student Games
* Goodwill Games

### Regional

* African Junior Championships
* Asian Cross Country Championships
* East Asian Games
* Maccabiah Games
* Southeast Asian Games
* Balkan Games
* European Cup
* European Junior Championships
* European U23 Championships
* European Cross Country Championships
* European Race Walking Cup
* Island Games
* Mediterranean Games
* Bolivarian Games
* CAC Championships
* Central American Games
* Jeux de la Francophonie
* Pan American Junior Championships
* South American Championships

### National

* China National Games
* Lithuanian Athletics Championships

## World records
### Men

| Event | Athlete | Nation | Performance | Meeting | Place | Date |
| 3000 metres | Brahim Boulami | Morocco | 7:55.28 | | Brussels, Belgium | 24 August |
| Decathlon | Roman Sebrle | Czech Republic | 9,026 | | Götzis, Austria | 26-27 May |

### Women

| Event | Athlete | Nation | Performance | Place | Date |
| 3000 m steeplechase | Justyna Bak | Poland | 9:25.31 | Nice, France | 9 July |
| Pole vault | Stacy Dragila | United States | 4.63 m | New York, USA | 2 February |
| Pole vault | Svetlana Feofanova | Russia | 4.64 m | Dortmund, Germany | 11 February |
| Pole vault | Stacy Dragila | United States | 4.66 m | Pocatello, USA | 17 February |
| Pole vault | Stacy Dragila | United States | 4.70 m | Pocatello, USA | 17 February |
| Pole vault | Stacy Dragila | United States | 4.70 m | Pocatello, USA | 27 April |
| Pole vault | Stacy Dragila | United States | 4.71 m | Stanford, USA | 9 June |
| Pole vault | Stacy Dragila | United States | 4.81 m | Stanford, USA | 9 June |
| Javelin Throw (new) | Osleidys Menéndez | Cuba | 71.54 m | Rethymno, Greece | 1 July |

## Awards
### Men

| 2001 TRACK & FIELD AWARDS | ATHLETE |
| IAAF World Athlete of the Year | Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) |
| Track & Field Athlete of the Year | Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) |
| European Athlete of the Year Award | André Bucher (SUI) |
| Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award | Maurice Greene (USA) |

### Women

| 2001 TRACK & FIELD AWARDS | ATHLETE |
| IAAF World Athlete of the Year | Stacy Dragila (USA) |
| Track & Field Athlete of the Year | Stacy Dragila (USA) |
| European Athlete of the Year Award | Stephanie Graf (AUT) |
| Best Female Track Athlete ESPY Award | Marion Jones (USA) |

## Men's Best Year Performances
### 400m Hurdles

| RANK | 2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | Félix Sánchez (DOM) | 47.38 |
| 2. | Fabrizio Mori (ITA) | 47.54 |
| 3. | Dai Tamesue (JPN) | 47.89 |
| 4. | Angelo Taylor (USA) | 47.95 |
| 5. | Hadi Soua'an Al-Somaily (KSA) | 47.99 |

### 3,000m Steeplechase

| RANK | 2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | Brahim Boulami (MAR) | 7:55.28 |
| 2. | Reuben Kosgei (KEN) | 7:57.29 |
| 3. | Stephen Cherono (KEN) | 7:58.66 |
| 4. | Kipkirui Misoi (KEN) | 8:01.69 |
| 5. | Wilson Boit Kipketer (KEN) | 8:01.73 |

### Pole Vault

| RANK | 2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | HEIGHT |
| 1. | Dmitriy Markov (AUS) | 6.05 m |
| 2. | Aleksandr Averbukh (ISR) | 5.91 m |
| 3. | Lawrence Johnson (USA) | 5.90 m |
| 3. | Jeff Hartwig (USA) | 5.90 m |
| 5. | Pavel Burlachenko (RUS) | 5.86 m |

### Decathlon
## Women's Best Year Performances
### 100 metres

| RANK | 2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | Zhanna Block (UKR) | 10.82 |
| 2. | Ekateríni Thánou (GRE) | 10.91 |
| 3. | Chandra Sturrup (BAH) | 10.95 |
| 4. | Myriam Léonie Mani (CMR) | 10.98 |
| 4. | Chryste Gaines (USA) | 10.98 |

### 200 metres

| RANK | 2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | LaTasha Jenkins (USA) | 22.39 |
| 1. | Debbie Ferguson (BAH) | 22.39 |
| 3. | Cydonie Mothersille (CAY) | 22.54 |
| 3. | Myriam Léonie Mani (CMR) | 22.54 |
| 5. | Beverly McDonald (JAM) | 22.57 |

### Half Marathon

| RANK | 2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | Paula Radcliffe (GBR) | 1:06:47 |

### 100m Hurdles

| RANK | 2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | Anjanette Kirkland (USA) | 12.42 |
| 2. | Gail Devers (USA) | 12.53 |
| 3. | Delloreen Ennis-London (JAM) | 12.57 |
| 4. | Olga Shishigina (KAZ) | 12.58 |
| 4. | Svetla Dimitrova (BUL) | 12.58 |

### 400m Hurdles

| RANK | 2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | Nezha Bidouane (MAR) | 53.34 |
| 2. | Daimí Pernía (CUB) | 53.81 |
| 3. | Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS) | 53.84 |
| 4. | Debbie-Ann Parris (JAM) | 53.88 |
| 5. | Tetyana Tereshchuk-Antipova (UKR) | 53.89 |

### 3,000m Steeplechase

| RANK | 2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | Justyna Bak (POL) | 9:44.36 |
| 2. | Élodie Olivarès (FRA) | 9:44.68 |
| 3. | Cristina Casandra (ROM) | 9:45.92 |
| 4. | Lisa Nye (USA) | 9:49.41 |
| 5. | Elizabeth Jackson (USA) | 9:49.73 |

### High Jump

| RANK | 2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | HEIGHT |
| 1. | Venelina Veneva (BUL) | 2.04 m |
| 2. | Inga Babakova (UKR) | 2.03 m |
| 3. | Hestrie Cloete (RSA) | 2.01 m |
| 4. | Kajsa Bergqvist (SWE) | 2.00 m |
| 4. | Dóra Győrffy (HUN) | 2.00 m |

### Pole Vault

| RANK | 2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | HEIGHT |
| 1. | Stacy Dragila (USA) | 4.81 m |
| 2. | Svetlana Feofanova (RUS) | 4.75 m |
| 3. | Mary Vincent (USA) | 4.61 m |
| 3. | Monika Pyrek (POL) | 4.61 m |
| 5. | Kellie Suttle (USA) | 4.60 m |

### Heptathlon

| RANK | 2001 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | POINTS |
| 1. | Eunice Barber (FRA) | 6736 |
| 2. | Yelena Prokhorova (RUS) | 6694 |
| 3. | Natalya Roshchupkina (RUS) | 6551 |
| 4. | Natalya Sazanovich (BLR) | 6539 |
| 5. | Irina Belova (RUS) | 6528 |

## Deaths

* March 31 — Diego García (39), Spanish long-distance runner (b. 1961)
* August 15 — Richard Chelimo (29), Kenyan athlete (b. 1972)
* October 17 — Micheline Ostermeyer (78), French athlete (b. 1922)