T&FN's Top Performances 2009

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’09 Men’s Performance Of The Year: Bolt’s 19.19

Bolt Beats, Uh… Bolt

Usain Bolt made history in ’08 when he became the first ever to turn in the year’s top 2 performances (although Henry Rono did get 2–3–4–5 in ’78). He did it again this year, with another 100/200 World Record pairing.

Last year his replace-Michael Johnson record in the 200 was judged a clear winner. The vote was much closer this time, but the half-lapper won again.

The 18 vote-getting performances (No. 1s in parentheses, with Bolt overall earning 19/20 top votes from T&FN’s international panel):

  1. Usain Bolt’s 19.19 WR, 91 (12)
  2. Bolt’s 9.58 WR, 85 (7)
  3. Steve Hooker’s 19-4¼/5.90 WC win while injured, 33 (1)
  4. Tyson Gay’s 9.69 AR, 25
  5. Dwight Phillips’ 28-8¼/8.74, 13
  6. David Rudisha’s 1:42.01, 12
  7. Hooker’s 19-10½/6.06i, 10
  8. tie, Gay’s 9.71 AR at WC & Robert Harting’s 227‑9/69.43 WC win, 7
  9. tie, Sammy Wanjiru’s 2:05:10 London win, Kenenisa Bekele’s 26:46.31 WC win & Bolt’s 19.59 in cold rain, 3
  10. tie, Trey Hardee’s 8790 WC win & Christian Cantwell’s 72-3½/22.03 WC win, 2
  11. tie, Primož Kozmus’s 270-11/82.58, Ezekiel Kemboi’s 7:58.85, Duncan Kibet’s 2:04:27 & Bolt’s 9.79 (-0.2 wind), 1
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’09 Women’s Performance Of The Year: Isi’s Vault WR
Isi’s Payback WR

Last year Yelena Isinbayeva’s WR vault missed out as POY by a single point. It was tight again this year, but in her WC-redemption performance in Zürich she won enough hearts and minds to eke out a 3-point win over hammer recordsetter Anita Wùodarzcyk.

The ’04 and ’05 winner as well, Isi is only the second with a trio of POY wins. East Germany’s Marita Koch picked off 4 with various 400 performances during her storied career in the ’70s and ’80s.

The 18 performances which received votes (No. 1s in parentheses):

  1. Yelena Isinbayeva’s 16-7¼/5.06 WR, 67 (8)
  2. Anita Wùodarczyk’s 255-9/77.96 WR, 64 (5)
  3. Carmelita Jeter’s 10.64, 43 (2)
  4. Blanka Vlaðiã’s 6-9¾/2.08, 37 (1)
  5. Melaine Walker’s 52.42 WC win, 30 (1)
  6. Jeter’s 10.67 (-0.1 wind), 19 (3)
  7. tie, Steffi Nerius’s 220‑9/67.30 WC win & Dani Samuels’ 214-8/65.44 WC win, 7
  8. tie, Valerie Vili’s 69-1½/21.07, Shelly-Ann Fraser’s 10.73 WC win & Sanya Richards’ 49.00 WC win, 4
  9. Brigitte Foster-Hylton’s 12.51 WC win, 3
  10. tie, Vlaðiã’s 6-8¼/2.04 WC win, Meselech Melkamu’s 29:53.80, Jessica Ennis’s 6731 WC win, Brittney Reese’s 23-3½/7.10 WC win & Amy Yoder Begley’s 6th-place WC finish, 2
  11. Chelsea Johnson’s 15-3/4.65 WC silver, 1.