This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2002.
There was no primary championships that season, although continental championships were held in Africa, Asia and Europe. The foremost athletics competitions at games events occurred at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the 2002 Asian Games and the 2002 CAC Games. The 2002 IAAF World Cup was the major global outdoor track and field event.
Paula Radcliffe was among the season's top performers, having set world records at the London and Chicago Marathons, as well becoming European and Commonwealth champion on the track.
Major events World
World Cross Country Championships IAAF World Cup World Half Marathon Championships World Race Walking Cup World Junior Championships in Athletics Grand Prix Final IAAF Golden League World Marathon Majors Commonwealth Games
Regional
African Championships Asian Championships Asian Junior Championships Asian Games Balkan Games Central American and Caribbean Games European Athletics Championships European Cross Country Championships European Mountain Running Championships European Cup Ibero-American Championships Micronesian Games Oceania Athletics Championships Oceania Cross Country Championships South American Games South American U23 Championships South American Cross Country Championships West Asian Games
National 2002 Lithuanian Athletics Championships
World records
Men
None in 2002
Women Event Athlete Nation Performance Meeting Place Date3000 m steeplechaseJustyna Bak9:22.29 Milan, Italy5 June3000 m steeplechaseAlesya Turova9:21.72 Ostrava, Czech Republic12 June3000 m steeplechaseAlesya Turova9:16.51 Gdańsk, Poland27 July
Awards Men 2002 TRACK & FIELD AWARDSWINNERIAAF World Athlete of the YearTrack & Field Athlete of the YearEuropean Athlete of the Year AwardBest Male Track Athlete ESPY Award
Women 2002 TRACK & FIELD AWARDSWINNERIAAF World Athlete of the YearTrack & Field Athlete of the YearEuropean Athlete of the Year AwardBest Female Track Athlete ESPY Award
Men's Best Year Performances 400m Hurdles RANK2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERSTIME1.47.352.47.573.47.584.48.025.48.11
3,000m Steeplechase RANK2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERSTIME1.7:58.092.7:58.103.8:00.564.8:05.445.8:05.87
Race Walking
Pole Vault RANK2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERSHEIGHT1.5.90 m3.5.85 m
Hammer throw
Decathlon
Women's Best Year Performances 100 metres RANK2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERSTIME1.10.832.10.913.10.934.10.945.10.96
200 metres RANK2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERSTIME1.22.202.22.243.22.394.22.435.22.48
Half Marathon RANK2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERSTIME1.1:07:19
Race Walking
100m Hurdles RANK2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERSTIME1.12.402.12.493.12.605.12.62
400m Hurdles RANK2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERSTIME1.53.102.54.143.54.284.54.405.54.45
3,000m Steeplechase RANK2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERSTIME1.9:16.512.9:22.293.9:33.124.9:33.165.9:38.31
High Jump RANK2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERSHEIGHT1.2.05 m2.2.02 m3.2.00 m
Pole Vault RANK2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERSHEIGHT1.4.78 m2.4.77 m3.4.72 m4.4.65 m5.4.65 m
Hammer throw
Heptathlon RANK2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERSPOINTS1.65422.64343.63634.63415.6275
Marathon Men's competition Commonwealth Games
RANK ATHLETETIME2:11:582:12:442:13:234.2:13:275.2:13:406.2:14:207.2:16:448.2:18:169.2:18:1910.2:19:31
Best Year Performances
Women's competition Commonwealth Games
RANK ATHLETETIME2:30:052:34:522:36:374.2:39:425.2:40:296.2:41:277.2:45:488.2:45:559.2:47:2210.2:49:19
Best Year Performances
Deaths March 7 — Franziska Rochat-Moser (35), Swiss long-distance runner March 22 — Marcel Hansenne (85), French middle-distance runner March 27 — Tadeusz Rut (70), Polish hammer thrower May 26 — Mamo Wolde (69), Ethiopian runner June 17 — Willie Davenport (59), American hurdler June 20 — Tinus Osendarp (86), Dutch athlete August 1 — Theo Bruce (79), Australian long jumper August 12 — Knud Lundberg (82), Danish multi-talented sportsman August 31 — Joe McCluskey (91), American athlete September 18 — Bob Hayes (59), American sprinter and American football player November 15 — Sohn Kee-Chung (90), Korean marathoner November 18 — Kim Gallagher (38), American athlete
References ARRS