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This article contains an overview of the year 1991 in athletics.
| 1991 in athletics | |
|---|---|
| Major world events | World Championships World Indoor Championships |
← 1990 1992 → | |
Men
| EVENT | ATHLETE | MARK | DATE | VENUE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 metres |  Leroy Burrell (USA) |
9.90 | 14 June | New York City, USA |
| Carl Lewis (USA) |
9.86 | 25 August | Tokyo, Japan | |
| 20,000 metres |  Arturo Barrios (MEX) |
56:55.6 | 30 March | La Flèche, France |
| One hour run | Arturo Barrios (MEX) |
21,101m | 30 March | La Flèche, France |
| 4 × 100 m Relay | United States (USA) • Michael Marsh • Leroy Burrell • Dennis Mitchell • Carl Lewis |
37.67 | 7 August | Zürich |
| United States (USA) • Andre Cason • Leroy Burrell • Dennis Mitchell • Carl Lewis |
37.50 | 1 September | Tokyo | |
| Pole vault |  Sergey Bubka (URS) |
6.07m | 6 May | Shizuoka, Japan |
| Sergey Bubka (URS) |
6.08m | 9 June | Moscow | |
| Sergey Bubka (URS) |
6.09m | 8 July | Formia, Italy | |
| Sergey Bubka (URS) |
6.10m | 5 August | Malmö, Sweden | |
| Long jump | Mike Powell (USA) |
8.95m | 30 August | Tokyo |
- The relay team of the United States in the men's 4 × 100 m, formed by Michael Marsh, Leroy Burrell, Floyd Heard and Carl Lewis, equal the current world record, set the previous year by France at the European Championships, clocking 37.79 on 1991-08-03 at a meet in Monaco. The first mark was set by Max Morinière, Daniel Sangouma, Jean-Charles Trouabal and Bruno Marie-Rose on 1990-09-01 in Split, Yugoslavia.
Women
| EVENT | ATHLETE | MARK | DATE | VENUE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triple jump | Inessa Kravets (URS) |
14.95 m | 10 June | Moscow, Soviet Union |
| Half marathon |  Elana Meyer (RSA) |
1:07:59 | 18 May | East London, South Africa |
100 metres
- Main race this year: World Championships 100 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Carl Lewis (USA) |
9.86 |
| 2. | Leroy Burrell (USA) |
9.88 |
| 3. |  Linford Christie (GBR) |
9.92 |
| 4. |  Frank Fredericks (NAM) |
9.95 |
| 5. |  Raymond Stewart (JAM) |
9.96 |
200 metres
- Main race this year: World Championships 200 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Michael Johnson (USA) |
19.88 |
| 2. | Frank Fredericks (NAM) |
20.08 |
| 3. | John Regis (GBR) |
20.12 |
| 4. | Danny Everett (USA) |
20.13 |
| 5. |  Robson da Silva (BRA) |
20.15 |
400 metres
- Main race this year: World Championships 400 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Michael Johnson (USA) |
44.17 |
| 2. | Antonio Pettigrew (USA) |
44.36 |
| 3. |  Roberto Hernández (CUB) |
44.40 |
| 4. | Danny Everett (USA) |
44.42 |
| 5. | Steve Lewis (USA) |
44.52 |
800 metres
- Main race this year: World Championships 800 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | José Luíz Barbosa (BRA) |
1:43.08 |
| 2. |  William Tanui (KEN) |
1:43.30 |
| 3. | Johnny Gray (USA) |
1:43.84 |
| 4. | Mark Everett (USA) |
1:43.93 |
| 5. | Billy Konchellah (KEN) |
1:43.96 |
1,500 metres
- Main race this year: World Championships 1,500 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Noureddine Morceli (ALG) |
3:31.00 |
| 2. |  Simon Doyle (AUS) |
3:31.96 |
| 3. |  Fermín Cacho (ESP) |
3:32.03 |
| 4. | Peter Elliott (GBR) |
3:32.94 |
| 5. |  Saïd Aouita (MAR) |
3:33.28 |
Mile
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Noureddine Morceli (ALG) |
3:49.12 |
| 2. | Peter Elliott (GBR) |
3:49.46 |
| 3. | Wilfred Kirochi (KEN) |
3:49.77 |
| 4. | Jim Spivey (USA) |
3:49.83 |
| 5. | Simon Doyle (AUS) |
3:49.91 |
3,000 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Dieter Baumann (FRG) |
7:33.91 |
| 2. | Yobes Ondieki (KEN) |
7:34.74 |
| 3. | Noureddine Morceli (ALG) |
7:37.34 |
| 4. | Brahim Boutayeb (MAR) |
7:38.39 |
| 5. | Khalid Skah (MAR) |
7:38.84 |
5,000 metres
- Main race this year: World Championships 5,000 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Yobes Ondieki (KEN) |
13:01.82 |
| 2. | Ibrahim Kinuthia (KEN) |
13:09.76 |
| 3. |  Salvatore Antibo (ITA) |
13:10.10 |
| 4. | Brahim Boutayeb (MAR) |
13:10.44 |
| 5. | Richard Chelimo (KEN) |
13:11.76 |
10,000 metres
- Main race this year: World Championships 10,000 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Richard Chelimo (KEN) |
27:11.18 |
| 2. | John Ngugi (KEN) |
27:11.62 |
| 3. | Khalid Skah (MAR) |
27:23.29 |
| 4. | Salvatore Antibo (ITA) |
27:24.55 |
| 5. | Thomas Osano (KEN) |
27:28.87 |
Half marathon
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Lawrence Peu (RSA) |
1:00:58 |
Marathon
- Main race this year: World Championships Marathon
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Koichi Morishita (JPN) |
2:08:53 |
| 2. | Takeyuki Nakayama (JPN) |
2:09:12 |
| 3. | Yakov Tolstikov (URS) |
2:09:17 |
| 4. | Toru Mimura (JPN) |
2:09:23 |
| 5. | Salvador García (MEX) |
2:09:28 |
110m hurdles
- Main race this year: World Championships 110m hurdles
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Tony Dees (USA) |
13.05 |
| 2. | Greg Foster (USA) |
13.06 |
| — | Jack Pierce (USA) |
13.06 |
| 4. | Colin Jackson (GBR) |
13.09 |
| 5. | Tony Jarrett (GBR) |
13.13 |
400m hurdles
- Main race this year: World Championships 400m hurdles
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Samuel Matete (ZAM) |
47.10 |
| 2. | Danny Harris (USA) |
47.38 |
| 3. | Winthrop Graham (JAM) |
47.74 |
| 4. | Kevin Young (USA) |
47.83 |
| 5. | Kriss Akabusi (GBR) |
47.86 |
3,000m steeplechase
- Main race this year: World Championships 3,000m steeplechase
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Moses Kiptanui (KEN) |
8:06.46 |
| 2. | Philip Barkutwo (KEN) |
8:08.39 |
| 3. | Mark Croghan (USA) |
8:10.69 |
| 4. | Julius Kariuki (KEN) |
8:11.28 |
| 5. | William Mutwol (KEN) |
8:11.85 |
High jump
- Main competition this year: World Championships High Jump
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | HEIGHT |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Javier Sotomayor (CUB) |
2.40 |
| Charles Austin (USA) | ||
| 3. | Hollis Conway (USA) |
2.37 |
| 4. | Dalton Grant (GBR) |
2.36 |
| 5. |  Sorin Matei (ROM) |
2.35 |
 Troy Kemp (BAH) |
Long jump
- Main competition this year: World Championships Long Jump
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mike Powell (USA) |
8.95 |
| 2. | Carl Lewis (USA) |
8.87 |
| 3. | Larry Myricks (USA) |
8.50 |
| Llewellyn Starks (USA) | ||
| 5. | Gordon Laine (USA) |
8.28 |
Triple jump
- Main competition this year: World Championships Triple Jump
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kenny Harrison (USA) |
17.78 |
| 2. | Leonid Voloshin (URS) |
17.75 |
| 3. | Ralf Jaros (GER) |
17.66 |
| 4. | Mike Conley (USA) |
17.62 |
| 5. | Oleg Denishchik (URS) |
17.53 |
Discus
- Main competition this year: World Championships Discus Throw
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mike Buncic (USA) |
69.36 |
| 2. |  Erik de Bruin (NED) |
68.12 |
| 3. |  Adewale Olukoju (NGR) |
67.80 |
| 4. | Lars Riedel (GER) |
67.78 |
| 5. | Romas Ubartas (URS) |
67.54 |
Shot put
- Main competition this year: World Championships Shot Put
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Werner Günthör (SUI) |
22.03 |
| 2. | Vyacheslav Lykho (URS) |
20.77 |
| 3. |  Lars-Arvid Nilsen (NOR) |
20.75 |
| 4. |  Saulius Kleiza (LTU) |
20.67 |
| 5. | Sergey Smirnov (URS) |
20.55 |
Hammer
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Igor Astapkovich (URS) |
84.26 |
| 2. | Andrey Abduvaliyev (URS) |
82.80 |
| 3. | Yuriy Sedykh (URS) |
82.62 |
| 4. |  Plamen Minev (BUL) |
82.40 |
| 5. | Sergey Alay (URS) |
81.16 |
Javelin (new design)
- Main competition this year: World Championships Javelin Throw
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Seppo Räty (FIN) |
96.96 |
| 2. | Steve Backley (GBR) |
91.36 |
| 3. | Raymond Hecht (GER) |
90.84 |
| 4. | Kimmo Kinnunen (FIN) |
90.82 |
| 5. |  Jan Železný (CZE) |
90.72 |
Pole vault
- Main competition this year: World Championships Pole Vault
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | HEIGHT |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sergey Bubka (URS) |
6.10 |
| 2. |  István Bagyula (HUN) |
5.92 |
| 3. | Radion Gataullin (URS) |
5.90 |
| Igor Potapovich (URS) | ||
| 5. | Bill Payne (USA) |
5.90 |
Decathlon
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | POINTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dan O'Brien (USA) |
8812 |
| 2. |  Michael Smith (CAN) |
8549 |
| 3. |  Christian Plaziat (FRA) |
8518 |
| 4. | Dave Johnson (USA) |
8467 |
| 5. | Christian Schenk (GER) |
8402 |
60 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Irina Privalova (URS) |
7.02 |
| 2. | Merlene Ottey (JAM) |
7.04 |
| 3. | Katrin Krabbe (GER) |
7.06 |
| 4. | Liliana Allen (CUB) |
7.12 |
| 5, | Gwen Torrence (USA) |
7.13 |
100 metres
- Main race this year: World Championships 100 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Merlene Ottey (JAM) |
10.79 |
| 2. | Katrin Krabbe (GER) |
10.91 |
| 3. | Carlette Guidry (USA) |
10.94 |
| 4. | Gwen Torrence (USA) |
10.96 |
| Marie-José Pérec (FRA) |
200 metres
- Main race this year: World Championships 200 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Merlene Ottey (JAM) |
21.64 |
| 2. | Katrin Krabbe (GER) |
21.96 |
| 3. | Gwen Torrence (USA) |
22.07 |
| 4. | Irina Privalova (URS) |
22.21 |
| 5. | Dannette Young (USA) |
22.24 |
400 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Marie-José Pérec (FRA) |
49.13 |
| 2. | Grit Breuer (GER) |
49.42 |
| 3. | Ana Fidelia Quirot (CUB) |
49.61 |
| 4. | Lillie Leatherwood (USA) |
49.66 |
| 5. | Sandra Myers (ESP) |
49.67 |
800 metres
- Main race this year: World Championships 800 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Svetlana Masterkova (URS) |
1:57.23 |
| 2. | Ana Fidelia Quirot (CUB) |
1:57.34 |
| 3. | Liliya Nurutdinova (URS) |
1:57.50 |
| 4. | Ella Kovacs (ROM) |
1:57.58 |
| 5. |  Maria de Lurdes Mutola (MOZ) |
1:57.63 |
1,500 metres
- Main race this year: World Championships 1,500 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Natalya Artyomova (URS) |
3:59.16 |
| 2. | Hassiba Boulmerka (ALG) |
4:00.00 |
| 3. | Doina Melinte (ROM) |
4:00.83 |
| 4. | Violeta Szekely (ROM) |
4:02.21 |
| 5. | Tatyana Dorovskikh (URS) |
4:02.58 |
Mile
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Natalya Artyomova (URS) |
4:17.00 |
| 2. | Hassiba Boulmerka (ALG) |
4:20.79 |
| 3. | Doina Melinte (ROM) |
4:22.04 |
| 4. | Mary Slaney (USA) |
4:23.35 |
| 5. | Zola Pieterse (RSA) |
4:23.38 |
3,000 metres
- Main race this year: World Championships 3,000 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Elana Meyer (RSA) |
8:32.00 |
| 2. | Zola Pieterse (RSA) |
8:35.72 |
| 3. | Tatyana Dorovskikh (URS) |
8:35.82 |
| 4. | Yvonne Murray (GBR) |
8:36.05 |
| 5. | Yelena Romanova (URS) |
8:36.06 |
5,000 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Elana Meyer (RSA) |
14:49.35 |
| 2. | Kathrin Ullrich (GER) |
14:58.71 |
| 3. | Yelena Romanova (URS) |
14:59.70 |
| 4. | Susan Sirma (KEN) |
15:03.52 |
| 5. | Uta Pippig (GER) |
15:04.87 |
10,000 metres
- Main race this year: World Championships 10,000 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Liz McColgan (GBR) |
30:57.07 |
| 2. | Kathrin Ullrich (GER) |
31:03.62 |
| 3. | Jill Hunter (GBR) |
31:07.88 |
| 4. | Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR) |
31:20.28 |
| 5. | Francie Larrieu-Smith (USA) |
31:28.92 |
Half marathon
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Elana Meyer (RSA) |
1:07:59 WR |
Marathon
- Main race this year: World Championships Marathon
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Wanda Panfil (POL) |
2:24:18 |
| 2. |  Rosa Mota (POR) |
2:26:14 |
| 3. | Kim Jones (USA) |
2:26:40 |
| 4. | Uta Pippig (GER) |
2:26:52 |
| 5. | Joan Benoit (USA) |
2:26:54 |
60m hurdles
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ludmila Narozhilenko (URS) |
7.82 |
| Monique Éwanjé-Épée (FRA) |
7.82 | |
| 3. | Mihaela Pogăcean (ROM) |
7.88 |
| 4. | Anne Piquereau (FRA) |
7.89 |
| 5. | Lidiya Yurkova (URS) |
7.96 |
100m hurdles
- Main race this year: World Championships 100m hurdles
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ludmila Narozhilenko (URS) |
12.28 |
| 2. | Nataliya Grygoryeva (URS) |
12.39 |
| 3. | Gail Devers (USA) |
12.48 |
| 4. | Monique Éwanjé-Épée (FRA) |
12.67 |
| 5. | Florence Colle (FRA) |
12.73 |
400m hurdles
- Main race this year: World Championships 400m hurdles
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Tatyana Ledovskaya (URS) |
53.11 |
| 2. | Sally Gunnell (GBR) |
53.16 |
| 3. | Janeene Vickers (USA) |
53.47 |
| 4. | Sandra Farmer-Patrick (USA) |
53.54 |
| 5. | Kim Batten (USA) |
53.98 |
High Jump
- Main competition this year: World Championships High Jump
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | HEIGHT |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Heike Henkel (GER) |
2.05 m |
| 2. | Stefka Kostadinova (BUL) |
2.03 m |
| 3. | Inga Babakova (URS) |
2.02 m |
| 4. | Yelena Gulyayeva (URS) |
1.99 m |
| 5. | Svetlana Leseva (BUL) |
1.98 m |
| Yelena Yelesina (URS) |
Long Jump
- Main competition this year: World Championships Long Jump
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Heike Drechsler (GER) |
7.37 m |
| 2. | Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) |
7.32 m |
| 3. | Larisa Berezhnaya (URS) |
7.24 m |
| 4. | Yelena Sinchukova (URS) |
7.20 m |
| 5. | Susen Tiedtke (GER) |
7.00 m |
Triple Jump
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Inessa Kravets (URS) |
14.95 m |
| 2. |  Li Huirong (CHN) |
14.42 m |
| 3. | Yelena Semiraz (URS) |
14.35 m |
| 4. | Svetlana Davydova (URS) |
13.84 m |
| 5. | Octavia Iacob (ROM) |
13.74 m |
Shot put
- Main competition this year: World Championships Shot Put
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Natalya Lisovskaya (URS) |
21.12 m |
| 2. | Huang Zhihong (CHN) |
20.85 m |
| 3. | Zhou Tianhua (CHN) |
20.40 m |
| 4. | Wang Wei (CHN) |
19.58 m |
| 5. | Li Xiaoyun (CHN) |
19.47 m |
Javelin (old design)
- Main competition this year: World Championships Javelin
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Trine Hattestad (NOR) |
71.44 |
| 2. | Karen Forkel (GER) |
70.20 |
| 3. | Petra Meier (GER) |
69.66 |
| 4. | Xu Demei (CHN) |
68.78 |
| 5. | Silke Renk (GER) |
68.34 |
Heptathlon
- Main competition this year: World Championships Heptathlon
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | POINTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) |
6878 |
| 2. | Sabine Braun (GER) |
6672 |
| 3. | Peggy Beer (GER) |
6494 |
| 4. | Liliana Nastase (ROM) |
6493 |
| 5. | Irina Belova (URS) |
6448 |
- January 15 — Darya Klishina, Russian long jumper
- February 8 — Genzebe Dibaba, Ethiopian middle- and long-distance runner
- February 22 — Rebecca Cheptegei, Ugandan distance runner (d. 2024)
- May 8 — Kalkidan Gezahegne, Ethiopian distance runner
- January 1 — Inga Gentzel (82), Swedish athlete (b. 1908)
- August 10 — Ellen Braumüller (80), German athlete (b. 1910)
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