{"id":410,"date":"2010-10-19T16:37:00","date_gmt":"2010-10-19T23:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=410"},"modified":"2010-10-19T16:37:00","modified_gmt":"2010-10-19T23:37:00","slug":"female-athlete-of-the-year-sustained-excellence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=410","title":{"rendered":"Female Athlete of the Year \u2013 Sustained Excellence"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"float:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/view.picapp.com\/pictures.photo\/entertainment\/sports-news-august-2010\/image\/9480198?term=blanka+vlasic\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/view.picapp.com\/pictures.photo\/image\/9480198\/sports-news-august-2010\/sports-news-august-2010.jpg?resize=380%2C292\" border=\"0\" width=\"380\" title=\"Sports News - August 02, 2010\" height=\"292\" oncontextmenu=\"return false;\" ondrag=\"return false;\" onmousedown=\"return false;\" alt=\"Aug. 02, 2010 - 06261615 date 01 08 2010 Copyright imago GEPA Pictures Athletics EAA euro 2010 Barcelona Spain 01 Aug 10 Divers Athletics EAA European Championships 2010 High jump the women Picture shows the cheering from Blanka Vlasic CRO Keywords Flag PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxAUTxITA euro Single cheering happiness Vdig xub 2010 horizontal premiumd.\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:left;height:0px;overflow: hidden;\"><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/view.picapp.com\/\/JavaScripts\/OTIjs.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Today I pick up my end of the year reviews with my choice for this year\u2019s Female Athlete of the Year. <\/p>\n<p>The competition for the title was a bit different than it was on the men\u2019s side. While the men had two athletes that had record setting, all time list altering, undefeated seasons, there were several women that had outstanding seasons, marked by a hiccup or two. More than that, however, trying to determine an AOY on the women\u2019s side made me examine how we evaluate athletes in track and field. <\/p>\n<p>In general we simply look at wins and losses as the method of evaluation in this sport. But as I began to examine the records of the top women this year I realized that simply not losing races or competitions does not make your season \u201coutstanding\u201d. <\/p>\n<p>For example. Allyson Felix took an opening season loss to Veronica Campbell Brown in the deuce then ran the table in both the 200 and 400. One loss short of an undefeated season. However, upon further review, her performances over 200 meters were sub par \u2013 due in large part to a lack of solid competition. Similarly her performances over 400 were good but not great as she never ran faster than 50.00 (50.15) \u2013 though she defeated all four women who did. Felix\u2019s best performance of the season came in her losing effort to Veronica Campbell Brown.<\/p>\n<p>Brown in turn lead the world over both 100 (10.78) and 200 (21.98) with outstanding marks, but in minimal competition she suffered two losses to Carmelita Jeter over 100 \u2013 by .05 in Daegu and .16 in Monaco. And like Felix her other forays in the 200 were rather pedestrian.<\/p>\n<p>Shot putter Natalya Ostapchuk was the favorite of most throughout the season as she won meet after meet and seemed to be on her way to an undefeated season. Then she too had a stumble as former win everything putter Valerie Adams found her best form to crush Ostapchuk by 2 feet \u2013 20.86\/68\u2019 5.25\u201d to 20.18\/66\u2019 2.5 \u2013 putting a damper on an otherwise solid season.<\/p>\n<p>While Ostapchuk had her season\u2019s hiccup in Split, Croatian Blank Vlasic performed her season\u2019s best, winning in front of the home crowd with a 2.05\/6\u2019 8.75\u201d leap that equaled the yearly lead in the event. But Blanka too had her stumbles along the way taking third in Ostrava and second in Barcelona \u2013 her loss in Barcelona on misses to Chaunte Howard Lowe at 2.00\/\/6\u2019 6.75\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>At the end of the day, however, my choice for the Female Athlete of the Year hinged on the same standard as that for the Male Athlete of the Year \u2013 Sustained Excellence. And the individual that performed with the highest level of excellence throughout 2010 was \u2013 Blanka Vlasic. <\/p>\n<p>Vlasic competed against all of her top competition and lost only twice \u2013 once on count back and once with a sub par (for her) performance. But, if we are asking elite athletes to compete against each other regularly, then the occasional let down or defeat is inevitable. And to downgrade them for the occasional loss is asking them not to compete unless the conditions are perfect \u2013 the current scenario in the men\u2019s sprints that we all find disappointing.<\/p>\n<p>More important than the losses, was her extraordinary high level of competitiveness. In fourteen outdoor competitions she cleared the bar at 2 meters (6\u2019 6.75\u201d) or higher \u2013 in a season where her event was held only ever other major meet. She was equal world leader at 2.05\/6\u2019 8.75\u201d and held a 5 to 2&nbsp; edge in head to head competitions against co-world leader and top 2010 rival Chaunte Howard Lowe \u2013 who herself had nine meets over 2 meters. <\/p>\n<p>So even though Vlasic had two losses on the season, one more than Felix or Ostapchuk, and equal to Veronica Campbell Brown, her competitive level of excellence was simply much better than everyone else. Blanka\u2019s 2010 Record.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" width=\"400\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">\n<h3>Mark<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">\n<h3>Place<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">\n<h3>Location<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">\n<h3>Date<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">2.05 \/ 6\u2019 8.75\u201d<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">1<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">Split<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">Sep 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">2.03 \/ 6\u2019 8\u201d<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">1<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">Rome<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">Jun 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">2.03 \/ 6\u2019 8\u201d<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">1<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">Barcelona<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">Aug 1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">2.02 \/ 6\u2019 7.5\u201d<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">1<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">Paris<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">Jul 16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">2.02 \/ 6\u2019 7.5\u201d<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">1<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">Stockholm<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">Aug 6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">2.02 \/ 6\u2019 7.5\u201d<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">1<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">Zagreb<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">Sep 1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">2.01 \/ 6\u2019 7\u201d<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">1<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">Oslo<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">Jun 4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">2.01 \/ 6\u2019 7\u201d <\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">1<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">London<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">Aug 13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">2.00 \/ 6\u2019 6.75\u201d<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">2<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">Barcelona<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">Jul 9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">2.00 \/ 6\u2019 6.75\u201d<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">1<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">Brussels<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">Aug 27<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">1.98 \/ 6\u2019 6\u201d<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">1<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">Doha <\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">May 4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">1.97 \/ 6\u2019 5.5\u201d<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">1<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">Kawasaki<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">Sep 19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">1.94 \/ 6\u2019 4.25<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">1<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">Beograd<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">Jun 20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">1.92 \/ 6\u2019 3.5\u201d<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"74\">3<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"126\">Ostrava<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"100\">May 27<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>My runner up goes to Ostapchuk, who also had an outstanding season, losing only in her final competition of the year. Though performance wise she was a step below Vlasic in my opinion. Honorable mention to Allyson Felix who was able to dominate both the 200 and 400 in 2010. Unfortunately for her, it did not take a series of stellar marks to do so. So though her 400 wins did come against very solid competition, her 200 wins did not. And in determining the most outstanding athlete of the year that cost her a bit. <\/p>\n<p>Congratulations to Vlasic who continues to be one of the most dominant athletes of the New Millennium. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today I pick up my end of the year reviews with my choice for this year\u2019s Female Athlete of the Year. The competition for the title was a bit different than it was on the men\u2019s side. While the men had two athletes that had record setting, all time list altering, undefeated seasons, there were several women that had outstanding seasons, marked by a hiccup or two. More than that, however, trying to determine an AOY on the women\u2019s side made me examine how we evaluate athletes in track and field. In general we simply look at wins and losses as the method of evaluation in this sport. But as I began to examine the records of the top women this year I realized that simply not losing races or competitions does not make your season \u201coutstanding\u201d. For example. Allyson Felix took an opening season loss to Veronica Campbell Brown in the deuce then ran the table in both the 200 and 400. One loss short of an undefeated season. However, upon further review, her performances over 200 meters were sub par \u2013 due in large part to a lack of solid competition. Similarly her performances over 400 were good but not great as she never ran faster than 50.00 (50.15) \u2013 though she defeated all four women who did. Felix\u2019s best performance of the season came in her losing effort to Veronica Campbell Brown. Brown in turn lead the world over both 100 (10.78) and 200 (21.98) with outstanding marks, but in minimal competition she suffered two losses to Carmelita Jeter over 100 \u2013 by .05 in Daegu and .16 in Monaco. And like Felix her other forays in the 200 were rather pedestrian. Shot putter Natalya Ostapchuk was the favorite of most throughout the season as she won meet after meet and seemed to be on her way to an undefeated season. Then she too had a stumble as former win everything putter Valerie Adams found her best form to crush Ostapchuk by 2 feet \u2013 20.86\/68\u2019 5.25\u201d to 20.18\/66\u2019 2.5 \u2013 putting a damper on an otherwise solid season. While Ostapchuk had her season\u2019s hiccup in Split, Croatian Blank Vlasic performed her season\u2019s best, winning in front of the home crowd with a 2.05\/6\u2019 8.75\u201d leap that equaled the yearly lead in the event. But Blanka too had her stumbles along the way taking third in Ostrava and second in Barcelona \u2013 her loss in Barcelona on misses to Chaunte Howard Lowe at 2.00\/\/6\u2019 6.75\u201d. At the end of the day, however, my choice for the Female Athlete of the Year hinged on the same standard as that for the Male Athlete of the Year \u2013 Sustained Excellence. And the individual that performed with the highest level of excellence throughout 2010 was \u2013 Blanka Vlasic. Vlasic competed against all of her top competition and lost only twice \u2013 once on count back and once with a sub par (for her) performance. But, if we are asking elite athletes to compete against each other regularly, then the occasional let down or defeat is inevitable. And to downgrade them for the occasional loss is asking them not to compete unless the conditions are perfect \u2013 the current scenario in the men\u2019s sprints that we all find disappointing. More important than the losses, was her extraordinary high level of competitiveness. In fourteen outdoor competitions she cleared the bar at 2 meters (6\u2019 6.75\u201d) or higher \u2013 in a season where her event was held only ever other major meet. She was equal world leader at 2.05\/6\u2019 8.75\u201d and held a 5 to 2&nbsp; edge in head to head competitions against co-world leader and top 2010 rival Chaunte Howard Lowe \u2013 who herself had nine meets over 2 meters. So even though Vlasic had two losses on the season, one more than Felix or Ostapchuk, and equal to Veronica Campbell Brown, her competitive level of excellence was simply much better than everyone else. Blanka\u2019s 2010 Record. &nbsp; Mark Place Location Date &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2.05 \/ 6\u2019 8.75\u201d 1 Split Sep 5 2.03 \/ 6\u2019 8\u201d 1 Rome Jun 10 2.03 \/ 6\u2019 8\u201d 1 Barcelona Aug 1 2.02 \/ 6\u2019 7.5\u201d 1 Paris Jul 16 2.02 \/ 6\u2019 7.5\u201d 1 Stockholm Aug 6 2.02 \/ 6\u2019 7.5\u201d 1 Zagreb Sep 1 2.01 \/ 6\u2019 7\u201d 1 Oslo Jun 4 2.01 \/ 6\u2019 7\u201d 1 London Aug 13 2.00 \/ 6\u2019 6.75\u201d 2 Barcelona Jul 9 2.00 \/ 6\u2019 6.75\u201d 1 Brussels Aug 27 1.98 \/ 6\u2019 6\u201d 1 Doha May 4 1.97 \/ 6\u2019 5.5\u201d 1 Kawasaki Sep 19 1.94 \/ 6\u2019 4.25 1 Beograd Jun 20 1.92 \/ 6\u2019 3.5\u201d 3 Ostrava May 27 &nbsp; My runner up goes to Ostapchuk, who also had an outstanding season, losing only in her final competition of the year. Though performance wise she was a step below Vlasic in my opinion. Honorable mention to Allyson Felix who was able to dominate both the 200 and 400 in 2010. Unfortunately for her, it did not take a series of stellar marks to do so. So though her 400 wins did come against very solid competition, her 200 wins did not. And in determining the most outstanding athlete of the year that cost her a bit. Congratulations to Vlasic who continues to be one of the most dominant athletes of the New Millennium.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa3DCY-6C","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2212,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=2212","url_meta":{"origin":410,"position":0},"title":"USATF Athletes of the Year","author":"CHill","date":"October 30, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Given the recent articles in the news regarding Max Siegel and his elaborate lifestyle while USATF stagnates, I've held off saying anything at all about US track - though I have written a few things that I will begin to post. Today after seeing the choices for male and female\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Carter\"","block_context":{"text":"Carter","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?tag=carter"},"img":{"alt_text":"Me for Blog pic","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/trackchill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Me-for-Blog-pic_thumb.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2584,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=2584","url_meta":{"origin":410,"position":1},"title":"The Best of 202One","author":"CHill","date":"November 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"We had to wait two years for 202One. The athletes had to adjust to what amounted to the craziest circumstances ever faced in an Olympic build up. After all was said and done however, and the Olympic season was one of the best ever! ! Hats off to the athletes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Bol\"","block_context":{"text":"Bol","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?tag=bol"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/trackchill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/2A6245A3-AA6C-4120-AF41-52A4ACA1A12A-150x150.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2944,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=2944","url_meta":{"origin":410,"position":2},"title":"2025 Athletes of the Year","author":"CHill","date":"December 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"As we end the year that was 2025, the \"powers that be\" attempt to tell us who the best athletes of the year were. Unfortunately however, many people believe that they typically fail in their assessments, and I tend to agree. Personally, I'm not fond of trying to take a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Duplantis\"","block_context":{"text":"Duplantis","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?tag=duplantis"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/trackchill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/D0794A39-830F-4616-91FE-11987CB04C88-200x300.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":409,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=409","url_meta":{"origin":410,"position":3},"title":"Male Athlete of the Year \u2013 David Rudisha","author":"CHill","date":"October 14, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"With the 2010 season now officially over in my book with the closing of the Commonwealth Games, I think it\u2019s safe to dole out major accolades for the season. I started earlier with a look at the Top Breakthrough Americans this year and hope to continue with other segments of\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 2 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 2 comments","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=409#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"BERLIN - AUGUST 22: David Lekuta Rudisha of Kenya celebrates the victory and the new world record in the men's 800m during the IAAF World Challenge ISTAF 2010 at the Olympic Stadium on August 22, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Boris Streubel\/Bongarts\/Getty Images)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/view1.picapp.com\/pictures.photo\/image\/9579787\/istaf-2010-iaaf-world\/istaf-2010-iaaf-world.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2764,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=2764","url_meta":{"origin":410,"position":4},"title":"World Athletics and the Athlete of the Year","author":"CHill","date":"December 14, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"It's the end of the year and that time we call, awards time. Nothing out of the ordinary, as we've been doing this for decades. Choosing the Best of the Year in a myriad of topics, including sports, entertainment, books and other subjects. It's basically a celebration of the many\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/trackchill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/IMG_1950-150x150.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":274,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=274","url_meta":{"origin":410,"position":5},"title":"British Suit Begs a Question","author":"CHill","date":"February 12, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Former British Junior Athlete of the Year Richard Davenport has recently brought a lawsuit against his former coach. The reason? Well he says that his former coach, David Farrow, ignored his complaints of back pain, which in turn caused him to have surgery that in effect has put his career\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"IAAF World Juniors Championships","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.picapp.com\/ftp\/Images\/a\/8\/5\/5\/IAAF_World_Juniors_7813.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}