A have a look at a few of the entrance pages of Athletics Weekly from the previous 12 months
As we replicate on 2024, it has undoubtedly been a outstanding yr on the earth of athletics. From the thrill of the Paris Olympics to the thrilling performances on the World Indoor and European Championships, the season has been filled with unforgettable moments.
The foremost highlights have been persistently featured on the entrance pages of AW, illustrating what an eventful yr it was for the game.
Athletics in 2024 was outlined by the achievements of a few of the sport’s largest names, together with Keely Hodgkinson, Mondo Duplantis, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen, whose performances made them the pure selections for our cowl stars.
All year long, we’ve additionally targeted on key occasions, comparable to our in-depth Olympic preview and overview, alongside a particular function highlighting the highest 20 British Olympians in athletics historical past.
It’s been a yr stuffed with celebration and reflection – captured all through the 2024 covers of AW.
January
As 2024 started, the January situation of AW set the stage for what promised to be a landmark yr for athletics and main the quilt was Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
The earlier yr was difficult for Ingebrigtsen, after he was crushed by Josh Kerr on the earth 1500m ultimate, the second consecutive season he’d misplaced to a Brit in that occasion.
In an unique interview, his brother and coaching companion, Henrik, provided AW a behind-the-scenes have a look at the inside workings of Staff Ingebrigtsen.
Jakob’s 2024, nevertheless, turned out to be a yr of success, with highlights together with his victory within the Olympic 5000m ultimate and most not too long ago, a win on the European Cross Nation Championships.
February
For the February situation of AW, the 2022 world champion, Jake Wightman, took centre stage on the quilt, as he set his sights on reclaiming his place on the high desk of 1500m operating.
The British middle-distance runner confronted a collection of harm setbacks after his 2022 victory that hindered his capability to defend his crown. In an unique interview, he shared the dear classes he’s realized all through the difficult interval.
With the ability to now look again on the yr, it didn’t unfold like Wightman had hoped for. He was pressured to withdraw from the Olympic Video games as a consequence of a hamstring harm simply days earlier than his 800m race.
In an interview with AW in October he stated: “If I’ve one other huge harm or setback, I’m undecided I can come again once more as it might be my physique telling me that ‘that is it’. However I imagine that if I make these adjustments now then I can get again to the place I should be.”
Jake Wightman: “If I’ve one other huge harm, I’m undecided I can come again”
March
The March situation of AW had a definite really feel in comparison with the primary two covers of the yr, because it showcased a gaggle of athletes, with a selected concentrate on the Scottish rivals making ready to compete on house soil on the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
The final Scottish athletes who claimed world indoor gold medals have been Tom McKean and Yvonne Murray-Mooney, each of whom appeared on this months cowl.
Nonetheless, Josh Kerr quickly added his title to that record after securing the boys’s 3000m gold in Glasgow.
April
After the thrill of Glasgow 2024, it was solely becoming that April’s AW cowl star was Molly Caudery, who made a significant breakthrough by claiming the ladies’s world indoor pole vault title.
In an unique interview, Caudery opened up about her coach, Scott Simpson, and the mindset that drove her to success.
It had been a powerful begin to the yr for the Cornwall native, who entered the Paris Olympic Video games with a brand new British report of 4.92m and excessive hopes for a podium end.
Sadly, her Olympic journey ended early, as she did not clear 4.55m within the opening rounds – lacking out on a spot within the ultimate. However there’s nonetheless rather more to come back for the 24-year-old, particularly with the World Championships subsequent yr.
Could
Time was of the essence when it got here all the way down to the Could situation of AW, which examined the artwork of breaking obstacles.
Marking the seventieth anniversary of Roger Bannister’s sub-four-minute-mile, we revisited that ground-breaking achievement by means of his eyes, in addition to delving into numbers and why the pursuit of latest targets issues a lot in terms of athletics.
Along with this, the month took us to Jamaica, a rustic famend for producing world-class sprinters who’re repeatedly setting new information and redefining the boundaries of velocity.
We delved into the tradition behind Jamaica’s observe and discipline dominance, uncovering the roots of its champion-making system.
June
With the outside season nicely underway, the June situation of AW turned it’s focus to the upcoming European Championships in Rome 2024, providing an in-depth preview of the occasion.
Italian coach Marco Airale, who trains a number of of Britain’s main sprinters, shared his insights on the rising power of athletics in Italy, highlighting the affect of Olympic successes Marcell Jacobs and Gianmarco Tamberi. Each athletes went on to say gold in Rome, additional cementing Italy’s observe and discipline pedigree.
This yr additionally marked the fiftieth anniversary of the European Championships being held in Rome, prompting us to revisit the 1974 occasion, chatting with Ian Thompson – the Briton who was as soon as on high of the marathon world.
July
After the European Championships, the July situation shifted focus to the rising pleasure surrounding the Paris Olympics.
To seize that power, we posed a query to the athletics group: Who would you rank as the best in terms of athletes who’ve represented Nice Britain and Northern Eire in athletics on the Olympics?
We put the query to a panel made up of individuals from internationally of athletics – from athletes previous and current to coaches, commentators, statisticians and journalists. Collectively, they helped us compile a listing of the highest 20, which was revealed within the July situation, full with profiles of every athlete.
The entrance cowl, that includes a collage of athletes, provided a glimpse into a few of the names that made the record.
August
As Paris 2024 grew nearer, the August situation grew to become your important information to the Video games, with the quilt that includes a number of athletes we anticipated would shine on the worldwide stage.
Amongst them was Keely Hodgkinson, who would go on to win gold for Nice Britain within the 800m, and Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who claimed Olympic excessive bounce gold after setting a brand new world report of two.10m just a few weeks earlier than.
Religion Kipyegon and marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge additionally graced the quilt, each having confronted vital challenges of their preparations for Paris. In unique interviews with AW, they shared their journeys of overcoming adversity on the street to the Video games.
September
The September situation of AW seemed again on the unforgettable moments of the Paris 2024 Video games, revisiting the highlights. Naturally, Keely Hodgkinson, was the right alternative for the entrance cowl.
Whereas her 800m victory was commanding, the 22-year-old’s journey to the highest was removed from easy. On this situation, we took an in-depth have a look at the trail that led her to Olympic glory.
We hung out with a number of of her coaching companions from the Manchester-based M11 Monitor Membership, in addition to one in all her coaches, Jenny Meadows, to get some perception about what it’s prefer to work with such an excellent expertise but additionally to find the quantity of labor that goes into changing into the most effective on the earth.
October
In October we continued our concentrate on the thriving M11 Monitor Membership, this time that includes one other one in all their stars – Georgia Bell, who we named Britain’s Breakthrough Athlete of 2024.
In an unique interview, Bell mirrored on a unprecedented yr that noticed her make historical past by successful Olympic bronze within the 1500m in Paris.
She shared her 2024 journey, which started with balancing a profession in cybersecurity alongside her athletic ambition, and ended together with her attaining full-time skilled standing. By the shut of the yr, she had change into an Olympic and European medallist, in addition to the British 1500m record-holder.
November
The November situation of AW turned it’s consideration to the quickly evolving world of distance operating, and it was Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich who graced the entrance cowl, following her extraordinary marathon world report in Chicago.
Chepngetich’s beautiful 2:09:56 efficiency created headlines and break up opinion, nevertheless it additionally underlined the outstanding evolution that’s at the moment going down within the sport.
On this situation, we broke down the numbers behind her record-setting run and explored the reactions from the worldwide athletics group.
December
We replicate on the highlights of 2024 in athletics in our December situation, with Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis taking centre stage as our ultimate cowl star of the yr.
In an unique interview, the double Olympic champion opens up about his record-breaking pole vault efficiency in Paris, providing perception into the mindset and coaching that allow him to dominate his occasion.
The problem additionally reveals the winners of the AW Readers’ Selection Awards, with in-depth profiles and interviews showcasing their achievements. To find the complete record of award winners, make sure to purchase or obtain our newest situation.
Yow will discover all of our protection from 2024 by way of the Athletics Weekly archive.
From the primary ever situation in December 1945 by means of to the current day, present subscribers to our journal are capable of dip into this useful resource at no cost whereas non-subscribers will pay simply £3.99 per thirty days for full entry.
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