As we get set to usher in a new year, we pause to look back on the year that was. While the number of performances this year was certainly hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, there were still many great performances to celebrate. Using the IAAF Scoring Tables of Athletics for both indoor and outdoor competition, we have ranked the top 20 performances of 2020 below.
Despite a pandemic shortened season that saw Tim Nedow compete just twice indoors, the 2019 World finalist in the shot put again topped the men’s list with an impressive 1175 points. Nedow, who has now topped the list in all four iterations we have prepared did so on the strength of his 20.90 metre heave to win the Meyo Invitational in South Bend, Indiana back in February. The only other male to crack the 1100 point barrier was 800 metre runner Stephen Evans. The former USports champion ran a indoor personal best of one minute and 49.24 seconds in Boston, to notch 1103 points.
On the women’s side, Melissa Bishop-Nriagu took top spot with 1170 points thanks to a two minute and 0.98 second clocking at an indoor race at Boston University, 15 points clear of Shona McCulloch who posted an impressive 9:31.95 clocking for 3000 metres at an indoor race in Seattle. Bishop-Nriagu ended up posting three of the top six performances this year with a run of 2:39.96i for one kilometre (1130 points) and culminated her season with a 1:28.02 clocking over 600 metres, worth 1098 points, to set a new Twilight Meet record.
Two other women surpassed 1100 points this season. Maeliss Trapeau, reached 1106 points with a new 800 metre personal best 2:03.20, while Lauren Gale set a new indoor best for 400 metres with a time of 53.48 seconds to win the Mountain West Conference title. Gale’s performance was worth 1104 points according to the tables.
As was done for past seasons, athletes could only be listed once per event, but were able to appear across multiple events. Also, events run at the Louis-Riel Dome were scored using the outdoor tables.
Men
1. Tim Nedow, Shot Put, 20.90(i) – 1175 points
2. Stephen Evans, 800m, 1:49.24(i) – 1103 points
3. Farah Abdulkarim, 10000m, 28:27.34 – 1090 points
4. Owen Day, 800m, 1:50.77(i) – 1058 points
5. Sebastian Saville, 800m, 1:51.04 – 1050 points
6. Owen Day, Mile, 4:06.86(i) – 1043 points
7. Sebastian Saville, 600m, 1:18.69 – 1004 points
8. Stephen Evans, 600m, 1:18.82 – 999 points
9. Farah Abdulkarim, 3000m, 8:13.68(i) – 998 points
10. Phillip Frank, Heptathlon, 5259(i) – 982 points
11. Sebastian Saville, 1000m, 2:27.76(i) – 969 points
12. Leewinchell Jean, 60m Hurdles, 8.24 – 966 points
13. Ryan Thomsen, Heptathlon, 5157(i) – 961 points
14. Oluwasegun Makinde, 60m Hurdles, 8.26 – 960 points
15. Phillip Frank, 60m, 6.99 – 944 points
16. Phillip Frank, 60m Hurdles, 8.34(i) – 936 points
17. Quinn Lyness, 500m, 1:05.34(i) – 934 points
18. Farah Abdulkarim, 5000m, 14:32.86(i) – 932 points
19. Quinn Lyness, 600m, 1:20.79 – 925 points
20. Ryan Thomsen, High Jump, 1.99(i) – 905 points
Women
1. Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, 800m, 2:00.98(i) – 1170 points
2. Shona McCulloch, 3000m, 9:31.95(i) – 1155 points
3. Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, 1000m, 2:39.96(i) – 1130 points
4. Maeliss Trapeau, 800m, 2:03.20 – 1106 points
5. Lauren Gale, 400m, 53.48(i) – 1104 points
6. Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, 600m, 1:28.02 – 1098 points
7. Farah Jacques, 60m Hurdles, 8.31(i) – 1091 points
8. Lauren Gale, 200m, 24.16(i) – 1068 points
9. Maeliss Trapeau, 600m, 1:31.19(i) – 1066 points
10. Madison Clarke, 600m, 1:30.59(i) – 1057 points
11. Madison Clarke, 1000m, 2:47.05(i) – 1043 points
12. Farah Jacques, 60m, 7.55(i) – 1035 points
13. Sharelle Samuel, 400m, 55.35(i) – 1034 points
14. Madison Clarke, 800m, 2:09.06 – 1006 points
15. Sharelle Samuel, 200m, 24.88(i) – 1003 points
16. Sydney Smith, 600m, 1:33.29(i) – 1001 points
17. Madison Clarke, 1500m, 4:29.19(i) – 998 points
18. Madison Clarke, Rebecca Brennan, Sydney Smith, Marie-Eve Dahms, 4x400m, 3:50.31(i) – 997 points
19. Maeliss Trapeau, 400m, 55.59 – 991 points
20. Alexandra Telford, 300m, 39.39 – 990 points