OUR INTERNATIONAL PANEL of experts, who annually put their heads together for T&FN’s famous World Rankings, this time joined up in recapping the second decade of the century. Here’s their ordering of the Top 10 women in each of the standard individual events.
With each of the Top 10s you’ll find some background data: repeaters from the previous decade, the top 3 World Rankings scorers in the decade, a recap of who won the 10 No. 1s and the chronological distribution of the Olympic and World Champs medals, plus World Indoor medals in the jumps and shot. (Note: where needed, medals are as redistributed after any after-the-fact test results. Anybody with a pending CAS case is considered innocent until that final decision.)
| 100 METERS | ||
| 1 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica |
| 2 | Carmelita Jeter | US |
| 3 | Elaine Thompson | Jamaica |
| 4 | Torie Bowie | US |
| 5 | Veronica Campbell-Brown | Jamaica |
| 6 | Dafne Schippers | Netherlands |
| 7 | Marie-Josée Ta Lou | Côte d’Ivoire |
| 8 | Murielle Ahouré | Côte d’Ivoire |
| 9 | Blessing Okagbare | Nigeria |
| 10 | Kelly-Ann Baptiste | Trinidad |
LAST DECADE’S RUNNER-UP, Fraser-Pryce added to her bulging trophy case with 4 more major golds… Repeaters from the last decade: VCB (1), SAFP (2), Jeter (10)… Top scorers: SAFP 53, Okagbare 46, Ahouré 44… No. 1s: SAFP 4, Jeter & Thompson 2, VCB & Ta Lou 1… OG golds: SAFP/Thompson… WC golds: Jeter/SAFP/SAFP/Bowie/SAFP.
| 200 METERS | ||
| 1 | Allyson Felix | US |
| 2 | Dafne Schippers | Netherlands |
| 3 | Elaine Thompson | Jamaica |
| 4 | Shaunae Miller-Uibo | Bahamas |
| 5 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica |
| 6 | Veronica Campbell-Brown | Jamaica |
| 7 | Dina Asher-Smith | Great Britain |
| 8 | Carmelita Jeter | US |
| 9. | Tori Bowie | US |
| 10 | Marie-Josée Ta Lou | Côte d’Ivoire |
FELIX WASN’T QUITE AS GOOD as she was in the Noughties, but was still good enough to hold on to the top with career No. 1s 5, 6 & 7… Repeaters: Felix (1), VCB (2)… Top scorers: Felix 59, Schippers 51, SMU & Thompson 35… No. 1s: Felix & SMU 3, VCB, SAFP, Schippers & Thompson 1… OG golds: Felix/Thompson… WC golds: VCB/SAFP/Schippers/Schippers/Asher-Smith.
| 400 METERS | ||
| 1 | Shaunae Miller-Uibo | Bahamas |
| 2 | Allyson Felix | US |
| 3 | Amantle Montsho | Botswana |
| 4 | Salwa Eid Naser | Bahrain |
| 5 | Sanya Richards-Ross | US |
| 6 | Christine Ohuruogu | Great Britain |
| 7 | Shericka Jackson | Jamaica |
| 8 | Phyllis Francis | US |
| 9 | Francena McCorory | US |
| 10 | Novlene Williams-Mills | Jamaica |
A NARROW WIN for Miller-Uibo over Felix in a battle of world champions. The Bahamian won their Olympic battle to claim the top spot… Repeaters: SRR (1), Ohuruogu (5), Williams-Mills (9)… Top scorers: SMU 47, McCorory 46, Felix 45… No. 1s: Felix, Miller-Uibo, Montsho & Naser 2; SRR & NWM 1… OG golds: SRR/SMU… WC golds: Montsho/Ohuruogu/Felix/Francis/Naser.
| 800 METERS | ||
| 1 | Caster Semenya | South Africa |
| 2 | Francine Niyonsaba | Burundi |
| 3 | Eunice Sum | Kenya |
| 4 | Ajee’ Wilson | US |
| 5 | Janeth Jepkosgei | Kenya |
| 6 | Alysia Montaño | US |
| 7 | Pamela Jelimo | Kenya |
| 8 | Yekaterina Zavyalova | Russia |
| 9 | Margaret Wambui | Kenya |
| 10 | Maryna Arzamasova | Belarus |
IN AN EVENT FILLED WITH CONTROVERSY we took the tack that Semenya—like fellow DSD-category runners Niyonsaba & Wambui—was a legal competitor through the ’18 season… Repeaters: Jepkosgei (2), Jelimo (5)… Top scorers: Semenya 48, Niyonsaba 45, Wilson 44… No. 1s: Semenya 4; Sum 3; Jelimo, Jepkosgei & Wilson 1… OG golds: Semenya/Semenya… WC golds: Semenya/Sum/Arzamasova/Semenya/Nakaayi.
| 1500 METERS | ||
| 1 | Faith Kipyegon | Kenya |
| 2 | Genzebe Dibaba | Ethiopia |
| 3 | Jenny Simpson | US |
| 4 | Abeba Aregawi | Ethiopia/Sweden |
| 5 | Sifan Hassan | Netherlands |
| 6 | Maryam Jamal | Bahrain |
| 7 | Shannon Rowbury | US |
| 8 | Laura Muir | Great Britain |
| 9 | Hellen Obiri | Kenya |
| 10 | Shelby Houlihan | US |
NOBODY HAD MORE THAN 1 OG gold or WC gold, but only Kipyegon had one of each… Repeater: Jamal (1)… Top scorers: Hassan 50, Kipyegon & Simpson 49… No. 1s: Aregawi & Kipyegon 2; Dibaba, Hassan, Houlihan, Nancy Langat (Kenya), Simpson & Morgan Uceny (US) 1… OG golds: Jamal/Kipyegon… WC golds: Simpson/Aregawi/Dibaba/Kipyegon/Hassan.
| STEEPLE | ||
| 1 | Beatrice Chepkoech | Kenya |
| 2 | Habiba Ghribi | Tunisia |
| 3 | Milcah Chemos | Kenya |
| 4 | Ruth Jebet | Bahrain |
| 5 | Hyvin Jepkemoi | Kenya |
| 6 | Emma Coburn | US |
| 7 | Sofia Assefa | Ethiopia |
| 8 | Hiwot Ayalew | Ethiopia |
| 9 | Lydia Chepkurui | Kenya |
| 10 | Gesa-Felicitas Krause | Germany |
GHRIBI HAD THE BEST MEDAL COLLECTION, but Chepkoech’s sheer wealth of fast times—topped by her amazing WR—were enough to slide the Kenyan to the summit… No repeaters (’00s only done 5-deep)… Top scorers: Jepkemoi 54, Assefa 52, Coburn 46… No. 1s: Chepkoech & Ghribi 3, Chemos 2, Ayalew & Jebet 1… OG golds: Ghribi/Jebet… WC golds: Ghribi/Chemos/Jepkemoi/Coburn/Chepkoech.
| 5000 METERS | ||
| 1 | Vivian Cheruiyot | Kenya |
| 2 | Meseret Defar | Ethiopia |
| 3 | Hellen Obiri | Kenya |
| 4 | Almaz Ayana | Ethiopia |
| 5 | Tirunesh Dibaba | Ethiopia |
| 6 | Genzebe Dibaba | Ethiopia |
| 7 | Mercy Cherono | Kenya |
| 8 | Senbere Teferi | Ethiopia |
| 9 | Sifan Hassan | Netherlands |
| 10 | Margaret Kipkemboi | Kenya |
CHERUIYOT & DEFAR were about as close to a tie as you can get, with the Kenyan winning based on quality of medals (OG gold & silver plus WC gold vs. OG gold plus WC gold & bronze)… Repeaters: T. Dibaba (1), Defar (2), Cheruiyot (3)… Top scorers: Ayana 45, Cheruiyot 39, G. Dibaba & Obiri 38… No. 1s: Obiri 3; Ayana & Defar 2; Cheruiyot, G. Dibaba & T. Dibaba 1… OG golds: Defar/Cheruiyot… WC golds: Cheruiyot/Defar/Ayana/Obiri/Obiri… Top American: Molly Huddle.
| 10,000 METERS | ||
| 1 | Tirunesh Dibaba | Ethiopia |
| 2 | Vivian Cheruiyot | Kenya |
| 3 | Almaz Ayana | Ethiopia |
| 4 | Sally Kipyego | Kenya |
| 5 | Sifan Hassan | Netherlands |
| 6 | Gelete Burka | Ethiopia |
| 7 | Agnes Tirop | Kenya |
| 8 | Letesenbet Gidey | Ethiopia |
| 9 | Gladys Cherono | Kenya |
| 10 | Linet Masai | Kenya |
EVERYBODY IN THE TOP 10 had at least 1 WC medal. Dibaba had 2 of them (gold & silver, plus OG gold & bronze)… Repeaters: Dibaba (1), Masai (5)… Top Scorers: Dibaba 47, Cheruiyot 37, Kipyego 32… No. 1s: Dibaba 3; Ayana & Cheruiyot 2; Joyce Chepkirui (Kenya), Hassan & Stacy Ndiwa (Kenya) 1… OG golds: Dibaba/Ayana… WC golds: Cheruiyot/Dibaba/Cheruiyot/Ayana/Hassan… Top American: Molly Huddle.
| 100 HURDLES | ||
| 1 | Sally Pearson | Australia |
| 2 | Dawn Harper Nelson | US |
| 3 | Brianna McNeal | US |
| 4 | Keni Harrison | US |
| 5 | Nia Ali | US |
| 6 | Danielle Williams | Jamaica |
| 7 | Sharika Nelvis | US |
| 8 | Queen Claye | US |
| 9 | Tiffany Porter | Great Britain |
| 10 | Kellie Wells | US |
WR HOLDER HARRISON had 4 No. 1s, but a dearth of medals—just a solitary WC silver—held her to No. 4… Repeater: Harper Nelson (8)… Top scorers: Harper Nelson 57, Pearson 53, Harrison 43… No. 1s: Harrison 4; Harper Nelson & Pearson 2; Priscilla Lopes-Schliep (Canada) & McNeal 1… OG golds: Pearson/McNeal… WC golds: Pearson/McNeal/Williams/Pearson/Ali.
| 400 HURDLES | ||
| 1 | Dalilah Muhammad | US |
| 2 | Zuzana Hejnová | Czech Republic |
| 3 | Lashinda Demus | US |
| 4 | Natalya Antyukh | Russia |
| 5 | Kaliese Carter | Jamaica |
| 6 | Shamier Little | US |
| 7 | Kori Carter | US |
| 8 | Sydney McLaughlin | US |
| 9 | Sara Slott Petersen | Denmark |
| 10 | Georganne Moline | US |
WITH OG & WC GOLDS to back up her pair of WRs, Muhammad was the only possible choice… Repeater: Demus (4)… Top scorers: Hejnová 61, Ka. Carter 51, Muhammad 45… No. 1s: Ka. Carter, Demus, Hejnová & Muhammad 2, Ko. Carter & Little 1… OG golds: Antyukh/Muhammad… WC golds: Demus/Hejnová/Hejnová/Ko. Carter/Muhammad.
| MARATHON | ||
| 1 | Mary Keitany | Kenya |
| 2 | Brigid Kosgei | Kenya |
| 3 | Edna Kiplagat | Kenya |
| 4 | Priscah Jeptoo | Kenya |
| 5 | Florence Kiplagat | Kenya |
| 6 | Mare Dibaba | Ethiopia |
| 7 | Tirfe Tsegaye | Ethiopia |
| 8 | Jemima Sumgong | Kenya |
| 9 | Aberu Kebede | Ethiopia |
| 10 | Tiki Gelana | Ethiopia |
THE BATTLE OF EAST AFRICA was won by Kenya, 6 places to 4, including the top 5… Keitany was the only double No. 1… No repeaters… Top scorers: Keitany 49, E. Kiplagat 46, F. Kiplagat 31… No. 1s: Keitany 2; Atsede Baysa (Ethiopia), Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya), M. Dibaba, Gelana, P. Jeptoo, Kosgei, Sumgong & Tsegaye 1… OG golds: Gelana/Sumgong… WC golds: E. Kiplagat/E. Kiplagat/M. Dibaba/Rose Chelimo (Bahrain)/Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya)… Top American: Shalane Flanagan.
| 20K WALK | ||
| 1 | Hong Liu | China |
| 2 | Yelena Lashmanova | Russia |
| 3 | Shenjie Qieyang | China |
| 4 | Xiuzhi Lu | China |
| 5 | Jiayu Yang | China |
| 6 | Lupita González | Mexico |
| 7 | Ana Cabecinha | Por |
| 8 | Erica de Sena | Brazil |
| 9 | Antonella Palmisano | Italy |
| 10 | Elisa Rigaudo | Italy |
NEEDLESS TO SAY, all the Russian DQs changed a lot of the decade’s stats… Top scorers: Liu 66, Qieyang 41, Lu 35… No. 1s: Liu 4; Lashmanova 2; González, Anisya Kirdyapkina (Russia), Maria Vasco (Spain) & Yang 1… OG golds: Lashmanova/Liu… WC golds: Liu/Lashmanova/Liu/Yang/Liu… Top American: Maria Michta-Coffey.
| 50K WALK | ||
| Not enough years of competition to justify decade-long analysis. |
| HIGH JUMP | ||
| 1 | Mariya Lasitskene | Russia |
| 2 | Anna Chicherova | Russia |
| 3 | Ruth Beitia | Spain |
| 4 | Blanka Vlašić | Croatia |
| 5 | Svetlana Shkolina | Russia |
| 6 | Chaunté Lowe | US |
| 7 | Kamila Lićwinko | Poland |
| 8 | Brigetta Barrett | US |
| 9 | Vashti Cunningham | US |
| 10 | Yuliya Levchenko | Ukraine |
LASITSKENE WAS NIGH-ON INVINCIBLE in the last half of the decade and her 5 No. 1s may well have been 6 had she not been denied a Rio opportunity because of Russia’s malfeasance… Repeaters: Vlašić (1), Chicherova (4), Lowe (10)… Top scorers: Lasitskene 54, Beitia 49, Vlašić 43… No. 1s: Lasitskene 5; Chicherova 2; Beitia, Shkolina & Vlašić 1… OG golds: Chicherova/Beitia… WC golds: Chicherova/Shkolina/Lasitskene/Lasitskene/Lasitskene…WIC golds: Vlašić/Lowe/Lasitskene & Lićwinko/Cunningham/Lasitskene.
| POLE VAULT | ||
| 1 | Jenn Suhr | US |
| 2 | Katerína Stefanídi | Greece |
| 3 | Sandi Morris | US |
| 4 | Yelena Isinbaeva | Russia |
| 5 | Yarisley Silva | Cuba |
| 6 | Fabiana Murer | Brazil |
| 7 | Nikoléta Kiriakopoúlou | Greece |
| 8 | Anzhelika Sidorova | Russia |
| 9 | Svetlana Feofanova | Russia |
| 10 | Silke Spiegelburg | Germany |
STEFANÍDI & MORRIS each had 5 major medals to Suhr’s 3, but the ’12 OG gold combined with a pair of indoor WRs—and the 3 highest vaults of the decade overall—gave the edge to Suhr… Repeaters: Isinbaeva (1), Feofanova (2), Suhr (6), Murer (8)… Top scorers: Silva 59, Suhr 58, Murer 49… No. 1s: Morris, Murer & Suhr 2; Isinbaeva, Kiriakopoúlou, Sidorova & Stefanídi 1… OG golds: Suhr/Stefanídi… WC golds: Murer/Isinbaeva/Silva/Stefanídi/Sidorova…WIC golds: Murer/Isinbaeva/Silva/Suhr/Morris.
| LONG JUMP | ||
| 1 | Brittney Reese | US |
| 2 | Tianna Bartoletta | US |
| 3 | Ivana Španović | Serbia |
| 4 | Malaika Mihambo | Germany |
| 5 | Darya Klishina | Russia |
| 6 | Shara Proctor | Great Britain |
| 7 | Janay DeLoach | US |
| 8 | Éloyse Lesueur-Aymonin | France |
| 9 | Yelena Sokolova | Russia |
| 10 | Lorraine Ugen | Great Britain |
WHAT A COLLECTION OF GOODIES for Reese: Olympic gold & silver, 3 WC golds, 3 WIC golds (and a silver) plus 6 No. 1s… Repeater: Reese (9)… Top scorers: Reese 80, Španović 58, Klishina 45… No. 1s: Reese 6; Mihambo 2; Bartoletta & Lesueur-Aymonin 1… OG golds: Reese/Bartoletta… WC golds: Reese/Reese/Bartoletta/Reese/Mihambo… WIC golds: Reese/Reese/Lesueur-Aymonin/Reese/Španović.
| TRIPLE JUMP | ||
| 1 | Caterine Ibargüen | Colombia |
| 2 | Yulimar Rojas | Venezuela |
| 3 | Olga Rypakova | Kazakstan |
| 4 | Olha Saladukha | Ukraine |
| 5 | Kim Williams | Jamaica |
| 6 | Yekaterina Koneva | Russia |
| 7 | Hanna Minenko | Ukraine/Israel |
| 8 | Yargelis Savigne | Cuba |
| 9 | Shanieka Ricketts | Jamaica |
| 10 | Keturah Orji | US |
ROJAS CAME ON STRONGLY as the decade ended, but overall fellow South American Ibargüen had OG gold & silver plus a pair of WC golds, a silver and a pair of bronzes to go with 5 No. 1s…Repeater: Savigne (3)… Top scorers: Ibargüen 83, Rypakova 53, Saladukha 52… No. 1s: Ibargüen 5; Rojas & Rypakova 2; Saladukha 1… OG golds: Rypakova/Ibargüen… WC golds: Saladukha/Ibargüen/Ibargüen/Rojas/Rojas… WIC golds: Rypakova/Yamilé Aldama (Great Britain)/Koneva/Rojas/Rojas.
| SHOT | ||
| 1 | Valerie Adams | New Zealand |
| 2 | Lijiao Gong | China |
| 3 | Michelle Carter | US |
| 4 | Christina Schwanitz | Germany |
| 5 | Anita Márton | Hungary |
| 6 | Jill Camarena-Williams | US |
| 7 | Danniel Thomas-Dodd | Jamaica |
| 8 | Cleopatra Borel | Trinidad |
| 9 | Nadine Kleinert | Germany |
| 10 | Raven Saunders | US |
DESPITE LOSING 2 YEARS of the decade to maternity, Adams was the dominant force, claiming half of the No. 1s and 6 major golds… Repeaters: Adams (1), Kleinert (3)… Top scorers: Gong 86, Adams 66, Carter 51… No. 1s: Adams 5; Gong 3; Carter & Schwanitz 1… OG golds: Adams/Carter… WC golds: Adams/Adams/Schwanitz/Gong/Gong… WIC golds: Adams/Adams/Adams/Carter/Márton.
| DISCUS | ||
| 1 | Sandra Perković | Croatia |
| 2 | Denia Caballero | Cuba |
| 3 | Yarelis Barrios | Cuba |
| 4 | Nadine Müller | Germany |
| 5 | Mélina Robert-Michon | France |
| 6 | Yaimé Pérez | Cuba |
| 7 | Yanfeng Li | China |
| 8 | Dani Stevens | Australia |
| 9 | Gia Lewis-Smallwood | US |
| 10 | Żaneta Glanc | Poland |
PERKOVIĆ SCORED MORE “premium points” (for top 3 in the Rankings) than any other woman, racking up 7 straight No. 1s… Repeater: Barrios (7)… Top scorers: Perković 87, Müller 53, Caballero & Stevens 46… No. 1s: Perković 7; Barrios, Li & Pérez 1… OG golds: Perković/Perković… WC golds: Li/Perković/Caballero/Perković/Pérez.
| HAMMER | ||
| 1 | Anita Włodarczyk | Poland |
| 2 | Betty Heidler | Germany |
| 3 | Wenxiu Zhang | China |
| 4 | Zheng Wang | China |
| 5 | DeAnna Price | US |
| 6 | Joanna Fiodorow | Poland |
| 7 | Kathrin Klaas | Germany |
| 8 | Yipsi Moreno | Cuba |
| 9 | Alexandra Tavernier | France |
| 10 | Tatyana Lysenko | Russia |
WITH HER DOMINATION of the medals and Ranking stats, who else but Włodarczyk?… Repeaters: Moreno (1), Heidler (4), Zhang (6), Lysenko (7), Włodarczyk (8)… Top scorers: Włodarczyk 89, Heidler 65, Zhang 58… No. 1s: Włodarczyk 6; Heidler 3; Price 1… OG golds: Włodarczyk/Włodarczyk… WC golds: Lysenko/Włodarczyk/Włodarczyk/Włodarczyk/Price.
| JAVELIN | ||
| 1 | Barbora Špotáková | Czech Republic |
| 2 | Christina Obergföll | Germany |
| 3 | Sunette Viljoen | South Africa |
| 4 | Huihui Lu | China |
| 5 | Linda Stahl | Germany |
| 6 | Sara Kolak | Croatia |
| 7 | Katharina Molitor | Germany |
| 8 | Tatsiana Khaladovich | Belarus |
| 9 | Kelsey Barber | Australia |
| 10 | Kim Mickle | Australia |
ŠPOTÁKOVÁ DIDN’T GET A PR in the decade, the only leader not to do so, but she nonetheless produced the No. 3 performance in history and captured 6 No. 1s despite a pair of maternity leaves… Repeaters: Špotáková (3), Obergföll (5)… Top scorers: Špotáková 71, Viljoen 53, Obergföll 43… No. 1s: Špotáková 6; Lu & Obergföll 2… OG golds: Špotáková/Kolak… WC golds: Špotáková/Obergföll/Molitor/Špotáková/Barber… Top American: Kara Winger.
| HEPTATHLON | ||
| 1 | Jessica Ennis-Hill | Great Britain |
| 2 | Nafi Thiam | Belgium |
| 3 | Katarina Johnson-Thompson | Great Britain |
| 4 | Brianne Theisen-Eaton | Canada |
| 5 | Carolyn Schäfer | Germany |
| 6 | Laura Ikauniece | Latvia |
| 7 | Hanna Kasyanova | Ukraine |
| 8 | Lilli Schwarzkopf | Germany |
| 9 | Jennifer Oeser | Germany |
| 10 | Nadine Broersen | Netherlands |
EACH WINNING both an OG & WC gold, Ennis-Hill & Thiam were close for the top spot, but the Brit had 1 more No. 1 Ranking… Repeater: Ennis-Hill (8)… Top scorers: Ennis-Hill 49, Johnson-Thompson 45, Thiam 44… No. 1s: Ennis-Hill 4; Thiam 3; Johnson-Thompson 2; Kasyanova 1… OG golds: Ennis-Hill/Thiam… WC golds: Ennis-Hill/Kasyanova/Ennis-Hill/Thiam/Johnson-Thompson. ◻︎