A take a look at a number of the entrance pages of Athletics Weekly from the previous 12 months
As we mirror on 2024, it has undoubtedly been a exceptional 12 months on the earth of athletics. From the thrill of the Paris Olympic Video games to the thrilling performances on the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, and the European Championships in Rome, the 12 months has been full of unforgettable moments.
The most important highlights have been persistently featured on the entrance pages of AW, as they’ve illustrated what an eventful 12 months it was for the game.
Athletics in 2024 has been outlined by the achievements of a number of the sport’s largest names, together with Keely Hodgkinson, Mondo Duplantis, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen, whose performances made them the pure decisions 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 12 months stuffed with celebration, reflection, and naturally, thrilling performances and all have been captured all through the 2024 covers of AW.
January
As 2024 started, the January concern of AW set the stage for what promised to be a landmark 12 months for athletics and main the duvet was Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
The earlier 12 months had been difficult for him, after struggling a second consecutive loss within the World 1500m remaining to Josh Kerr and he confronted varied off-track points.
In an unique interview, his brother and coaching companion, Henrik, supplied AW a behind-the-scenes take a look at the interior workings of Crew Ingebrigtsen.
Jakob’s 2024, nonetheless, turned out to be a 12 months of success, with highlights together with his victory within the Olympic 5000m remaining and most just lately, a win on the European Cross Nation Championships.
February
For the February concern of AW, the 2022 world champion, Jake Wightman, took centre stage on the duvet, as he set his sights on reclaiming his place on the prime desk of 1500m operating.
The British middle-distance runner confronted a collection of harm setbacks after his 2022 victory that hindered his means to defend his crown. In an unique interview, he shared the dear classes he’s realized all through the difficult interval.
Having the ability to now look again on the 12 months, it didn’t unfold like Wightman had hoped for. He was compelled to withdraw from the Olympic Video games because 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 unsure I can come again once more as it could be my physique telling me that ‘that is it’. However I imagine that if I make these modifications now then I can get again to the place I have to be.”
Jake Wightman: “If I’ve one other huge harm, I’m unsure I can come again”
March
The March concern of AW had a definite really feel in comparison with the primary two covers of the 12 months, because it showcased a bunch of athletes, with a selected concentrate on the Scottish rivals getting 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, this was quickly modified as Josh Kerr made histroy by profitable the boys’s 3000m gold in Glasgow, turning into the primary British man to attain the feat.
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 12 months 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 remaining. However there may be nonetheless way more to come back for the 24-year-old, particularly with the World Championships subsequent 12 months.
Might
Time was of the essence when it got here right down to the Might concern 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 his eyes, in addition to delving into numbers and why the pursuit of latest objectives matter a lot relating to athletics.
Along with this, the month took us to Jamaica, a rustic famend for producing world-class sprinters who’re constantly 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
Because the out of doors observe season was effectively underway, the June concern 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 impression of Olympic successes Marcell Jacobs and Gianmarco Tamberi. Each athletes went on to say gold in Rome, additional cementing Italy’s observe and discipline success.
This 12 months 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 prime of the marathon world.
July
With the European Championships been and gone, the July concern shifted focus to the rising pleasure surrounding the Paris Olympic Video games.
To seize that power, we posed a query to the athletics group: Who would you rank as the best relating to 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 an inventory of the highest 20, which was revealed within the July concern, full with profiles of every athlete.
The entrance cowl, that includes a collage of athletes, supplied a glimpse into a number of the names that made the checklist.
August
As Paris 2024 grew nearer, the August concern grew to become your important information to the Video games, with the duvet that includes a bunch 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 a couple of weeks earlier than.
Religion Kipyegon and marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge additionally graced the duvet, each having confronted vital challenges of their preparations for Paris. In unique interviews with AW, they shared their journeys of overcoming adversity on the highway to the Video games.
September
The September concern of AW seemed again on the unforgettable moments of the Paris 2024 Video games, revisiting the highlights. Naturally, Keely Hodgkinson, was the proper 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 concern, we took an in-depth take 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 considered one of her coaches, Jenny Meadows, to get some perception about what it’s prefer to work with such an excellent expertise but in addition to find the quantity of labor that goes into turning into the perfect on the earth.
October
In October we continued our concentrate on the thriving M11 Monitor Membership, this time that includes one other considered one of their stars – Georgia Bell, who we named Britain’s Breakthrough Athlete of 2024.
In an unique interview, Bell mirrored on a rare 12 months that noticed her make histroy by profitable 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 along with her reaching full-time skilled standing. By the shut of the 12 months, she had turn into an Olympic and European medallist, in addition to the British 1500m record-holder.
November
The November concern 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 gorgeous 2:09:56 efficiency created headlines and cut up opinion, but it surely additionally underlined the exceptional evolution that’s presently happening within the sport.
On this concern, we broke down the numbers behind her record-setting run and explored the reactions from the worldwide athletics group.
December
We mirror on the highlights of 2024 in athletics in our December concern, with Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis taking centre stage as our remaining cowl star of the 12 months.
In an unique interview, the two-time 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 difficulty additionally reveals the winners of the AW Readers’ Alternative Awards, with in-depth profiles and interviews showcasing their achievements. To find the total checklist of award winners, you should definitely purchase or obtain our newest concern.
You could find all of our protection from 2024 by way of the Athletics Weekly archive.
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