by Larry Eder
Mais Oui, C’est le roi de la perche! photo by PhotoRun.net
Bohdan Bondarenko finished second! photo by PhotoRun.net
Justin Gatlin, finished third, photo by PhotoRun.net
LAVILLENIE AHEAD OF BONDARENKO AND GATLIN
MOUNTAIN VIEW (USA): Renaud Lavillenie is after IAAF also Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News. He received 31 of 33 first places to get 99.4% of a perfect score. The other 2 No. 1s went to American sprinter Justin Gatlin, who nonetheless ended up only No. 3 overall because a pair of voters on our international panel felt his checkered drug past left him unsuitable for such honors. So second is Bogdan Bondarenko 265 and third Gatlin 259. Fourth Mutaz Essa Barshim 198. Very unusual fourth place for number two in his event. Fifth is Robert Harting 145 over Kenyan Jairus Birech 130 and US 400 m runner LaShawn Merritt 109. Last three places in top ten for Nijel Amos 90, Eliud Kipchoge 62 and Krisztian Pars 52. Overall, 20 different men received votes.
(Editor’s note: Renaud Lavillenie set the standard for men in 2014. Nice to see two field eventers in lead in men’s events.)
