2004 in the sport of athletics
This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2004.
2004 in athletics | |
---|---|
![]() Hurdler Liu Xiang became Olympic champion and world record holder in 2004. | |
Major world events | Olympic Games |
World records set | 7 |
IAAF Athletes of the Year | Kenenisa Bekele Yelena Isinbayeva |
← 2003 2005 → |
Years in the sport of athletics |
2004 in sports |
---|
|
The major competition of the year was the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the event, Yelena Isinbayeva cleared a world record 4.91 m in the pole vault. Liu Xiang won the men's 110 metres hurdles with a world record-equalling time of 12.91 seconds,[1] defying traditional beliefs about the physical calibre of Chinese (and Asian) sprint athletes.[2] Hicham El Guerrouj capped off his prominent international career with two gold medals in the 1500 m and 5000 m. The Olympic competition in Athens was marred by an incident involving Greek Olympic medallists Konstantinos Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou, who were alleged to have staged a motorcycle crash in order to avoid doping tests.[3] Both athletes missed the competition and were later banned for missing three doping tests.[4]
Major events
World
- Olympic Games
- Summer Paralympics
- World Indoor Championships
- World Athletics Final
- World Cross Country Championships
- World Half Marathon Championships
- World Race Walking Cup
- IAAF Golden League
Regional
- African Championships
- Asian Indoor Championships
- Asian Cross Country Championships
- Pan Arab Games
- South Asian Games
- Balkan Games
- European Cross Country Championships
- European Cup
- European Mountain Running Championships
- Ibero-American Championships
World records
Men
Event | Athlete | Nation | Performance | Meeting | Place | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5,000 metres | Kenenisa Bekele | ![]() |
12:37.35 | ![]() |
31 May | |
10,000 metres | Kenenisa Bekele | ![]() |
26:20.31 | ![]() |
31 May | |
25 km (road) | Paul Malakwen Kosgei | ![]() |
1:12:45 | ![]() |
9 May | |
110 m hurdles | Liu Xiang | ![]() |
12.91 | ![]() |
27 August | |
3000 m steeplechase | Saif Saaeed Shaheen | ![]() |
7:53.63 | ![]() |
3 September |
Women
Event | Athlete | Nation | Performance | Meeting | Place | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5,000 metres | Elvan Abeylegesse | ![]() |
14:24.68 | ![]() |
11 June | |
3000 m steeplechase | Gulnara Samitova-Galkina | ![]() |
9:01.59 | ![]() |
10 August | |
Pole vault | Yelena Isinbaeva | ![]() |
4.83 m | ![]() |
15 February | |
Pole vault | Svetlana Feofanova | ![]() |
4.85 m | ![]() |
22 February | |
Pole vault | Yelena Isinbaeva | ![]() |
4.86 m | ![]() |
6 March | |
Pole vault | Yelena Isinbaeva | ![]() |
4.87 m | ![]() |
27 June | |
Pole vault | Svetlana Feofanova | ![]() |
4.88 m | ![]() |
4 July | |
Pole vault | Yelena Isinbaeva | ![]() |
4.89 m | ![]() |
25 July | |
Pole vault | Yelena Isinbaeva | ![]() |
4.90 m | ![]() |
30 July | |
Pole vault | Yelena Isinbaeva | ![]() |
4.91 m | ![]() |
24 August | |
Pole vault | Yelena Isinbaeva | ![]() |
4.92 m | ![]() |
3 September | |
Decathlon | Marie Collonvillé | ![]() |
8150 pts | ![]() |
25-26 September |
Season's bests
Awards
Men

Award | Winner |
---|---|
IAAF World Athlete of the Year | ![]() |
Track & Field Athlete of the Year | ![]() |
European Athlete of the Year Award | ![]() |
Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award | ![]() |
Women

Award | Winner |
---|---|
IAAF World Athlete of the Year | ![]() |
Track & Field Athlete of the Year | ![]() |
European Athlete of the Year Award | ![]() |
Best Female Track Athlete ESPY Award | ![]() |
Seasonal rankings by event
400 m Hurdles
RANK | 2004 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
47.63 |
2. | ![]() |
47.68 |
3. | ![]() |
47.86 |
4. | ![]() |
48.00 |
5. | ![]() |
48.02 |
3000 m Steeplechase
RANK | 2004 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
7:53.63 |
2. | ![]() |
7:59.65 |
3. | ![]() |
8:02.66 |
4. | ![]() |
8:02.98 |
5. | ![]() |
8:05.52 |
Marathon
RANK | NAME ATHLETE | TIME | EVENT |
---|---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
2:06:16 | Chicago Marathon |
2. | ![]() |
2:06:18 | London Marathon |
3. | ![]() |
2:06:22 | Amsterdam Marathon |
4. | ![]() |
2:06:44 | Berlin Marathon |
5. | ![]() |
2:06:48 | London Marathon |
6. | ![]() |
2:06:49 | Berlin Marathon |
7. | ![]() |
2:07:05 | Berlin Marathon |
8. | ![]() |
2:07:06 | Seoul International Marathon |
9. | ![]() |
2:07:12 | London Marathon |
10. | ![]() |
2:07:42 | Otsu Marathon |
Pole Vault
RANK | 2004 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | HEIGHT |
---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
6.01 m |
2. | ![]() |
6.00 m |
3. | ![]() |
5.86 m |
4. | ![]() |
5.85 m |
![]() |
100 metres
RANK | 2004 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
10.77 |
2. | ![]() |
10.91 |
3. | ![]() |
10.92 |
4. | ![]() |
10.95 |
5. | ![]() |
10.96 |
200 metres
RANK | 2004 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
22.05 |
2. | ![]() |
22.18 |
3. | ![]() |
22.30 |
4. | ![]() |
22.33 |
5. | ![]() |
22.34 |
![]() |
Half Marathon
RANK | 2004 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
1:07:55 |
100 m Hurdles
RANK | 2004 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
12.37 |
2. | ![]() |
12.45 |
3. | ![]() |
12.46 |
4. | ![]() |
12.50 |
5. | ![]() |
12.51 |
400 m Hurdles
RANK | 2004 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
52.77 |
2. | ![]() |
52.95 |
3. | ![]() |
53.31 |
4. | ![]() |
53.32 |
5. | ![]() |
53.36 |
3000 m Steeplechase
RANK | 2004 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
9:01.59 |
2. | ![]() |
9:28.02 |
3. | ![]() |
9:29.30 |
4. | ![]() |
9:29.32 |
5. | ![]() |
9:29.81 |
High Jump
RANK | 2004 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | HEIGHT |
---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
2.06 m |
2. | ![]() |
2.04 m |
3. | ![]() |
2.03 m |
4. | ![]() |
2.02 m |
5. | ![]() |
2.01 m |
![]() |
Pole Vault
RANK | 2004 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | HEIGHT |
---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
4.92 m |
2. | ![]() |
4.88 m |
3. | ![]() |
4.83 m |
4. | ![]() |
4.78 m |
5. | ![]() |
4.72 m |
Heptathlon
RANK | 2004 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | POINTS |
---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
6952 |
2. | ![]() |
6594 |
3. | ![]() |
6435 |
4. | ![]() |
6424 |
5. | ![]() |
6387 |
Marathon
RANK | NAME ATHLETE | TIME | EVENT |
---|---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
2:19:41 | Berlin Marathon |
2. | ![]() |
2:22:35 | London Marathon |
3. | ![]() |
2:23:10 | New York Marathon |
4. | ![]() |
2:23:13 | New York Marathon |
5. | ![]() |
2:23:26 | Berlin Marathon |
6. | ![]() |
2:23:28 | Xiamen Marathon |
7. | ![]() |
2:23:45 | Chicago Marathon |
8. | ![]() |
2:23:57 | Nagoya Marathon |
9. | ![]() |
2:24:11 | Beijing Marathon |
10. | ![]() |
2:24:27 | Boston Marathon |
Deaths
- April 23 – Manuel Alcalde (47), Spanish race walker (b. 1956)
- December 4 – June Maston (76), Australian sprinter and athletics coach (b. 1928)
- December 25 – Ian Syster (28), South African long-distance runner (b. 1976)
References
- 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 110m Hurdles Final. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-07-18.
- Liu Xiang - 'China's Flying Man'. China.org. Retrieved on 2010-07-18.
- Trial for Greek sprinters postponed. USA Today (2009-02-05). Retrieved on 2010-07-18.
- IAAF charges Kenteris, Thanou and Tzekos with doping violations. IAAF (2004-12-02). Retrieved on 2010-07-18.
- Marathon times