In 2010 there was no obvious, primary

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...

championship, as neither the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

nor the

World Championships in Athletics The World Athletics Championships (until 2019 known as the World Championships in Athletics) are a biennial athletics competition organized by World Athletics (formerly IAAF, International Association of Athletics Federations). Alongside the Ol ...

occurred in the year. The foremost championships to be held in 2010 included: the

2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics was held between 12 and 14 March at the Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar. The championships was the first of six IAAF World Athletics Series events to take place in 2010. Bidding and organisation Th ...

2010 European Athletics Championships The 2010 European Athletics Championships were the 20th edition of the European Athletics Championships, organised under the supervision of the European Athletic Association. They were held at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona, Cat ...

2010 African Championships in Athletics The 2010 African Championships in Athletics was held in Nairobi, Kenya from 28 July to 1 August 2010. Background The African Championships in Athletics were held in Kenya for the first time. Previously two major athletics events have been held i ...

, and

Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games The athletics competition at the 2010 Commonwealth Games was held in New Delhi, India between 6 and 14 October. The track and field events took place between 6–12 October at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium while the marathon contests were held on ...

. Two major competitions debuted in new formats. The

IAAF Diamond League The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising fourteen of the best invitational athletics meetings. The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics (formerly known as the IAAF) one-day mee ...

– a worldwide expansion on the European-centred

IAAF Golden League The IAAF Golden League was an annual series of outdoor track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Athletes who won specific events at all of the series meetings were awarded a jackpot prize, ...

concept – saw a schedule of fourteen one-day meetings with some of the sport's most prominent athletes centrally contracted to a track and field series for the first time.Track and Field’s elite endorse IAAF Diamond League at sparkling launch

IAAF World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...

(2009-11-21). Retrieved on 2010-01-02. The second competition was the renamed

IAAF Continental Cup The IAAF Continental Cup was an international track and field competition organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The event was proposed by IAAF former President Primo Nebiolo and was first held in 1977 as t ...

(formerly World Cup) which had its format simplified: previously a contest between several countries and continents, it comprised only four teams (Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia/Oceania).

Major events

World

World Indoor Championships in Athletics The World Athletics Indoor Championships are a biennial indoor track and field competition served as the global championship for that version of the sport. Organised by the World Athletics, the competition was inaugurated as the ''World Indoor G ...

World Junior Championships in Athletics The World Athletics U20 Championships is a biennial world championships for the sport of athletics organised by the World Athletics, contested by athletes in the under-20 athletics age category (19 years old or younger on 31 December in the ye ...

* Continental Cup *

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

Summer Youth Olympics The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is an international multi-sport event for athletes between 15 and 18 years old, organized by the International Olympic Committee. The games are held every four years in staggered summer and winter events consisten ...

World Marathon Majors The World Marathon Majors (WMM) (known for sponsorship reasons as the Abbott World Marathon Majors) is a championship-style competition for marathon runners that started in 2006. A points-based competition founded on six major marathon races recog ...

World Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the Int ...

World Half Marathon Championships The World Athletics Half Marathon Championships is a biennial international half marathon competition organised by World Athletics. The competition was launched as the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 1992 and held annually until 2010. It ...

IAAF World Race Walking Cup The World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships is a racewalking event organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It has been held since 1961, and generally on a biennial basis. Women first entered the 1979 edition. ...

* WMRA World Mountain Running Championships

Regional

African Championships An African Championship is a top level international sports competition between African athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. List of Championships ;Athletics *African Championships in Ath ...

* Asian Indoor Championships * Asian Junior Championships *

Asian Games The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation (AGF) from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until t ...

Central American and Caribbean Games The Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC or CACGs) are a multi-sport regional championship event, held quadrennial (once every four years), typically in the middle (even) year between Summer Olympics. The games are for countries in Cent ...

Central American Games The Central American Games ( es, Juegos Deportivos Centroamericanos) are a multi-sport regional championships event, held quadrennial (every 4 years), typically in the first year after Summer Olympics. The Games are open for member federation ...

European Athletics Championships The European Athletics Championships is a biennial (from 2010) athletics event organised by the European Athletics Association and is recognised as the elite continental outdoor athletics championships for Europe. Editions First held, for men ...

European Cross Country Championships The European Cross Country Championships is an annual international cross country running competition. Organised by the European Athletic Association, it is the area championships for the region and is held in December each year. The championships ...

European Cup Winter Throwing The European Throwing Cup (until 2016 European Cup Winter Throwing) is an annual continental athletics competition for athletes specialising in the events of discus, javelin and hammer throwing and the shot put. The winter event, organised every ...

European Mountain Running Championships The European Mountain Running Championships is an annual international mountain running race. Inaugurated in 2002, it is organised by the European Athletic Association (EAA) in July each year. The venue for the championships is changed each year. ...

* European Team Championships * Ibero-American Championships *

Micronesian Games The Micronesian Games (or Micro Games, MicroGames) are a quadrennial international multi-sport event within the Micronesian region. The Games were first held in 1969 in Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands). The 2010 Micronesian Games were initially d ...

NACAC Cross Country Championships The NACAC Cross Country Championships is an annual regional cross country running competition for athletes representing member nations of the North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC). The event was inaugurated in 2 ...

South American Games The South American Games (also known as ODESUR Games; Spanish: ''Juegos Suramericanos''; Portuguese: ''Jogos Sul-Americanos''), formerly the Southern Cross Games (Spanish: ''Juegos Cruz del Sur'') is a regional multi-sport event held between nati ...

* South American U23 Championships *

South American Cross Country Championships The South American Cross Country Championships is an annual continental cross country running competition for athletes from South America or, more specifically, member countries of CONSUDATLE. It was first held in 1986, making it the oldest of t ...

South Asian Games The South Asian Games (SAG or SA Games), formerly known as the South Asian Federation Games (SAFG or SAF Games), is a quadrennial multi-sport event held among the athletes from South Asia. The governing body of these games is South Asia Olympic C ...

* South Asian Junior Championships *

Oceania Athletics Championships The Oceania Athletics Championships is an athletics event organized by the Oceania Athletics Association (OAA) for the World Athletics (WA) (formerly the IAAF) member associations of the Oceania region. First held in 1990 in Suva, it was initia ...

Oceania Cross Country Championships The Oceania Cross Country Championships are a biennial Cross country running competition organized by the Oceania Athletics Association (OAA) for athletes representing the countries of its member associations. They were established in 2009, and we ...

National

* 2010 American Samoa Athletics Championships *

2010 German Athletics Championships The 2010 German Athletics Championships were held at the Eintracht-Stadion in Braunschweig on 17–18 July 2010. Results Men Women References * Results source: External links Official website of the German Athletics Championship ...

2010 Guam Athletics Championships 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit (measurement), unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment ...

* 2010 Kiribati Athletics Championships * 2010 Latvian Athletics Championships *

2010 Lithuanian Athletics Championships The 87th 2010 in athletics (track and field), 2010 Lithuanian Athletics Championships were held in S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium, Kaunas on 9–10 July 2010. Men Women References Results External links
{{Lithuanian Athletics ...

2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were held at Drake Stadium, Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa on June 23–27, 2010. In order to boost the visibility of this event, USATF sponsored a member appreciation tent at the event and ...

Local

* 2010 Vilnius Athletics Championships

World records

Men

Women

Season's bests

Awards

Men

Women

Doping

The highest profile doping case in 2010 was that of 400 m Olympic and World Champion

LaShawn Merritt LaShawn Merritt (born June 27, 1986) is an American track and field athlete who competes in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 metres. He is a former Olympic champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.65 seconds makes him th ...

. He failed three out-of-competition tests in October and December 2009, and January 2010, testing positive for

Dehydroepiandrosterone Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), also known as androstenolone, is an endogenous steroid hormone precursor. It is one of the most abundant circulating steroids in humans. DHEA is produced in the adrenal glands, the gonads, and the brain. It functio ...

(DHEA) on each occasion. He claimed that he had inadvertently ingested the substance via an over the counter sex enhancement drug he was using at the time ( ExtenZe). Initially set for a two-year ban, he received a reduced 21-month suspension from October 2010 to July 2012 as a result of his co-operation with anti-doping authorities. However, the seriousness of the doping substance meant he was automatically banned from defending his title at the

2012 London Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

. A major investigation by the

Guardia Civil The Civil Guard ( es, Guardia Civil, link=no; ) is the oldest law enforcement agency in Spain and is one of two national police forces. As a national gendarmerie force, it is military in nature and is responsible for civil policing under the a ...

into doping in Spain, known as

Operación Galgo Operación Galgo (''Operation Greyhound'') is an investigation into doping in athletics by the Guardia Civil in Spain. Initiated in April 2010,Marta Domínguez Marta Domínguez Azpeleta (born 3 November 1975) is a Spanish former runner and politician. She competes mainly in the steeplechase. She has represented Spain four times at the Olympics and has competed at the World Championships on six occasio ...

, world steeplechase champion and vice president of the Spanish Athletics Federation, was implicated in the

blood doping Blood doping is a form of doping in which the number of red blood cells in the bloodstream is boosted in order to enhance athletic performance. Because such blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscles, a higher concentration in the bl ...

ring. Manuel Pascua Piqueras, coach to a number of prominent runners, admitted to doping his athletes, while

Alemayehu Bezabeh Alemayehu Bezabeh Desta ( Amharic: አለማየሁ በዛበህ ደስታ; born c. 1986) is an Ethiopian-born athlete who represents Spain internationally. He competes in middle- and long-distance running on the track, and also in cross country ...

(the 2009 European Cross Country Champion) admitted to using banned substances. Fraser and Stewart Berlin 2009-2

Olympic champion

Shelly-Ann Fraser Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce OD, OJ (née Fraser; born December 27, 1986) is a Jamaican track and field sprinter competing in the 60 metres, 100 m and 200 m. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest sprinters of all time. On ...

received a six-month ban after a positive test for pain relief narcotic

oxycodone Oxycodone, sold under various brand names such as Roxicodone and OxyContin (which is the extended release form), is a strong, semi-synthetic opioid used medically for treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is highly addictive and a commonly ...

at the Shanghai

Diamond League The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising fourteen of the best invitational athletics meetings. The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics (formerly known as the IAAF) one-day mee ...

meeting. Her coach Stephen Francis, who had the painkiller on prescription for his kidney stones, gave the banned substance to his athlete to relieve her toothache. Another sprinter

Laverne Jones-Ferrette LaVerne Janet Jones-Ferrette (born September 16, 1981) is a sprinter from the United States Virgin Islands who specializes in the 100 and 200 meters. She represented her country at the Summer Olympics in 2004, 2008 and 2012. She won the silver ...

ran the fastest

60 metres 60 metres, or 60-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior at ...

in a decade in February, but was absent from outdoor competition in 2010. This was later explained by the revelation that she had failed a drug test for

clomiphene Clomifene, also known as clomiphene, is a medication used to treat infertility in women who do not ovulate, including those with polycystic ovary syndrome. Use results in a greater chance of twins. It is taken by mouth once a day, with a course ...

on February 16. The substance can be used as a complement to steroid cycles, but can also act as a fertility drug and Jones-Ferrette (who announced her pregnancy in November) claimed this was the intended usage. She was banned from competition for six months, lasting from April to September, and lost her silver medal from the World Indoor Championships. Bobby-Gaye Wilkins won a relay medal for Jamaica at the same championships, but she was also stripped of her medal after testing positive for

andarine Andarine (developmental code names GTx-007, S-4) is an investigational selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) developed by GTX, Inc for treatment of conditions such as muscle wasting, osteoporosis and benign prostatic hypertrophy, using th ...

– a

selective androgen receptor modulator Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators or SARMs are a class of androgen receptor ligands that maintain some of the desirable effects of androgens, such as preventing osteoporosis and muscle loss while reducing risks of developing prostate cancer ...

(SARM). A series of athletes were disqualified from the

2010 Commonwealth Games The 2010 Commonwealth Games (Hindi: 2010 राष्ट्रमण्डल खेल), officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, was an international multi-sport event that was held in Delhi, India, f ...

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

as a result of in-competition testing. Nigerians

Samuel Okon Samuel Godwin Okon (born on 15 December 1996) is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Nigerian side Bayelsa United. A left-back who can also play in center of the defense, he made his name when he became 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup champion with Nig ...

and

Oludamola Osayomi Oludamola Bolanle ("Damola") Osayomi (born 26 June 1986 in Ilesha, Osun State) is a Nigerian sprinter who specializes in the 100 metres and 200 metres. She is a four-time gold medallist at the African Championships in Athletics and won an Oly ...

(the 100 m gold medallist) were banned for using the stimulant

methylhexanamine Methylhexanamine (also known as methylhexamine, 1,3-dimethylamylamine, 1,3-DMAA, dimethylamylamine, and DMAA; trade names Forthane and Geranamine) is an indirect sympathomimetic drug invented and developed by Eli Lilly and Company and marketed as ...

. A third Nigerian,

Folashade Abugan Folashade Abigeal Abugan (born 17 December 1990) is a Nigerian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. She was the 400 m bronze medalist at the 2007 All-Africa Games and improved to the silver medal at the 2008 African Championships, ...

who won silver medals in the 400 m individual and relay races, failed a drug test for traces of

testosterone Testosterone is the primary sex hormone and anabolic steroid in males. In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of Male reproductive system, male reproductive tissues such as testes and prostate, as well as promoting secondar ...

prohormone A prohormone is a committed Precursor (chemistry), precursor of a hormone consisting of peptide hormones synthesized together that has a minimal hormonal effect by itself because of its expression-suppressing structure, often created by protein fol ...

and was stripped of her honours Indian racewalker

Rani Yadav ''Rani'' in Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, sometimes spelled ''Ranee'', is a Hindu/Sanskrit feminine given name. The term is the female form of the term for princely rulers in South and Southeast Asia and applies equally to the wife of a ...

was also banned after testing positive for 19-Norandrosterone. Retired American sprinters

Ramon Clay Ramon Clay (born June 29, 1975) is a retired American sprinter who specialized in the 200 metres. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee. As a senior at Nashville's Hunters Lane High School, despite having the flu during the State Championships, Cla ...

and

Crystal Cox Crystal Shinelle Cox (born March 28, 1979, in Norfolk, Virginia) is an American track and field athlete who was on the national team at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics and appeared as a contestant on the seventeenth season of the reality seri ...

received retrospective bans from the

United States Anti-Doping Agency The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, ) is a non-profit, non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization and the national anti- doping organization (NADO) for the United States. To protect clean competition and the integrity of sport and prevent ...

due to their steroid usage relating to the

BALCO scandal The BALCO scandal was a scandal involving the use of banned, performance-enhancing substances by professional athletes. The Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) was a San Francisco Bay Area business which supplied anabolic steroids to profes ...

period from 2001 to 2004. Cox was stripped of her Olympic relay gold medal as a result. Former Jamaican runner

Raymond Stewart Ray Stewart may refer to: * Ray Stewart (sprinter) (born 1965), Jamaican athlete * Ray Stewart (Scottish footballer) (born 1959), Scottish international footballer * Ray Stewart (Australian footballer) (1892–1966), Australian rules footballer *Ra ...

was given a life ban from coaching for trafficking and administering banned substances as part of an ongoing investigation. Olympic Bahraini sprinter

Roqaya Al-Gassra Ruqaya Al-Ghasra ( ar, رقية الغسرة; born September 6, 1982), is a Bahraini athlete. She was one of the first women to represent Bahrain at the Olympic Games, by taking part in the women's 100 metres sprint at the 2004 Summer Olympics in ...

was banned for two years.IAAF Newsletter - Edition 115
.

(2010-07-20). Retrieved on 2010-08-08. Other prominent athletes to receive suspensions included South American triple jump champion Johana Triviño (two years for

stanozolol Stanozolol (Abbreviation, abbrev. Stz), sold under many brand names, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is used to treat hereditary angioedema. It was developed by American pharmaceuti ...

), Asian indoor champion Munira Saleh (life ban for second violation with stanozolol), and 2010 CAC Games medallist Zudikey Rodríguez (methylhexanamine).

Deaths

*February 6 —

Kipkemboi Kimeli Kipkemboi Kimeli (November 30, 1966 – February 6, 2010) was a Kenyan long-distance runner who won the bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Kimeli died in Albuquerque, New Mexico from complications from pneumonia and tu ...

(43), Kenyan long-distance runner *February 17 — Luigi Ulivelli (74), Italian long jumper and Mediterranean champion *February 17 —

David Lelei David Lelei (10 May 1971 – 17 February 2010) was a Kenyan middle distance runner. who specialized in the 800 and 1500 metres. He was later an athletics official and a political candidate, but died in a vehicle accident in 2010. Career In 1999 L ...

(38), Kenyan middle-distance runner and Africa Games medallist *March 2 — Paul Drayton (70), American sprinter and 1960 Olympic medallist *March 17 —

Wayne Collett Wayne Curtis Collett (October 20, 1949 – March 17, 2010) was an African-American Olympic sprinter. Collett won a silver medal in the 400 m at the 1972 Summer Olympics. During the medal ceremony Collett and winner Vincent Matthews talked to eac ...

(60), American sprinter and 1972 Olympic medallist *August 10 —

Antonio Pettigrew Antonio Pettigrew (November 3, 1967 – August 10, 2010) was an American sprinter who specialized in the 400 meters. Early life and career Pettigrew was born in Macon, Georgia. While attending St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, North Ca ...

(42), American 400 m runner and 1991 World Champion *August 18 — Hal Connolly (79), American hammer thrower and 1956 Olympic champion *August 26 —

Frank Baumgartl Frank Baumgartl (29 May 1955 – 26 August 2010) was an East German track and field athlete, who specialised in the 3000 meters steeplechase. He was born in Bad Schlema. At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal Frank Baumgartl won the Olympic b ...

(55), East German Olympic steeplechase medallist *August 29 —

Dejene Berhanu Dejene Berhanu (December 12, 1980 – August 29, 2010) was a male Ethiopian runner, who specialized in the 5000 metres. Berhanu finished 11th in the short race at the 2004 World Cross Country Championships and fifth in the 5000 at the Athens ...

(29), Ethiopian marathon runner *October 8 —

Jim Fuchs James Emanuel Fuchs (pronounced ; December 6, 1927 – October 8, 2010) was an American athlete who competed in the discus throw and shot put. He developed a new shot-putting technique to compensate for a leg injury, and then used what he c ...

(82), American world record holder in the shot put *November 14 —

Wes Santee David Wesley Santee (March 25, 1932 – November 14, 2010) was an American middle distance runner and athlete who competed mainly in the 1,500 meters and mile events. Born in Ashland, Kansas, Santee was nicknamed the "Ashland Antelope." Sante ...

(78), American middle-distance runner and former world record holderLitsky, Frank (2010-11-14)
Record-Setting Track Star Wes Santee Dies at 78
''The New York Times''. Retrieved on 2011-01-04.

Major events

World

Regional

National

Local

World records

Men

Women

Season's bests

Awards

Men

Women

Doping

Deaths

See also

References

Further reading