A look back at Renaud Lavillenie’s and Valerie Adams’ year in athletics

Renaud Lavillenie and Valerie Adams were crowned the male and female World Athletes of the Year at the World Athletics Gala on Friday night (21), a fitting climax to their stunning seasons.

It was the first time in the history of the awards that field event athletes had won both accolades. It was also the first time that a male pole vaulter or a female thrower had won the World Athlete of the Year award.

His first IAAF Diamond League win of the season came in Shanghai, where he cleared 5.92m. He followed it with victories in Eugene, Oslo, Lausanne and Paris as he built up towards the defence of his European title.

In Zurich in August, Lavillenie duly won his third successive European title, clearing 5.90m to win by the staggering margin of 20 centimetres.

Lavillenie ended his season by winning at the IAAF Continental Cup in Marrakesh, fittingly captaining the European team to the overall victory.

Of his 22 competitions in 2014, indoors and outdoors, Lavillenie’s only blemish came when he failed to clear a height in Stockholm; an outstanding record in an event that is known for its unpredictability.

Another undefeated year for Adams

Adams may have thrown farther in previous seasons than she did in 2014, but assessed on its own merits, the shot putter from New Zealand still had a year to remember.