1991 in the sport of athletics
This page contains an overview of the year 1991 in athletics.
International Events
- All-Africa Games
- Asian Championships
- Central American and Caribbean Championships
- Mediterranean Games
- Pan American Games
- South American Championships
- World Championships
- World Cross Country Championships
- World Indoor Championships
- World Student Games
World records
Men
- The relay team of the United States in the men's 4x100m, formed by Michael Marsh, Leroy Burrell, Floyd Heard and Carl Lewis, equal the current world record, set the previous year by France at the European Championships, clocking 37.79 on 1991-08-03 at a meet in Monaco. The first mark was set by Max Morinière, Daniel Sangouma, Jean-Charles Trouabal and Bruno Marie-Rose on 1990-09-01 in Split, Yugoslavia.
Women
Men's Best Year Performers
[100 metres]
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 9.86 | |
| 2. | 9.88 | |
| 3. | 9.92 | |
| 4. | 9.95 | |
| 5. | 9.96 |
[200 metres]
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 19.88 | |
| 2. | 20.08 | |
| 3. | 20.12 | |
| 4. | 20.13 | |
| 5. | 20.15 |
[400 metres]
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 44.17 | |
| 2. | 44.36 | |
| 3. | 44.40 | |
| 4. | 44.42 | |
| 5. | 44.52 |
[800 metres]
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 1:43.08 | |
| 2. | 1:43.30 | |
| 3. | 1:43.84 | |
| 4. | 1:43.93 | |
| 5. | 1:43.96 |
1,500 metres">1500 metres">1,500 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 3:31.00 | |
| 2. | 3:31.96 | |
| 3. | 3:32.03 | |
| 4. | 3:32.94 | |
| 5. | 3:33.28 |
[Mile [run world record progression|Mile]]
3,000 metres">3000 metres">3,000 metres
5,000 metres">5000 metres">5,000 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 13:01.82 | |
| 2. | 13:09.76 | |
| 3. | 13:10.10 | |
| 4. | 13:10.44 | |
| 5. | 13:11.76 |
10,000 metres">10000 metres">10,000 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 27:11.18 | |
| 2. | 27:11.62 | |
| 3. | 27:23.29 | |
| 4. | 27:24.55 | |
| 5. | 27:28.87 |
[Half Marathon]
Marathon">Marathon (sport)">Marathon
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 2:08:53 | |
| 2. | 2:09:12 | |
| 3. | 2:09:17 | |
| 4. | 2:09:23 | |
| 5. | 2:09:28 |
110m Hurdles">Hurdling">110m Hurdles
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 13.05 | |
| 2. | 13.06 | |
| — | 13.06 | |
| 4. | 13.09 | |
| 5. | 13.13 |
400m Hurdles">Hurdling">400m Hurdles
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 47.10 | |
| 2. | 47.38 | |
| 3. | 47.74 | |
| 4. | 47.83 | |
| 5. | 47.86 |
3,000m Steeplechase">Steeplechase (athletics)">3,000m Steeplechase
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 8:06.46 | |
| 2. | 8:08.39 | |
| 3. | 8:10.69 | |
| 4. | 8:11.28 | |
| 5. | 8:11.85 |
[High Jump]
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | HEIGHT |
| 1. | 2.40 | |
| 1. | 2.40 | |
| 3. | 2.37 | |
| 4. | 2.36 | |
| 5. | 2.35 | |
| 5. | 2.35 |
[Long Jump]
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
| 1. | 8.95 | |
| 2. | 8.87 | |
| 3. | 8.50 | |
| 3. | 8.50 | |
| 5. | 8.28 |
[Triple Jump]
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
| 1. | 17.78 | |
| 2. | 17.75 | |
| 3. | 17.66 | |
| 4. | 17.62 | |
| 5. | 17.53 |
Discus">Discus throw">Discus
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
| 1. | 69.36 | |
| 2. | 68.12 | |
| 3. | 67.80 | |
| 4. | 67.78 | |
| 5. | 67.54 |
Shot Put">Shot put">Shot Put
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
| 1. | 22.03 | |
| 2. | 20.77 | |
| 3. | 20.75 | |
| 4. | 20.67 | |
| 5. | 20.55 |
Hammer">Hammer throw">Hammer
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
| 1. | 84.26 | |
| 2. | 82.80 | |
| 3. | 82.62 | |
| 4. | 82.40 | |
| 5. | 81.16 |
Javelin (new design)">Javelin throw">Javelin (new design)
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
| 1. | 96.96 | |
| 2. | 91.36 | |
| 3. | 90.84 | |
| 4. | 90.82 | |
| 5. | 90.72 |
[Pole Vault]
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | HEIGHT |
| 1. | 6.10 | |
| 2. | 5.92 | |
| 3. | 5.90 | |
| 3. | 5.90 | |
| 5. | 5.90 |
[Decathlon]
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | POINTS |
| 1. | 8812 | |
| 2. | 8549 | |
| 3. | 8518 | |
| 4. | 8467 | |
| 5. | 8402 |
Women's Best Year Performers
[60 metres]
[100 metres]
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 10.79 | |
| 2. | 10.91 | |
| 3. | 10.94 | |
| 4. | 10.96 | |
| 4. | 10.96 |
[200 metres]
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 21.64 | |
| 2. | 21.96 | |
| 3. | 22.07 | |
| 4. | 22.21 | |
| 5. | 22.24 |
[400 metres]
[800 metres]
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 1:57.23 | |
| 2. | 1:57.34 | |
| 3. | 1:57.50 | |
| 4. | 1:57.58 | |
| 5. | 1:57.63 |
1,500 metres">1500 metres">1,500 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 3:59.16 | |
| 2. | 4:00.00 | |
| 3. | 4:00.83 | |
| 4. | 4:02.21 | |
| 5. | 4:02.58 |
Mile">Mile run world record progression">Mile
3,000 metres">3000 metres">3,000 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 8:32.00 | |
| 2. | 8:35.72 | |
| 3. | 8:35.82 | |
| 4. | 8:36.05 | |
| 5. | 8:36.06 |
5,000 metres">5000 metres">5,000 metres
10,000 metres">10000 metres">10,000 metres
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 30:57.07 | |
| 2. | 31:03.62 | |
| 3. | 31:07.88 | |
| 4. | 31:20.28 | |
| 5. | 31:28.92 |
[Half Marathon]
Marathon">Marathon (sport)">Marathon
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 2:24:18 | |
| 2. | 2:26:14 | |
| 3. | 2:26:40 | |
| 4. | 2:26:52 | |
| 5. | 2:26:54 |
60m Hurdles">60 metres hurdles">60m Hurdles
100m Hurdles">Hurdling">100m Hurdles
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 12.28 | |
| 2. | 12.39 | |
| 3. | 12.48 | |
| 4. | 12.67 | |
| 5. | 12.73 |
400m Hurdles">Hurdling">400m Hurdles
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | TIME |
| 1. | 53.11 | |
| 2. | 53.16 | |
| 3. | 53.47 | |
| 4. | 53.54 | |
| 5. | 53.98 |
High Jump">High jump">High Jump
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | HEIGHT |
| 1. | 2.05 m | |
| 2. | 2.03 m | |
| 3. | 2.02 m | |
| 4. | 1.99 m | |
| 5. | 1.98 m | |
| 5. | 1.98 m |
Long Jump">Long jump">Long Jump
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
| 1. | 7.37 m | |
| 2. | 7.32 m | |
| 3. | 7.24 m | |
| 4. | 7.20 m | |
| 5. | 7.00 m |
Triple Jump">Triple jump">Triple Jump
Shot Put">Shot put">Shot Put
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
| 1. | 21.12 m | |
| 2. | 20.85 m | |
| 3. | 20.40 m | |
| 4. | 19.58 m | |
| 5. | 19.47 m |
Javelin (old design)">Javelin throw">Javelin (old design)
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | DISTANCE |
| 1. | 71.44 | |
| 2. | 70.20 | |
| 3. | 69.66 | |
| 4. | 68.78 | |
| 5. | 68.34 |
[Heptathlon]
| RANK | 1991 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS | POINTS |
| 1. | 6878 | |
| 2. | 6672 | |
| 3. | 6494 | |
| 4. | 6493 | |
| 5. | 6448 |
Births
- January 15 — Darya Klishina, Russian long jumper
- May 8 — Kalkidan Gezahegne, Ethiopian distance runner
Deaths
- January 1 — Inga Gentzel, Swedish athlete
- August 10 — Ellen Braumüller, German athlete