Years in the sport of athletics
← 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 →
2002 in sports
Air sports American football Aquatic sports Association football Athletics Australian rules football Badminton Baseball Basketball Canadian football Chess Climbing Combat sports Sumo Cricket 2001–02 2002 2002–03 Cycling Dance sports Darts Equestrianism Esports Field hockey Flying disc Golf Gymnastics Handball Ice hockey Ice sports Korfball Lumberjack sports Mind sports Modern pentathlon Motorsport Orienteering Paralympic sports Precision sports Shooting Racquetball Roller sports Sailing Skiing Speedway Rugby league‎ Rugby union Snooker 2001–02 2002–03 Strength sports Weightlifting Squash Table tennis Tennis Triathlon Volleyball

This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2002.

There was no primary championships that season, although continental championships were held in Africa, Asia and Europe. The foremost athletics competitions at games events occurred at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the 2002 Asian Games and the 2002 CAC Games. The 2002 IAAF World Cup was the major global outdoor track and field event.

Paula Radcliffe was among the season's top performers, having set world records at the London and Chicago Marathons, as well becoming European and Commonwealth champion on the track.

• 2002 Lithuanian Athletics Championships

  None in 2002

Event	Athlete	Nation	Performance	Meeting	Place	Date
3000 m steeplechase	Justyna Bak	Poland	9:22.29		Milan, Italy	5 June
3000 m steeplechase	Alesya Turova	Belarus	9:21.72		Ostrava, Czech Republic	12 June
3000 m steeplechase	Alesya Turova	Belarus	9:16.51		Gdańsk, Poland	27 July

2002 TRACK & FIELD AWARDS	WINNER
IAAF World Athlete of the Year	Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR)
Track & Field Athlete of the Year	Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR)
European Athlete of the Year Award	Dwain Chambers (GBR)
Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award	Maurice Greene (USA)

2002 TRACK & FIELD AWARDS	WINNER
IAAF World Athlete of the Year	Paula Radcliffe (GBR)
Track & Field Athlete of the Year	Paula Radcliffe (GBR)
European Athlete of the Year Award	Süreyya Ayhan (TUR)
Best Female Track Athlete ESPY Award	Marion Jones (USA)

RANK	2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Félix Sánchez (DOM)	47.35
2.	James Carter (USA)	47.57
3.	Stéphane Diagana (FRA)	47.58
4.	Llewellyn Herbert (RSA)	48.02
5.	Hadi Soua'an Al-Somaily (KSA)	48.11

RANK	2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Brahim Boulami (MAR)	7:58.09
2.	Stephen Cherono (KEN)	7:58.10
3.	Wilson Boit Kipketer (KEN)	8:00.56
4.	Paul Kipsiele Koech (KEN)	8:05.44
5.	Reuben Kosgei (KEN)	8:05.87

RANK	2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	HEIGHT
1.	Jeff Hartwig (USA)	5.90 m
	Tim Lobinger (GER)
3.	Lars Börgeling (GER)	5.85 m
	Aleksandr Averbukh (ISR)
	Patrik Kristiansson (SWE)

RANK	2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Zhanna Block (UKR)	10.83
2.	Debbie Ferguson (BAH)	10.91
3.	Tayna Lawrence (JAM)	10.93
4.	Chryste Gaines (USA)	10.94
5.	Muriel Hurtis-Houairi (FRA)	10.96

RANK	2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Debbie Ferguson (BAH)	22.20
2.	Zhanna Block (UKR)	22.24
3.	Veronica Campbell (JAM)	22.39
4.	Muriel Hurtis-Houairi (FRA)	22.43
5.	Stephanie Durst (USA)	22.48

RANK	2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Sonia O'Sullivan (IRL)	1:07:19

RANK	2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Gail Devers (USA)	12.40
2.	Brigitte Foster-Hylton (JAM)	12.49
3.	Miesha McKelvy (USA)	12.60
	Glory Alozie (ESP)
5.	Anjanette Kirkland (USA)	12.62

RANK	2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS)	53.10
2.	Jana Rawlinson (AUS)	54.14
3.	Tetyana Tereshchuk-Antipova (UKR)	54.28
4.	Sandra Glover (USA)	54.40
5.	Surita Febbraio (RSA)	54.45

RANK	2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.	Alesya Turova (BLR)	9:16.51
2.	Justyna Bak (POL)	9:22.29
3.	Élodie Olivarès (FRA)	9:33.12
4.	Cristina Casandra (ROM)	9:33.16
5.	Melanie Schulz (GER)	9:38.31

RANK	2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	HEIGHT
1.	Kajsa Bergqvist (SWE)	2.05 m
2.	Hestrie Cloete (RSA)	2.02 m
3.	Iryna Mykhalchenko (UKR)	2.00 m
	Viktoria Seryogina (RUS)
	Marina Kuptsova (RUS)

RANK	2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	HEIGHT
1.	Svetlana Feofanova (RUS)	4.78 m
2.	Annika Becker (GER)	4.77 m
3.	Stacy Dragila (USA)	4.72 m
4.	Mary Vincent (USA)	4.65 m
5.	Yvonne Buschbaum (GER)	4.65 m

RANK	2002 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	POINTS
1.	Carolina Klüft (SWE)	6542
2.	Sabine Braun (GER)	6434
3.	Shelia Burrell (USA)	6363
4.	Natalya Sazanovich (BLR)	6341
5.	Austra Skujyté (LTU)	6275

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
	Francis Naali (TAN)	2:11:58
	Joshua Chelanga (KEN)	2:12:44
	Andrew Letherby (AUS)	2:13:23
4.	Erick Wainaina (KEN)	2:13:27
5.	Luketz Swartbooi (NAM)	2:13:40
6.	Jonathan Wyatt (NZL)	2:14:20
7.	Lee Troop (AUS)	2:16:44
8.	Josiah Bembe (RSA)	2:18:16
9.	Shaun Creighton (AUS)	2:18:19
10.	Dominic Bannister (ENG)	2:19:31

RANK	ATHLETE	TIME
	Kerryn McCann (AUS)	2:30:05
	Krishna Stanton (AUS)	2:34:52
	Jackie Gallagher (AUS)	2:36:37
4.	Debbie Robinson (ENG)	2:39:42
5.	Teresa McCluskey (NIR)	2:40:29
6.	Bev Hartigan (ENG)	2:41:27
7.	Carol Galea (MLT)	2:45:48
8.	Marian Sutton (ENG)	2:45:55
9.	Beata Naigambo (NAM)	2:47:22
10.	Elizabeth Mongudhi (NAM)	2:49:19

• March 7 — Franziska Rochat-Moser (35), Swiss long-distance runner
• March 22 — Marcel Hansenne (85), French middle-distance runner
• March 27 — Tadeusz Rut (70), Polish hammer thrower
• May 26 — Mamo Wolde (69), Ethiopian runner
• June 17 — Willie Davenport (59), American hurdler
• June 20 — Tinus Osendarp (86), Dutch athlete
• August 1 — Theo Bruce (79), Australian long jumper
• August 12 — Knud Lundberg (82), Danish multi-talented sportsman
• August 31 — Joe McCluskey (91), American athlete
• September 18 — Bob Hayes (59), American sprinter and American football player
• November 15 — Sohn Kee-Chung (90), Korean marathoner
• November 18 — Kim Gallagher (38), American athlete

• ARRS