Dauwalter’s ultra win earns her USATF Athlete of the Week honors

INDIANAPOLIS — Winning one of the world’s most grueling ultra trail races in record-setting fashion, Courtney Dauwalter (Golden, Colorado) earned recognition as the 26th USATF Athlete of the Week award winner for 2021. 

Dauwalter won the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc as she traversed the rugged 172-kilometer course around Mont Blanc in 22:30:54, bettering the previous course record set in 2013 by American Rory Bosio by almost seven minutes. The course started and finished in Chamonix, France, and went through Italy and Switzerland along the way. It was the second straight UTMB win for Dauwalter, who took the title in 2019, and she won the women’s division by more than 90 minutes as she finished seventh overall. 

Other top performances from last week:

• Elijah Hall won the 100m and 200m at the Budapest World Continental Tour meet, setting a lifetime best of 10.04 in the 100 and matching his PR in the 200 at 20.11.
• Devon Allen won his first Diamond League race ever with a wind-aided 13.07 in the 110m hurdles at Lausanne, beating Olympic champion Hansle Parchment.
• Ryan Crouser set a meet record at the Lausanne Diamond League meet with a 22.81m/74-10 in the men’s shot put.
• Fred Kerley ran a lifetime best 19.79 to win the men’s 200m at the Paris Diamond League meet, outleaning Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek.
• Elise Cranny moved to No. 4 on the all-time U.S. outdoor women’s 3,000m performer list with her 8:30.30 at the Paris Diamond League meet. Her time makes her No. 7 on the comprehensive all-time U.S. performer list.

Now in its 20th year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week when there are high-level competitions and features the athlete on USATF.org. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week. 

2021 Winners: January 21, KC Lightfoot; January 28, Ryan Crouser; February 4, Bryce Hoppel; February 11, Athing Mu; February 18, Elle Purrier; February 25, Jaylen Slade; March 4, Grant Holloway; March 11, Emmanuel Bor; March 18, Tara Davis; March 25, Emily Sisson; April 1, Tara Davis; April 8, Kenny Selmon; April 15, DeAnna Price; April 22, Athing Mu; April 29, Rudy Winkler; May 6, Trayvon Bromell; May 13, Sha’Carri Richardson; May 20, Athing Mu; May 27, Ryan Crouser; June 3, Maggie Malone; June 10, Trayvon Bromell; June 24, Ryan Crouser; July 1, Sydney McLaughlin; July 21, Maggie Malone; August 25, Athing Mu; September 2, Courtney Dauwalter. 

We welcome your nominations! 

To nominate an athlete for USATF Athlete of the Week, please send a detailed email about his/her performance to communications@usatf.org. 

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Photo courtesy of UTMB Mont Blanc