Sporting Digest: Athletics

Marion Jones and Haile Gebrselassie were yesterday named as the International Amateur Athletic Federation athletes of the year. Jones, who picked up the award for the second year in a row, dominated the 100 metres, 200 metres and long jump. Gebrselassie set world indoor records at 2,000 and 3,000 metres, and broke the outdoor records at 5,000 and 10,000m. He also posted the year's fastest times in the 3,000m.

A proposal to scrap all existing world records and start afresh in the new century to restore credibilty will be put to delegates at next year's IAAF council meeting.

Britain's Paula Radcliffe dominated the Reebok Cross Challenge at Margate yesterday, winning the 5.5km in 17min 47 sec. It was her first cross-country race of the winter and it clinched her a place in Britain's team for the European Championships in Italy next month. Keith Cullen, the three-times British cross-country champion, won the men's 9.5km race in 28:15.