Merlene Joyce Ottey is a Jamaican-Slovenian former track and field sprinter. She began her career representing Jamaica in 1978, and continued to do so for 24 years, before representing Slovenia from 2002 to 2012. She is ranked fourth on the all-time list over 60 metres (indoor), eighth on the all-time list over 100 metres and sixth on the all-time list over 200 metres. She is the current world indoor record holder for 200 metres with 21.87 seconds, set in 1993. She was named Jamaican Sportswoman of the Year 13 times between 1979 and 1995.
Jolanda Batagelj is a Slovenian middle distance athlete. She was born in Celje and lived in Velenje until briefly moving to Monaco. She has lived in Celje since.
Jenny Margareta Kallur is a Swedish former track and field athlete who competed in hurdling and sprinting events. Her twin sister Susanna Kallur, who is four minutes younger, is also a 100 m hurdler. She was coached by Torbjörn Eriksson and Anders Henriksson.
Gerd Kanter is a retired Estonian discus thrower. He was the 2007 World Champion in the event and won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and bronze in London 2012. His personal best throw of 73.38 m is the Estonian record and the third best mark of all time.
Nadzeya Astapchuk is a Belarusian shot putter. She briefly was designated the Olympic Champion in 2012, but was subsequently stripped of the title for failing a drug test and the gold medal was awarded to New Zealand shot putter Valerie Adams. She was World Champion in 2005, but in March 2013, the IAAF reported that her drug test sample from that event had been retested and found to be positive.
Yamilé Aldama Pozo is a Cuban-born triple jumper. She represented Cuba until 2003, Sudan from 2004 to 2010, then Great Britain from 2011 onwards. A four-time Olympian (2000–12), she won a silver medal at the 1999 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2012 World Indoor Championships.
Tetiana Hryhorivna Petlyuk or Tetiana Hryhorivna Petliuk is a Ukrainian runner who specializes in the 800 metres. Her personal best time is 1:57.34 minutes, achieved in June 2006 in Kyiv. She has an indoor best of 1:58.67 minutes, set in 2007.
Brigita Langerholc is a Slovenian middle distance runner who specializes in the 800 metres.
Silke Spiegelburg is a German pole vaulter. She is the younger sister of Richard Spiegelburg. She represented Germany at the Summer Olympics in 2004, 2008 and 2012, as well as having competed at the World Championships in Athletics. She is a European silver medallist in the event both indoors and outdoors.
Simona La Mantia is an Italian triple jumper. Her best result at international senior level was a gold medal at the 2011 European Indoor Championships.
Nils Winter is a German long jumper.
Tatjana Kivimägi, is a Russian-Estonian high jumper.
Ancuța Bobocel is a Romanian middle-distance runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. She represented Romania at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics and is a three-time participant at the World Championships in Athletics. In 2009, she won the European U23 and Jeux de la Francophonie steeplechase titles, as well as a silver at the Summer Universiade.
This article contains an overview of the year 1980 in athletics. The major athletics event of the year was the 1980 Moscow Olympics. A boycott of this competition meant many of world's leading athletes did not face each other, with many of the boycotting athletes taking part in the rival Liberty Bell Classic competition.
Nataliya Pyhyda is a Ukrainian track and field sprinter who specializes in the 200 and 400 metres. Her personal best times are 22.82 seconds (2008) and 50.62 seconds (2015), respectively.
Eline Berings is a Belgian retired athlete, who competed in the 100 m hurdles. She is the 2005 European junior champion, and took her first medal as a senior by winning the 2009 European Indoor Championships. Her personal best times are 12.72 and 7.92 in the 100 and 60 m hurdles respectively.
Sonja Roman is a Slovenian middle distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres. She is the national record holder in the event.
Antonina Yefremova is a Ukrainian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. Yefremova received a two-year ban in 2012 for using testosterone at the 2011 World Athletics Championships.
Anna Giordano Bruno is a retired Italian track and field athlete who specialised in the pole vault.
Tina Šutej is a Slovenian pole vaulter. She won bronze medals at the 2022 World Indoor Championships and 2022 European Championships. Šutej earned a silver at the 2021 European Indoor Championships and again in 2023.
Slovenia 
