Bengaluru, January 1: On the last day of year 2021, Ethiopia's Ejegayehu Taye and Berihu Aregawi broke the 5kms world records at the Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona clocking 14:18 and 12:50 respectively.

Taye, 21, had set an Ethiopian 3,000M record of 8:19.52 earlier this year, and was the second-fastest woman in the world over 5,000M this season, but at Barcelona she was contesting just the second international road race of her career.

Twenty-year-old Aregawi, meanwhile, had come within one second of Joshua Cheptegei's world record in Lille last month, so was keen to take another crack at the mark before the year was out to ensure he could end 2021 on a high.

With the women and men starting at the same time, Taye was able to use some of the men in the field as pacemakers.

She opened up a clear gap on Sweden's Meraf Bahta in the early stages and went on to win in 14:18, taking 25sec off the world record for the 5kms in a mixed race. Bahta was second in 15:04.

Aregawi had a pacemaker for company for the first kilometre or so, but after then was out on his own.

The World Athletics Diamond League 5,000M champion stormed through the finish line in 12:50, taking one second off Cheptegei's world record. Peter Maru was a distant runner-up in 13:30.

AIPS honour for Elaine

Meanwhile, Jamaica's treble Tokyo Olympic Games gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah was named International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Best Female Athlete of 2021.

This follows a poll by the AIPS, where a panel of 529 journalists from 114 countries voted for the Champions of 2021.

Joining Thompson-Herah in receiving the top honour is Polish footballer Robert Lewandowski, who has been named the AIPS Best Male Athlete of 2021.

Yearender 2021: Elaine Thompson-Herah, Jamaica's queen of athletics track!

Sprint star Thompson-Herah, who was named the World Female Athlete of the Year at the World Athletics Awards 2021 earlier this month, retained her Olympic 100M and 200M titles in Tokyo and added a third gold medal in the 4x100M relay.

The 29-year-old also ran world-leading times of 10.54 and 21.53 over 100M and 200M respectively, moving to second on the world all-time lists for each discipline.

The Jamaican sprint sensation topped the AIPS poll with 605 points, ahead of Spanish footballer Alexia Putellas (490 points) and Venezuela's world triple jump record-holder and Olympic champion Yulimar Rojas (346 points).

And with the Athletics World Championships coming up next year, the treble Tokyo Olympic Games gold medallist clearly has set her priorities clear.

"I just take it year by year," said Thompson-Herah.

"I went very close to the world record so you know, anything is possible. No spikes hanging up any time soon! "The World Championships in Oregon is most definitely my next big target," she added.

"It is close to home, I hope friends and family can come out and watch. I hope I get some crowd as well. That couldn't happen in Tokyo but hopefully in Eugene I can get my friends and family to come and cheer me on."

Given her current form, Thompson-Herah believes she can break Florence Griffith Joyner's 33-year-old record of 10.49sec in the 100M.