Our series of profiles on the IAAF Athlete of the Year award-winners wraps up this week with the male and female honorees from 2006-2010. Read more about Usain Bolt and David Rudisha's world record-setting performances, Tyson Gay's rivalry with Bolt and Asafa Powell, plus the highlights of female stars such as Sanya Richards and Yelena Isinbayeva. Sprinters won six of the 10 Athlete of the Year awards during this 5-year period, although jumpers and distance runners also made their marks.

Photo: Sanya Richards-Ross won the IAAF female Athlete of the Year award in 2006 and 2009.

The U.S. will send a marathon team with plenty of Olympic experience to the London games, although not all of that experience was gained in the marathon.

Photo: Kara Goucher will compete in her first Olympic marathon in London. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

On the men's side, three Olympic marathon veterans made the squad at last Saturday's Olympic Trials in Houston, led by 37-year-old Meb Keflezighi, who'll run in his third Olympics. Keflezighi seems to improve with age, as he set his personal best while placing sixth in the New York City Marathon last November, then established a new personal best in Houston of 2:09:08. Ryan Hall, the youngest of the male qualifiers at 29, led early but couldn't keep up with Keflezighi, taking second in 2:09:30. Abdi Abdirahman, 34, was a surprise third in 2:09:47, his best time since 2006. He'll run in his fourth Olympics.

Shalane Flanagan isn't an experienced marathoner, but she was impressive in her second career marathon, winning the women's event in an Olympic Trials record time of 2:25:38. Flanagan, who earned a 10,000-meter bronze medal in Beijing, surged ahead of second place Desiree Davila during the final three miles. Davila, the only one of Saturday's six qualifiers who hasn't run in the Olympics, held onto second place in 2:25:55. Kara Goucher, a top-10 finisher in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the 2008 Olympics, earned her first Olympic marathon berth with a third-place finish in 2:26:06.

Youth coaches looking ahead to the next track and field season may be blessed with some talented, eager young competitors looking to take up a new event. Or perhaps they're new to track and field altogether. If so, check out a series of articles offering advice for coaching beginning shot putters, discus throwers, high jumpers, long jumpers, and the newest addition, hurdlers.

One of the intriguing questions heading into the Olympic year of 2012 revolves around the women's pole vault. Yelena Isinbayeva is the two-time defending Olympic champion. Indeed, she set world records while earning gold medals in 2004 and 2008. But track and field fans know her recent story well. After dominating women's pole vault for five years, Isinbayeva no-heighted at the 2009 World Championships and hasn't won a world title since. Anna Rogowska won the World Championship in 2009, while Fabiana Murer won the 2010 World Indoor Championship and the 2011 outdoor World Championship. But neither Rogowska nor Murer came close to Isinbayeva's world records. The question is, can Isinbayeva again challenge her world marks?

Photo: Yelena Isinbayeva will hope to recapture her Olympic magic in London this year. Nick Laham/Getty Images

Isinbayeva - who'll be 30 this summer, hardly over the hill for a pole vaulter - is a three-time winner of the IAAF Athlete of the Year award. Check out the latest profiles of the 2001-05 female and male Athletes of the Year.