Track & Field News Athlete of the Year

Last updated
German sprinter Marita Koch won the award a record four times Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1984-0402-025, Marita Koch.jpg
German sprinter Marita Koch won the award a record four times

The Track & Field News Athlete of the Year award is given to track and field athletes by Track & Field News magazine, an American sports magazine. A panel of international track and field experts organized by the magazine selects the winners. The award has been given to men since 1959 and women since 1974.

Winners

YearMale winnerNationalityFemale winnerNationality
1959 Martin Lauer Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany Not awarded
1960 Rafer Johnson Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Not awarded
1961 Ralph Boston Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Not awarded
1962 Peter Snell Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Not awarded
1963 Yang Chuan-Kwang Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan Not awarded
1964 Peter Snell Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Not awarded
1965 Ron Clarke Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Not awarded
1966 Jim Ryun Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Not awarded
1967 Jim Ryun Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Not awarded
1968 Bob Beamon Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Not awarded
1969 Bill Toomey Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Not awarded
1970 Randy Matson Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Not awarded
1971 Rod Milburn Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Not awarded
1972 Lasse Virén Flag of Finland.svg  Finland Not awarded
1973 Ben Jipcho Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Not awarded
1974 Rick Wohlhuter Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Irena Szewińska Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
1975 John Walker Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Faina Melnik Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
1976 Alberto Juantorena Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba Tatyana Kazankina Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
1977 Alberto Juantorena Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba Rosemarie Ackermann Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany
1978 Henry Rono Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Marita Koch Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany
1979 Sebastian Coe Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Marita Koch Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany
1980 Edwin Moses Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Ilona Slupianek Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany
1981 Sebastian Coe Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Evelyn Ashford Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
1982 Carl Lewis Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Marita Koch Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany
1983 Carl Lewis Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Jarmila Kratochvílová Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czechoslovakia
1984 Carl Lewis Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Evelyn Ashford Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
1985 Saïd Aouita Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco Marita Koch Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany
1986 Yuriy Sedykh Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Jackie Joyner-Kersee Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
1987 Saïd Aouita Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco Jackie Joyner-Kersee Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
1988 Sergey Bubka Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Florence Griffith-Joyner Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
1989 Roger Kingdom Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Ana Quirot Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba
1990 Michael Johnson Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Merlene Ottey Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica
1991 Sergey Bubka Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union Heike Henkel Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
1992 Kevin Young Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Heike Drechsler Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
1993 Noureddine Morceli Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria Wang Junxia Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
1994 Noureddine Morceli Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria Jackie Joyner-Kersee Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
1995 Haile Gebrselassie Flag of Ethiopia (1991-1996).svg  Ethiopia Sonia O'Sullivan Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
1996 Michael Johnson Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Svetlana Masterkova Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
1997 Wilson Kipketer Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Marion Jones Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
1998 Haile Gebrselassie Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia Marion Jones Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
1999 Hicham El Guerrouj Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco Gabriela Szabo Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
2000 Virgilijus Alekna Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania Stacy Dragila Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2001 Hicham El Guerrouj Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco Stacy Dragila Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2002 Hicham El Guerrouj Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco Paula Radcliffe Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
2003 Félix Sánchez Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic Maria Mutola Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique
2004 Kenenisa Bekele Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia Yelena Isinbayeva Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
2005 Kenenisa Bekele Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia Yelena Isinbayeva Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
2006 Asafa Powell Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica Sanya Richards Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2007 Tyson Gay Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Meseret Defar Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia
2008 Usain Bolt Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica Tirunesh Dibaba Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia
2009 Usain Bolt Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica Sanya Richards Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2010 David Rudisha Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Blanka Vlašić Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
2011 David Rudisha Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Vivian Cheruiyot Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2012 David Rudisha Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Valerie Adams Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
2013 Bohdan Bondarenko Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Valerie Adams Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
2014 Renaud Lavillenie Flag of France.svg  France Anita Włodarczyk Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
2015 Ashton Eaton Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Genzebe Dibaba Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia
2016 Wayde van Niekerk Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Anita Włodarczyk Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
2017 Mutaz Essa Barshim Flag of Qatar.svg  Qatar Anita Włodarczyk Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
2018 Eliud Kipchoge Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Caster Semenya Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2019 Karsten Warholm Flag of Norway.svg  Norway Dalilah Muhammad Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2020 [1] MVP: Armand Duplantis Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden MVP: Yulimar Rojas Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela
2021 Ryan Crouser Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Elaine Thompson-Herah Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica
2022 Armand Duplantis Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Sydney McLaughlin Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2023 Ryan Crouser Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Faith Kipyegon Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2024 Armand Duplantis Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2025 Armand Duplantis Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Beatrice Chebet Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya

References

  1. ↑ No voting done due to the COVID-19 pandemic, "MVP" titles were awarded
Winner lists
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