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 Briesenick 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

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saskatchewan Huskies</span> Student athletes from the University of Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan Huskies are the athletics teams representing the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The university began their athletics program in 1907 and has competed with others since 1911. They currently compete in elite inter-university competition administered by U Sports and its members, both as regions and as individual institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Joyner-Kersee</span> American retired track and field athlete

Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee is a retired American track and field athlete, ranked among the all-time greats in the heptathlon as well as long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals in those two events at four different Olympic Games. Sports Illustrated for Women magazine voted Joyner-Kersee the Greatest Female Athlete of All-Time. She served on the board of directors for USA Track & Field (U.S.A.T.F.), the national governing body of the sport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ESPY Award</span> Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards Event

An ESPY Award is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC except 2020, and previously ESPN, to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993. Because of the ceremony's rescheduling prior to the 2002 iteration thereof, awards presented in 2002 were for achievement and performances during the seventeen-plus previous months. As the similarly styled Grammy, Emmy, Academy Award, and Tony, the ESPYs are hosted by a contemporary celebrity; the style, though, is lighter, more relaxed and self-referential than many other awards shows, with comedic sketches usually included.

The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur athlete from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-America team for their sport. Some sports will have multiple All-America teams and will list the honorees as members of a first team, second team, or third team. As such, All-America teams are composed of outstanding US amateur players. Individuals falling short of qualifying for the honor may receive All-America honorable mention. The designation is typically used at the collegiate level, although, beginning in 1957, high school athletes in football began being honored with All-American status, which then carried over to other sports like basketball and cross-country running. The selection criteria vary by sport. Athletes at the high school and college level placed on All-America teams are referred to as All-Americans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Britain at the 2004 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Great Britain, the team of the British Olympic Association (BOA), competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004 with the team of selected athletes was officially known as Team GB. The British sent a wide-ranging delegation to the Games, continuing its ubiquitous presence in the Olympic games, the only country to have sent competitors to every summer and winter games since the birth of the modern Olympics in 1896. Great Britain's 264 athletes, 161 men and 103 women, competed in 22 disciplines throughout the two-week event. The team entered the opening ceremony behind the Union Flag carried by judoka Kate Howey. Double gold medal winner Kelly Holmes carried the flag at the closing ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity Western Spartans</span> The athletic teams that represent Trinity Western University

The Trinity Western Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia. The university's teams are members of U Sports, and compete in the Canada West Universities Athletics Association, and where applicable, in the Pacific division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windsor Lancers</span> University of Windsor athletic teams

The Windsor Lancers are the varsity athletic teams that represent the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The school's varsity program supports 9 different sports. Their mascot is a lancer and the team's colours are blue and gold. The varsity teams compete in the Ontario University Athletics provincial conference and the national U Sports organization. The school joined the Ontario-Quebec Athletic Association in 1952.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Varsity Blues</span> Sports teams of the University of Toronto, Canada

The Toronto Varsity Blues are the intercollegiate sports program at the University of Toronto. Its 43 athletic teams regularly participate in competitions held by Ontario University Athletics and U Sports. The Varsity Blues trace their founding to 1877, with the formation of the men's football team. Since 1908, Varsity Blues athletes have won numerous medals in Olympic and Paralympic Games and have also long competed in International University Sports Federation championships, Commonwealth Games, and Pan American Games.

The Today's Top 10 Award is given each year by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to honor ten former outstanding senior student-athletes. The award was previously known by three different names, each reflecting the number of recipients:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SMU Mustangs</span> Collegiate sports club in the United States

The SMU Mustangs are the athletic teams that represent Southern Methodist University in University Park, Texas, United States. The Mustangs were founded in 1911 and joined the Southwest Conference, competing against Baylor, Rice, Texas, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Oklahoma A&M.

The Best Female Track Athlete ESPY Award was presented annually between 1993 and 2006 to the female track and field athlete, irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year. Beginning in 2007, this award was combined with the parallel Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award into the single Best Track and Field Athlete ESPY Award.

The Best International Athlete ESPY Award is an award given to the sportsperson adjudged to have been the best or most outstanding of those born outside, or not possessing citizenship, of the United States who contest a major international sport in a given calendar year. From 2008 to 2009, the award was split into Best Female International Athlete ESPY Award and Best Male International Athlete ESPY Award. The women's version of the award for 2008 and 2009 were presented to Mexican professional golfer Lorena Ochoa. The award was discontinued after 2009, but was reinstated in 2012.

Athlete of the Year is an award given by various sports organizations for the athlete whom they have determined to be deserving of such recognition.

The USOPC Athlete of the Year awards are part of a series of awards presented by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee to athletes who have distinguished themselves in one of the Olympic or Paralympic sports. Awards are presented to the Olympic or Paralympic SportsMan of the Year, SportsWoman of the Year, and Team of the Year.

The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Sports Award are automatically in the running for the Honda-Broderick Cup award, as the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. Three other athletes are honored as the Division II Athlete of the Year, Division III Athlete of the Year, and Inspiration Award winner.

The Academic All-America program is a student-athlete recognition program. The program selects an honorary sports team composed of the most outstanding student-athletes of a specific season for positions in various sports—who in turn are given the honorific "Academic All-American". Since 1952, College Sports Communicators has bestowed Academic All-American recognition on male and female athletes in Divisions I, II, and III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as well as athletes in the NAIA, other U.S. four-year schools, two-year colleges, and Canadian universities, covering all championship sports. The award honors student-athletes who have performed well academically and athletically while regularly competing for their institution.

The Gatorade Player of the Year awards are given annually to up and coming high school student-athletes in the United States. They are given for boys baseball, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls cross country, boys football, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls track & field, girls softball, and girls volleyball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azerbaijan at the 2012 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Azerbaijan competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's fifth consecutive appearance at the Olympics in the post-Soviet era. The National Olympic Committee of the Azerbaijani Republic sent the nation's largest delegation to the Games. A total of 53 athletes, 39 men and 14 women, competed in 15 sports. There was only a single competitor in road cycling, equestrian show jumping, fencing, and shooting. The Azerbaijani athletes also included their only defending champion, judoka Elnur Mammadli, who became the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venezuela at the 2012 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Venezuela competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from July 27 to August 12, 2012. This was the nation's seventeenth consecutive appearance at the Olympics, since its debut at the same host city in 1948. Celebrating the anniversary of the nation's Olympic debut, the British Embassy in Caracas invited former track cyclist Julio César León to travel back to the United Kingdom, and revisit his memories as the first Venezuelan athlete in history to compete at the games.

Julie Shea is a former American long-distance runner and politician.

References

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