Associated Press Athlete of the Year explained

The first Athlete of the Year award in the United States was initiated by the Associated Press (AP) in 1931. At a time when women in sports were not given the same recognition as men, the AP offered a male and a female athlete of the year award to either a professional or amateur athlete. The awards are voted on annually by a panel of AP sports editors from across the United States, covering mainly American sports. As a result, a large majority of the winners have been Americans. However, non-Americans are also eligible for the honor and have won on a few occasions.

AP Athlete of the Year

Year!scope=col colspan=2
Malescope=col colspan=2Female
scope=colNamescope=colSportscope=colNamescope=colSport
1931 Swimming
1932 Golf Track and field
1933 Major League Baseball Tennis
1934 Major League Baseball Golf
1935 Boxing Tennis
1936 Track and field Track and field
1937 Tennis Swimming
1938 Don Budge (2) Tennis Golf
1939 Tennis
1940 College football Alice Marble (2) Tennis
1941 Major League Baseball Golf
1942 College football Swimming
1943 Track and field Patty Berg (2) Golf
1944 Golf Swimming
1945 Byron Nelson (2) Golf Babe Didrikson Zaharias (2) Golf
1946 College football Babe Didrikson Zaharias (3) Golf
1947 College football Babe Didrikson Zaharias (4) Golf
1948 Major League Baseball Track and field
1949 College football Golf
1950 Major League Baseball Babe Didrikson Zaharias (5) Golf
1951 College football Tennis
1952 Track and field Maureen Connolly (2) Tennis
1953 Golf Maureen Connolly (3) Tennis
1954 Major League Baseball Babe Didrikson Zaharias (6) Golf
1955 College football Patty Berg (3) Golf
1956 Major League Baseball Diving
1957 Major League Baseball Tennis
1958 Track and field Althea Gibson (2) Tennis
1959 Boxing Tennis
1960 Track and field Track and field
1961 Major League Baseball Wilma Rudolph (2) Track and field
1962 Major League Baseball Swimming
1963 Major League Baseball Golf
1964 Swimming Mickey Wright (2) Golf
1965 Sandy Koufax (2) Major League Baseball Golf
1966 Major League Baseball Kathy Whitworth (2) Golf
1967 Major League Baseball Tennis
1968 Major League Baseball Figure skating
1969 Major League Baseball Swimming
1970 Track and field
1971 Golf Tennis
1972 Swimming Gymnastics
1973 National Football League Billie Jean King (2) Tennis
1974 Boxing Tennis
1975 Major League Baseball Chris Evert (2) Tennis
1976 Track and field Gymnastics
1977 Chris Evert (3) Tennis
1978 Major League Baseball Golf
1979 Major League Baseball Tennis
1980 Chris Evert Lloyd (4) Tennis
1981 Tennis Tracy Austin (2) Tennis
1982 Track and field
1983 Track and field Tennis
1984 Carl Lewis (2) Track and field Gymnastics
1985 Major League Baseball Nancy Lopez (2) Golf
1986 Martina Navratilova (2) Tennis
1987 Track and field Track and field
1988 Major League Baseball Track and field
1989 National Football League Tennis
1990 Joe Montana (2) National Football League Golf
1991 National Basketball Association Monica Seles[1] Tennis
1992 Michael Jordan (2) National Basketball Association Monica Seles (2) Tennis
1993 Michael Jordan (3) National Basketball Association College basketball
1994 Boxing Speed skating
1995 Major League Baseball College basketball
1996 Track and field Swimming
1997 Golf Tennis
1998 Major League Baseball Golf
1999 Tiger Woods (2) Golf[2] Soccer
2000 Tiger Woods (3) Golf[3] Track and field
2001 Major League Baseball[4] Tennis
2002 Road bicycle racing[5] Tennis
2003 Lance Armstrong (2) Road bicycle racing[6] Golf
2004 Lance Armstrong (3) Road bicycle racing[7] Annika Sörenstam (2) Golf
2005 Lance Armstrong (4) Road bicycle racing[8] Annika Sörenstam (3) Golf
2006 Tiger Woods (4) Golf[9] Golf
2007 National Football League[10] Lorena Ochoa (2) Golf
2008 Swimming[11] Women's National Basketball Association
2009 Jimmie Johnson[12] NASCAR Serena Williams (2) Tennis
2010 National Football League[13] Skiing
2011 Aaron Rodgers[14] National Football League Soccer
2012 Michael Phelps (2) Swimming[15] Gymnastics
2013 National Basketball Association[16] Serena Williams (3) Tennis
2014 Madison Bumgarner[17] Major League Baseball Mo'ne Davis[18] Little League baseball
2015 National Basketball Association[19] Serena Williams (4) Tennis
2016 LeBron James (2) National Basketball Association[20] Gymnastics
2017 Jose Altuve[21] Major League Baseball Katie Ledecky[22] Swimming
2018 LeBron James (3)[23] National Basketball Association Serena Williams (5)[24] Tennis
2019 Kawhi Leonard[25] National Basketball Association Simone Biles (2) Gymnastics
2020 LeBron James (4) National Basketball Association Naomi OsakaTennis
2021 Shohei Ohtani[26] Major League Baseball Candace Parker (2)[27]
2022 Major League Baseball Katie Ledecky (2) Swimming
2023 Shohei Ohtani (2) Major League Baseball Simone Biles (3) Gymnastics

Multiple awards

Name!scope=col
Sportscope=colAwardsscope=colYears
Road bicycle racing 4 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Golf 4 1997, 1999, 2000, 2006
Basketball 4 2013, 2016, 2018, 2020
Basketball 3 1991, 1992, 1993
Tennis 2 1937, 1938
Baseball 2 1963, 1965
Track and field 2 1983, 1984
American football 2 1989, 1990
Golf 2 1944, 1945
Baseball 2 2021, 2023
Swimming 2 2008, 2012
Name!scope=col
Sportscope=colAwardsscope=colYears
Golf/Track and field 6 1932, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1954
Tennis 5 2002, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2018
Tennis 4 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980
Tennis 3 1951, 1952, 1953
Golf 3 2003, 2004, 2005
Gymnastics 3 2016, 2019, 2023
Tennis 2 1939, 1940
Tennis 2 1957, 1958
Track and field 2 1960, 1961
Golf 2 1963, 1964
Golf 2 1965, 1966
Tennis 2 1967, 1973
Golf 2 1979, 1981
Golf 2 1978, 1985
Tennis 2 1983, 1986
Tennis 2 1991, 1992
Golf 2 2006, 2007
Basketball 2 2008, 2021
Swimming 2 2017, 2022

AP Athlete of the Decade

Decade!scope=col colspan=2
Malescope=col colspan=2Female
scope=colNamescope=colSportscope=colNamescope=colSport
1960s Golf None Awarded
1970s Jack NicklausGolf
1980s Wayne GretzkyHockey
1990s Michael JordanBasketball
2000s Golf
2010s Basketball Tennis

Notes

Notes and References

  1. Became a U.S. citizen in 1994.
  2. News: Tiger AP's Male Athlete Of Year. December 27, 1999. March 15, 2019. CBS News. Associated Press.
  3. News: Year of the Tiger. Ferguson. Doug. December 27, 2000. Missoulian. March 15, 2019. Associated Press. https://web.archive.org/web/20190315141425/https://missoulian.com/year-of-the-tiger/article_3633dd9e-b84f-5449-9bc8-3207dec82010.html. March 15, 2019. live. mdy-all.
  4. January 12, 2002. Barry Bonds Voted The Associated Press Male of the Year. Jet. 101. 4. 52. March 15, 2019. Google Books.
  5. News: Armstrong named AP Athlete of the Year Perseverance: Four-time Tour de France champion tops Bonds. Vertuino. Jim. December 27, 2002. The Brownsville Herald. March 15, 2019. Associated Press. https://web.archive.org/web/20190315134329/https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/armstrong-named-ap-athlete-of-the-year-perseverance-four-time/article_2139a4c4-09de-51c7-b194-9cc27bf4aef7.html. March 15, 2019. live. mdy-all.
  6. News: NAMES & GAMES Lance Armstrong: AP Male Athlete of the Year. December 29, 2003. New Haven Register. March 15, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190315132343/https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/NAMES-GAMES-Lance-Armstrong-AP-Male-Athlete-of-11681888.php. March 15, 2019. live. mdy-all.
  7. News: Vertuno. Jim. Armstrong, Sorenstam honored as athletes of year. Deseret News. Associated Press. December 29, 2004. March 15, 2019. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180924010718/https://www.deseretnews.com/article/600100995/Armstrong-Sorenstam-honored-as-athletes-of-year.html. September 24, 2018. mdy-all.
  8. News: Lance Armstrong wins AP male athlete honours. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. December 28, 2005. March 15, 2019.
  9. News: Woods wins AP male athlete award for 2006. Orlando Sentinel. December 26, 2006. March 15, 2019.
  10. Web site: Flannery. Paul. Tom Brady's Charmed Year Continues. Boston. December 21, 2007. March 15, 2019.
  11. Web site: Michael Phelps Named The Associated Press Top Sports Story, AP Male Athlete of 2008. Swimming World. December 24, 2008. March 15, 2019.
  12. Web site: Johnson is AP's top male athlete of '09 . December 21, 2009 . Associated Press (ESPN.com) . 2010-08-30.
  13. News: Triplett. Mike. New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees fourth QB to be named AP Athlete of the Year. The Times-Picayune. December 18, 2010. March 15, 2019.
  14. Web site: Markovich. Tony. Associated Press Votes Aaron Rodgers 2011 Male Athlete of the Year. Complex. December 21, 2011. March 15, 2019. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20120116092428/http://www.complex.com/sports/2011/12/associated-press-votes-aaron-rodgers-2011-male-athlete-of-the-year. January 16, 2012. mdy-all.
  15. Web site: Michael Phelps Named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. Swimming World. December 20, 2012. March 15, 2019.
  16. News: Schilken. Chuck. LeBron James named Associated Press' male athlete of the year. Los Angeles Times. December 26, 2013. March 15, 2019. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140302113533/http://articles.latimes.com/2013/dec/26/sports/la-sp-sn-lebron-james-athlete-of-year-20131226. March 2, 2014. mdy-all.
  17. Web site: Madison Bumgarner gets AP honor. Associated Press (via ESPN.com). December 30, 2014. December 30, 2014.
  18. Web site: Davis wins AP Female Athlete of the Year honors - NBC Sports | NBC Sports . 2015-12-30 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141230030600/http://www.nbcsports.com/davis-wins-ap-female-athlete-year-honors . 2014-12-30 .
  19. Web site: Herbert. James. Warriors' Stephen Curry named AP Male Athlete of the Year. CBS Sports. December 26, 2015. March 15, 2019.
  20. News: Withers. Tom. Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James named AP Male Athlete of Year. The News-Herald. Associated Press. December 27, 2016. March 14, 2019.
  21. News: Astros star Jose Altuve named AP Male Athlete of the Year . Associated Press . . December 27, 2017 . December 27, 2017.
  22. News: Katie Ledecky Swims to AP Female Athlete of the Year Honors . Beth Harris . Associated Press . . 2017-12-26. 2017-12-26 . en .
  23. Web site: Associated Press Names Its 2018 Male Athlete Of The Year. Andrew. Holleran. December 27, 2018. September 10, 2019. thespun.com.
  24. News: Serena voted AP Female Athlete of the Year for 5th time. December 26, 2018. September 10, 2019. Mahoney. Brian. The Associated Press.
  25. Web site: Kawhi Leonard and Simone Biles Are AP's Athletes of the Year. December 28, 2019. December 28, 2019. complex.com.
  26. Web site: One of a kind: Ohtani wins AP Male Athlete of Year award. December 28, 2021. December 28, 2021. apnews.com/.
  27. Web site: Candace Parker voted AP Female Athlete of Year for 2nd time. Associated Press. 29 December 2021.

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