Associated Press Athlete of the Year
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Associated Press Athlete of the Year
In 1931, the first and most prestigious "Athlete of the Year" award in the United States was initiated by the Associated Press (AP). At a time when women in sports were never 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.
Female athletes of the year :
- 1931 : Helene Madison, Swimming
- 1932 : Babe Didrikson, Track and field
- 1933 : Helen Jacobs, Tennis
- 1934 : Virginia Van Wie, LPGA golf
- 1935 : Helen Wills Moody, Tennis
- 1936 : Helen Stephens, Track and field
- 1937 : Katherine Rawls, Swimming
- 1938 : Patty Berg, LPGA golf
- 1939 : Alice Marble, Tennis
- 1940 : Alice Marble, Tennis
- 1941 : Betty Hicks Newell, LPGA golf
- 1942 : Gloria Callen, Swimming
- 1943 : Patty Berg, LPGA golf
- 1944 : Ann Curtis, Swimming
- 1945 : Babe Didrikson Zaharias, LPGA golf
- 1946 : Babe Didrikson Zaharias, LPGA golf
- 1947 : Babe Didrikson Zaharias, LPGA golf
- 1948 : Fanny Blankers-Koen, Track and field
- 1949 : Marlene Bauer, LPGA golf
- 1950 : Babe Didrikson Zaharias, LPGA golf
- 1951 : Maureen Connolly, Tennis
- 1952 : Maureen Connolly, Tennis
- 1953 : Maureen Connolly, Tennis
- 1954 : Babe Didrikson Zaharias, LPGA golf
- 1955 : Patty Berg, LPGA golf
- 1956 : Pat McCormick, Diving
- 1957 : Althea Gibson, Tennis
- 1958 : Althea Gibson, Tennis
- 1959 : Maria Bueno, Tennis
- 1960 : Wilma Rudolph, Track and field
- 1961 : Wilma Rudolph, Track and field
- 1962 : Dawn Fraser, Swimming
- 1963 : Mickey Wright, LPGA golf
- 1964 : Mickey Wright, LPGA golf
- 1965 : Kathy Whitworth, LPGA golf
- 1966 : Kathy Whitworth, LPGA golf
- 1967 : Billie Jean King, Tennis
- 1968 : Peggy Fleming, Figure skating
- 1969 : Debbie Meyer, Swimming
- 1970 : Chi Cheng, Track and field
- 1971 : Evonne Goolagong, Tennis
- 1972 : Olga Korbut, Gymnastics
- 1973 : Billie Jean King, Tennis
- 1974 : Chris Evert, Tennis
- 1975 : Chris Evert, Tennis
- 1976 : Nadia Comaneci, Gymnastics
- 1977 : Chris Evert, Tennis
- 1978 : Nancy Lopez, LPGA golf
- 1979 : Tracy Austin, Tennis
- 1980 : Chris Evert, Tennis
- 1981 : Tracy Austin, Tennis
- 1982 : Mary Decker, Track and field
- 1983 : Martina Navratilova, Tennis
- 1984 : Mary Lou Retton, Gymnastics
- 1985 : Nancy Lopez, LPGA golf
- 1986 : Martina Navratilova, Tennis
- 1987 : Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Track and field
- 1988 : Florence Griffith Joyner, Track and field
- 1989 : Steffi Graf, Tennis
- 1990 : Beth Daniel, LPGA golf
- 1991 : Monica Seles, Tennis
- 1992 : Monica Seles, Tennis
- 1993 : Sheryl Swoopes, College basketball
- 1994 : Bonnie Blair, Speed skating
- 1995 : Rebecca Lobo, College basketball
- 1996 : Amy Van Dyken, Swimming
- 1997 : Martina Hingis, Tennis
- 1998 : Se Ri Pak, LPGA golf
- 1999 : United States women's national soccer team, soccer
- 2000 : Marion Jones, Track and field
- 2001 : Jennifer Capriati, Tennis
- 2002 : Serena Williams, Tennis
- 2003 : Annika Sörenstam, LPGA golf
- 2004 : Annika Sörenstam, LPGA golf
Male athletes of the year :
- 1931 : Pepper Martin, Major League Baseball
- 1932 : Gene Sarazen, PGA golf
- 1933 : Carl Hubbell, Major League Baseball
- 1934 : Dizzy Dean, Major League Baseball
- 1935 : Joe Louis, Boxing
- 1936 : Jesse Owens, Track and field
- 1937 : Don Budge, Tennis
- 1938 : Don Budge, Tennis
- 1939 : Nile Kinnick, College football
- 1940 : Tom Harmon, College football
- 1941 : Joe DiMaggio, Major League Baseball
- 1942 : Frank Sinkwich, College football
- 1943 : Gunder Haegg, Track and field
- 1944 : Byron Nelson, PGA golf
- 1945 : Byron Nelson, PGA golf
- 1946 : Glenn Davis, College football
- 1947 : Johnny Lujack, College football
- 1948 : Lou Boudreau, Major League Baseball
- 1949 : Leon Hart, College football
- 1950 : Jim Konstanty, Major League Baseball
- 1951 : Dick Kazmaier, College football
- 1952 : Bob Mathias, Track and field
- 1953 : Ben Hogan, PGA golf
- 1954 : Willie Mays, Major League Baseball
- 1955 : Hopalong Cassady, College football
- 1956 : Mickey Mantle, Major League Baseball
- 1957 : Ted Williams, Major League Baseball
- 1958 : Herb Elliott, Track and field
- 1959 : Ingemar Johansson, Boxing
- 1960 : Rafer Johnson, Track and field
- 1961 : Roger Maris, Major League Baseball
- 1962 : Maury Wills, Major League Baseball
- 1963 : Sandy Koufax, Major League Baseball
- 1964 : Don Schollander, Swimming
- 1965 : Sandy Koufax, Major League Baseball
- 1966 : Frank Robinson, Major League Baseball
- 1967 : Carl Yastrzemski, Major League Baseball
- 1968 : Denny McLain, Major League Baseball
- 1969 : Tom Seaver, Major League Baseball
- 1970 : George Blanda, National Football League
- 1971 : Lee Trevino, PGA golf
- 1972 : Mark Spitz, Swimming
- 1973 : O.J. Simpson, National Football League
- 1974 : Muhammad Ali, Boxing
- 1975 : Fred Lynn, Major League Baseball
- 1976 : Bruce Jenner, Track and field
- 1977 : Steve Cauthen, Horse racing
- 1978 : Ron Guidry, Major League Baseball
- 1979 : Willie Stargell, Major League Baseball
- 1980 : U.S. Olympic hockey team, Amateur Ice Hockey
- 1981 : John McEnroe, Tennis
- 1982 : Wayne Gretzky, NHL ice hockey
- 1983 : Carl Lewis, Track and field
- 1984 : Carl Lewis, Track and field
- 1985 : Dwight Gooden, Major League Baseball
- 1986 : Larry Bird, NBA basketball
- 1987 : Ben Johnson, Track and field
- 1988 : Orel Hershiser, Major League Baseball
- 1989 : Joe Montana, National Football League
- 1990 : Joe Montana, National Football League
- 1991 : Michael Jordan, NBA basketball
- 1992 : Michael Jordan, NBA basketball
- 1993 : Michael Jordan, NBA basketball
- 1994 : George Foreman, Boxing
- 1995 : Cal Ripken Jr., Major League Baseball
- 1996 : Michael Johnson, Track and field
- 1997 : Tiger Woods, PGA golf
- 1998 : Mark McGwire, Major League Baseball
- 1999 : Tiger Woods, PGA golf
- 2000 : Tiger Woods, PGA golf
- 2001 : Barry Bonds, Major League Baseball
- 2002 : Lance Armstrong, cycling
- 2003 : Lance Armstrong, cycling
- 2004 : Lance Armstrong, cycling
Adapted from the article Associated Press Athlete of the Year (http://www.wikinfo.org/wiki.phtml?title=Associated_Press_Athlete_of_the_Year), from Wikinfo, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.