He also has won five Golden Ball awards, tied for most all-time. Notable accomplishments in year: Won six consecutive PGA Tour events, the longest streak since Ben Hogan in 1948, and nine total. But that was the year when his greatness reached its peak, before an injury in that season’s playoffs sparked its decline. This gives me a lot of strength to keep on track with my career. He went on to win two more World Cup titles with Brazil and was voted by the International Olympic Committee as Athlete of the Century. Won PGA Championship, U.S. Open and British Open, joining Ben Hogan as the only golfers ever to win three majors in the same year. Notable accomplishments in year: Won the FIFA Golden Ball Award as the world’s best men’s soccer player for the second consecutive year. Became the youngest player ever to play in the World Cup. “The image of Smith and Carlos raising fists has become seared in history as an incendiary act of protest by athletes. She and Hungary’s Agnes Kaleti vied for top billing at the 1956 Games, with Latynina edging her in the all-around and tying her for gold in the floor routine. Led by the World Athletics Athletes’ Commission, this award was created as a way for athletes to show their thanks for the efforts of those who have gone above and beyond during this difficult year. “I just wanted to go out there and show the world what I was capable of and put my name out there with some big performances. Bottom line: Sebastian Coe achieved Olympic fame with four gold medals at the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Games, but it was his 1979 season that truly set him apart as the world’s greatest middle-distance runner. The North American star was the athlete to beat in Gwangju, with no less than eight … Bottom line: Michael Johnson dominated the 200- and 400-meter sprints through much of the 1990s, and his world record in the 200 at the Atlanta Olympics lowered his previous record by an eye-popping three-tenths of a second. Averaged 26.8 points, eight rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. Yang, who was representing Taiwan, Johnson ran a personal best in the final event, the 1,500 meters, to edge Yang by 58 points. Was 10-1 against top 10-ranked opponents and undefeated in eight singles tournament finals. Notable accomplishments in year: Won the Grand Slam of women’s golf by capturing all three majors of the day: U.S. Open, Titleholders Championship and the Women’s Western Open. After a stellar 2018, Biles didn't stop in 2019, further solidifying herself as the best gymnast in the world. Averaged 23.3 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. 22 NOV … Notable accomplishments in year: Won French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open singles titles and Wimbledon doubles title. Leonard was behind on all three scorecards at the time of the knockout and likely would have lost the bout had Hearns been able to go the distance. He became the first man to win both the 100 and 200 in consecutive Olympics, and maee it three in a row in each race in 2016. Notable accomplishments in year: Named NBA regular-season and Finals MVP and Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. World Athletics. 1 ranking in the world. He was the first high school athlete to run the mile in under 4 minutes and won a silver medal in the 1,500 meters at the 1968 Olympics., but 1966 would always stand as the pinnacle of his running career. Bottom line: The 19-year-old Jim Ryun established himself as the top middle-distance runner in the world in 1966 with his world-record performances. This performance was the pinnacle of a career that saw Johnson win five Cy Young Awards and 303 games. Notable accomplishments in year: Won gold medals in the 200 and 400 meters at the 1996 Olympics, the only male athlete to win those events at the same Olympics. His second goal in that match was voted the greatest in World Cup history by FIFA as he dribbled past five English players. Bottom line: Aaron Rodgers started the year with an MVP performance in the Super Bowl, completing 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns in the Packers’ 31-25 win over the Steelers. “Every day of my life, I’m trying to find a way to get better.” – “Greatness is a lot of small … Won seven races. Named Best FIFA Women’s Player for 2019. Like many athletes, Rojas competed sparingly in 2020, but she made each of her appearances count. Bottom line: A year after becoming the first black athlete to win a Grand Slam tennis event, Althea Gibson took over the sport in 1957, gaining international acclaim. Named 1963 NFL MVP. Also defeated Don Cockell by a ninth-round technical knockout. ... Best of BC Award Recipient Announced. December 23, 2008 Posted by sportyfly | Uncategorized | Athlete of the Year, Best Athletes of the Year, Best Players, Historical Reference, Ichiro, Ichiro Suzuki, Kobe Bryant, Lance Armstrong, Lebron James, LT, Michael Phelps, Michael Schumacher, Mickey Mantle, Tom Brady, Top 10 Athletes, Top 10 Lists, Top Athlete List, Top Athletes, Top Players List, World Cup, Zinedane Zidane, Zinedine … Bottom line: The Swede pulled off one of the greatest upsets in boxing history when, as a 5-1 underdog, he stopped Patterson to capture the heavyweight belt, knocking him down seven times in the third round. Scored a single-game record 100 points in a 167-149 win over the New York Knicks. Named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. It was his fourth league MVP award in all. Notable accomplishments in year: Won the heavyweight title with a stunning seventh-round TKO victory over Sonny Liston, who entered the match as a 7-1 favorite. Thank you for making this happen, not just for me, but for all my team, my coach, my manager, my family, my people. Surpassed record of 50 goals in 50 games that had stood for 35 years, accomplishing the feat in only 39 games. Won 14 of 15 regular-season starts. In accordance with the voting results, … Named Ring Magazine and Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year. Bottom line: If not for a calf injury that forced her to withdraw from the Australian Open, Steffi Graf may have won the calendar Grand Slam for the second time. Notable accomplishments in year: Won four gold medals at the 1956 Olympics, including the all-around competition, one silver and one bronze. After winning the 200, he anchored Jamaica to a world-record time of 36.84 seconds in the 400 relay. Notable accomplishments in year: Became the first jockey to win over $6 million in a year, leading the nation in race victories with 487. “This victory means a lot to me and to all of those who work with me every day, everyone who gives me strength and motivation every day. This annual award started in 1996 and honors both, athletic and academic achievement. She finished her Olympics career with three gold medals, one silver and two bronze. But for one year, he captured the imagination of the entire sports world with his successful chase of Ruth. Johnson still owns national records in the 200, 300 and 400, as well as a world record in the 1,600-relay set in 1993. Notable accomplishments in year:  Won Australian and Wimbledon singles titles. With a combined total of 30 Olympic and World Championships medals, Biles is the third most-decorated gymnast in history behind Vitaly Scherbo and Larisa Latynina. Won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP in the 2018 playoffs, leading the Washington Capitals to their first Stanley Cup trophy. Struck out 17 batters in Game 1 of World Series against the Detroit Tigers. During the regular season, he fueled the Heat to a 27-game winning streak, the third-longest in NBA history, on their way to 66 victories. Named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. After a very exciting competitive year of 2019, highlighted by the FINA World Championships in Gwangju (KOR), the list of the “FINA Best Athletes of the Year” is known in all FINA six disciplines. Bottom line: Already the world record holder in the decathlon, Rafer Johnson staged one of the greatest duels in the history of the event at the 1960 Olympics. Sadly, she died of colon cancer in 1956 at the age of 45. Notable accomplishments in year: Named Ring Magazine’s Boxer of the Year for the second time. Reached finals of eight Grand Slam events. Opens and two Australian Opens in her legendary career, while logging 260 weeks as the top-ranked women’s player in the world. Notable accomplishments in year: Led league in goals (92), assists (120) and points (212), all NHL records. Named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year and Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. Bottom line: Roger Federer became the first men’s player since Mats Wilander in 1988 to win three Grand Slam titles in the same year, firmly establishing himself as the best player in the world. His big break came after St. Louis Rams starter Trent Green suffered a season-ending injury during the preseason. He became one of only three players in history to win the French crown without dropping a set, and also defeated Jimmy Connors in straight sets at the Wimbledon final to win his third consecutive title there. He and Pele were joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award. Notable accomplishments in year: National League Cy Young Award winner with 21-6 record, 2.46 ERA and 372 strikeouts. Bottom line: The scoring records "Wilt the Stilt" set during his incredible 1961-62 campaign for total points, scoring average and points in a game have never been threatened, and likely never will be. Bottom line: Novak Djokovic produced one of the greatest seasons in men’s tennis history, becoming only the third man after Rod Laver and Roger Federer to reach the finals of all four Grand Slams in the same year. Notable accomplishments in year: Won singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon and U.S. Championships. Only jockey ever named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year. It was the second consecutive year that Seles — who was Hungarian by blood — won Australian, French and U.S. titles. It was good to shoot something more grass roots than normal big stadium events; it just shows you can make good pictures anywhere.”, filling out this form and downloading the graphics. If not for the Cardinals’ relatively anemic offense, he may have matched or exceeded Denny McLain’s 31-game win total that season. Bottom line: The 19-year-old Jim Ryun established himself as the top middle-distance runner in the world in 1966 with his world-record performances. In 2006, he won the first of three Ring Magazine and BWAA Fighter of the Year awards, winning again in 2008 and 2009. Notable accomplishments in year: Named NFL MVP and Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year as he led the league in completion percentage (68.9%), passing yards (4,806) and touchdown passes (50). In the Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, he scored 16 fourth-quarter points to lead Miami to a dramatic Game 6 comeback win and poured in 37 points in the Heat’s Game 7 victory. He broke his own Olympic record in the 100, winning in a time of 9.63 seconds. At the WTA Tour Championship, Graf prevailed over countrywoman Anke Huber in a five-set final that lasted nearly three hours. “The bravery, dignity and morality of these three men continue to inspire athletes from all sports 50 years on. In all, he won 18 of 32 singles tournaments he entered in 1969 and finished the year with a 106-16 record. He also added eight blocks in the 88-77 win. Notable accomplishments in year: NFL regular-season MVP and Super Bowl MVP. Duplantis and Rojas named World Athletes of the Year, World Athletes of the Year Mondo Duplantis and Yulimar Rojas (© Getty / AFP). The DAC Foundation’s winning tradition continues with its support of the National Athletic Awards and the creation of the Michigan High School Athlete of the Year award. Named Associated Press and U.S. Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year and Women’s Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year. A category for the best sports team with disabilities was … Notable accomplishments in year: Won his fifth NBA MVP award as he led the Boston Celtics to the NBA title. Went 7-0 in the ring and was named Ring Magazine’s Fighter of the Year. He is the only rider to win both the Kentucky Derby and Epsom Derby. He followed that up by winning the Triple Crown in 1978 aboard Affirmed. Nicklaus finished the year with six PGA Tour wins and 12 top-five finishes. Notable accomplishments in year: Won French Open and Wimbledon singles titles during a then-record 55-match winning streak. Voting for the Female World Athlete of the Year closes at midnight on Sunday 15 November. Notable accomplishments in year: Won Australian, Wimbledon and U.S. Open singles and doubles titles. 1 ranking for the entire year, and joined Jimmy Connors as the only players to finish the year as the world’s top-ranked player five consecutive times. Bottom line: Along with Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, Larry Bird took the NBA to a new level of popularity in the 1980s. The American superstar win five gold medals (floor exercise, … In Swimming, the 2019 distinction goes to Caeleb Dressel (USA), among men, and to Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) in the women’s category. The season also saw him become the 20th player ever to score 600 goals in his career, and the fourth to do it in fewer than 1,000 games. BACK. Named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. He set a career-high in points per game while averaging more than 12 assists per game for the fourth consecutive season. Phelps set seven world records and one Olympic record in winning the 200- and 400-meter individual medley, 100 and 200 butterfly, 200 freestyle, and 400 freestyle, 400 medley and 800 freestyle relays. He was at his greatest from 1983 to 1986, when he won three consecutive NBA MVP awards and led the Celtics to two NBA titles. Named Ring Magazine’s Fighter of the Year. The Patriots became the first team ever to complete a regular-season 16-0 and only the second ever (after the 1972 Dolphins) to post an undefeated regular season. Ray Lewis. After falling short of expectations by winning only two golds at the 1968 Games, Spitz was untouchable in 1972. Nevertheless, Ali would show in this bout why he would go on to become "The Greatest" during his storied career, dominating Liston from the opening bell. The only thing that eluded Brown in 1963 was an NFL championship, something that came the following season. Bottom line: Regarded by many as the most accomplished soccer player ever, Pelé burst onto the scene as a teenage sensation at the 1958 World Cup. Named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. From 1982 to 1984, Navratilova lost only six singles matches and defeated Evert 13 consecutive times. For his career (as of November 2019), Johnson has 83 NASCAR wins (sixth all-time), 364 top 10 finishes, and 36 pole positions. Federer continued to dominate the game throughout the rest of the decade and went on to set the record for most Grand Slam singles titles in the history of men’s tennis. “I honestly didn't expect this, I really cannot believe it," said Rojas, who received the Rising Star Award in 2017. The NBA’s best player won another title while inspiring historic activism with his More Than a Vote nonprofit and racial justice advocacy. In winning the first of his six NBA MVP awards in 1970-71, Abdul-Jabbar averaged over 30 points a game for the first of only two times in his career. Bottom line: Ben Hogan’s 1953 performance ranks among the greatest individual seasons in the history of golf. This season was also the sixth consecutive season, and last, that Bird averaged both more than 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. I hope that the uncompromising attitude of these three athletes can continue to be an inspiration to all of us who refuse to accept racism.”.