Swimming World Swimmers of the Year
 Michael Phelps was the male swimmer of the year in 2003, 2004, 2006 & 2007 The Swimming World Magazine Swimmers of the Year, awarded by the American-based Swimming World magazine, are a set of awards which are often regarded as being the most prestigious in the swimming world. There are seven categories: World Swimmer, American Swimmer, European Swimmer, Pacific Rim Swimmer, World Disabled Swimmer, African Swimmer and Open Water Swimmer of year. An award for male and female is made for each category.[1]
[edit] List of Swimming World's World Swimmers of the Year
United States swimmers have won the title 16 times, followed by Australia (ten times) and East Germany (six times). Ian Thorpe (AUS) and Michael Phelps (USA) hold the record of 4 awards as Thorpe won in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002, while Michael Phelps won in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007) and three female swimmers with three awards, Krisztina Egerszegi (HUN) (1991, 1992 and 1995), Janet Evans (USA) (1987, 1989 and 1990) and Kristin Otto (GDR) (1984, 1986 and 1988). Franziska van Almsick is the youngest female to have won the award, having turned 15 on April 5 in the year of her first award. Ian Thorpe is the youngest male recipient, having turned 16 on October 13 in the year of his first award.[2] Thorpe, Tamás Darnyi, Mary T. Meagher, Otto, Egerszegi have all achieved the award over a five-year span.[1]
[edit] List of Swimming World's American Swimmers of the Year
[edit] List of Swimming World's European Swimmers of the Year
[edit] List of Swimming World's Pacific Rim Swimmers of the Year
This award was introduced in 1995, the year after two Australian swimmers Kieren Perkins and Samantha Riley became the first two Pacific Rim swimmers to be named as World Swimmer of the Year. It has subsequently been dominated by Australian swimmers, who have won 21 of the 26 awards given. Ian Thorpe has won six awards (five consecutively) and Susie O'Neill has won four (three consecutively). No other country has had its swimmers win more than one award.[1]
[edit] List of Swimming World's African Swimmers of the Year
The African Swimmer of the Year award was introduced in 2004,[1] a year in which the Republic of South Africa won the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay for men at the Olympics. Although Joan Harrison (1952) and Penny Heyns (1996) had previously won individual gold medals for South Africa, the South African victory marked the first time that an African relay team had won a medal, indicating the increasing depth in African swimming. Kirsty Coventry's three medals were also the first time that an African swimmer, other than a South African, had won a medal at the Olympics.[3]
[edit] List of Swimming World's Open Water Swimmers of the Year
The Open Water Swimmer of the Year award was introduced in 2005,[1] the year that the International Olympic Committee announced that open-water swimming would be contested for the first time at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
[edit] List of Swimming World's World Disabled Swimmers of the Year
This award was created for the first time in 2003, but was not awarded in 2004.[1]
[edit] References
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