List of Swimming World Swimmers of the Year
The Swimming World 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.
List of Swimming World's World Swimmers of the Year
United States swimmers have won the title 15 times, followed by Australia (nine times) and East Germany (six times). Ian Thorpe (AUS) holds the record of 4 awards (1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002) followed by Michael Phelps (2003, 2004, 2006) 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 award. Ian Thorpe is the youngest male recipient, having turned 16 on October 13 in the year of award. Edith van Dijk is the oldest awardee, having turned 32 on April 6 in the year of her second award, while Grant Hackett was the oldest male awardee, turning 25 on May 9 in the year of his award. Thorpe, Tamás Darnyi, Mary T. Meagher, Otto, Egerszegi have all achieved the award over a five-year span.
List of Swimming World's American Swimmers of the Year
| Year | Female Winner | Male Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Tracy Caulkins | Mike Bruner |
| 1981 | Tracy Caulkins | Craig Beardsley |
| 1982 | Tracy Caulkins | Steve Lundquist |
| 1983 | Tiffany Cohen | Rick Carey |
| 1984 | Tracy Caulkins | Pablo Morales |
| 1985 | Mary T Meagher | Matt Biondi |
| 1986 | Betsy Mitchell | Matt Biondi |
| 1987 | Janet Evans | David Wharton |
| 1988 | Janet Evans | Matt Biondi |
| 1989 | Janet Evans | Mike Barrowman |
| 1990 | Janet Evans | Mike Barrowman |
| 1991 | Janet Evans | Mike Barrowman |
| 1992 | Summer Sanders | Mike Barrowman |
| 1993 | Jenny Thompson | Eric Namesnik |
| 1994 | Allison Wagner | Tom Dolan |
| 1995 | Amy Van Dyken | Tom Dolan |
| 1996 | Amy Van Dyken | 4x100 m medley relay team |
| 1997 | Kristine Quance | Lenny Krayzelburg |
| 1998 | Jenny Thompson | Lenny Krayzelburg |
| 1999 | Jenny Thompson | Lenny Krayzelburg |
| 2000 | Brooke Bennett | Lenny Krayzelburg |
| Tom Dolan | ||
| 2001 | Natalie Coughlin | Michael Phelps |
| 2002 | Natalie Coughlin | Michael Phelps |
| 2003 | Amanda Beard | Michael Phelps |
| 2004 | Amanda Beard | Michael Phelps |
| 2005 | Katie Hoff | Aaron Peirsol |
List of Swimming World's European Swimmers of the Year
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 19 of the 22 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. Thorpe and Leisel Jones, were the youngest to have received this award, winning for the first time at the ages of 16 and 18 respectively. Grant Hackett and O'Neill were the oldest to receive the award, at 25 and 27 respectively.
| Year | Female Winner | Nationality | Male Winner | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Susie O'Neill |  Australia |
Scott Miller | Australia
|
| 1996 | Jingyi Le |  China |
Danyon Loader |  New Zealand
|
| 1997 | Samantha Riley | Australia |
Michael Klim | Australia
|
| 1998 | Susie O'Neill | Australia |
Ian Thorpe | Australia
|
| 1999 | Susie O'Neill | Australia |
Ian Thorpe | Australia
|
| 2000 | Susie O'Neill | Australia |
Ian Thorpe | Australia
|
| 2001 | Petria Thomas | Australia |
Ian Thorpe | Australia
|
| 2002 | Petria Thomas | Australia |
Ian Thorpe | Australia
|
| 2003 | Leisel Jones | Australia |
Kosuke Kitajima |  Japan
|
| 2004 | Jodie Henry | Australia |
Ian Thorpe | Australia
|
| 2005 | Leisel Jones | Australia |
Grant Hackett | Australia
|
List of Swimming World's African Swimmers of the Year
The African Swimmer of the Year award was introduced in 2004, a year in which the Republic of South Africa won the 4x100 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.
| Year | Female Winner | Nationality | Male Winner | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Kirsty Coventry |  Zimbabwe |
Roland Schoeman |  South Africa
|
| 2005 | Kirsty Coventry | Zimbabwe |
Roland Schoeman | South Africa
|
List of Swimming World's Open Water Swimmers of the Year
The Open Water Swimmer of the Year award was introduced in 2005, 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.
| Year | Female Winner | Nationality | Male Winner | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Edith van Dijk |  Netherlands |
Thomas Lurz |  Germany
|
| Chip Peterson |  United States
|
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.
| Year | Female Winner | Nationality | Male Winner | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Danielle Watts |  United Kingdom |
Sergei Punko |  Belarus
|
| 2005 | Erin Popovich | United States |
Benoit Huot |  Canada
|