Key Facts

2009 – Year 56

Usain Bolt (Jamaica) – athletics

2008 – Year 55

Usain Bolt (Jamaica) – athletics

2007 – Year 54

Roger Federer (Switzerland) – tennis

2006 – Year 53

Roger Federer (Switzerland) – tennis

2005 – Year 52

Shane Warne (Australia) – cricket

2004 – Year 51

Roger Federer (Switzerland) – tennis

2003 – Year 50

Lance Armstrong (USA) – cycling

2002 – Year 49

Ronaldo (Brazil) – football

2001 – Year 48

Goran Ivanisevic (Croatia) – tennis

2000 – Year 47

Tiger Woods (USA) – golf

1999 – Year 46

Maurice Greene (USA) – athletics

1998 – Year 45

Mark O'Meara (USA) – golf

1997 – Year 44

Martina Hingis (Switzerland) – tennis

1996 – Year 43

Evander Holyfield (USA) – boxing
Michael Johnson (USA) – athletics

1995 – Year 42

Jonah Lomu (New Zealand) – rugby union

1994 – Year 41

Brian Lara (Trinidad) – cricket

1993 – Year 40

Greg Norman (Australia) – golf

1992 – Year 39

Andre Agassi (USA) – tennis

1991 – Year 38

Mike Powell (USA) – athletics

1990 – Year 37

Mal Meninga (Australia) – rugby league

1989 – Year 36

Mike Tyson (USA) – boxing

1988 – Year 35

Steffi Graf (West Germany) – tennis

1987 – Year 34

Martina Navratilova (USA) – tennis

1986 – Year 33

Greg Norman (Australia) – golf

1985 – Year 32

Boris Becker (West Germany) – tennis

1984 – Year 31

Seve Ballesteros (Spain) – golf

1983 – Year 30

Carl Lewis (USA) – athletics

1982 – Year 29

Jimmy Connors (USA) – tennis

1981 – Year 28

Chris Evert (USA) – tennis

1980 – Year 27

Jack Nicklaus (USA) – golf

1979 – Year 26

Bjorn Borg (Sweden) – tennis

1978 – Year 25

Mohammad Ali (USA) – tennis

1977 – Year 24

Niki Lauda (Austria) – motor racing

1976 – Year 23

Nadia Comaneci (Romania) – tennis

1975 – Year 22

Arthur Ashe (USA) – tennis

1974 – Year 21

Mohammad Ali (USA) – boxing

1973 – Year 20

Mohammad Ali (USA) – boxing

1972 – Year 19

Olga Korbut (USSR) – gymnastics

1971 – Year 18

Lee Trevino (USA) – golf

1970 – Year 17

Pele (Brazil) – football

1969 – Year 16

Rod Laver (Australia) – tennis

1968 – Year 15

Oleg Protopopova and Ljudmilla Belousova (USSR) – ice skating

1967 – Year 14

George Moore (Australia) – horse racing

1966 – Year 13

Eusebio (Portugal) – football
Gary Sobers (Barbados) – cricket

1965 – Year 12

Ron Clarke (Australia) – athletics
Gary Player (South Africa) – golf

1964 – Year 11

Abebe Bikila (Ethiopia) – athletics

1963 – Year ten

Jacques Anquetil (France) – cycling

1962 – Year nine

Donald Jackson (Canada) – ice skating

1961 – Year eight

Valeriy Brumel (USSR) – athletics

1960 – Year seven

Herb Elliott (Australia) – athletics