# Dutch Athlete of the Year

The Dutch Athlete of the Year (Dutch: atleet van het jaar) is an annual award given to the most distinguished competitor in the sport of athletics from the Netherlands by the Royal Dutch Athletics Federation (KNAU). A shortlist is drawn up by a group of federation officials and sports journalists and then goes to a vote to the public. The award is presented at the annual end-of-year gala of the federation.
The award for 1935 was inaugurated in 1936 as the Sauer Cup (Dutch: Sauer-beker). It was renamed to the KNAU Cup in 1947, as the eponymous Sauer had collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. Initially a mixed-gender award, the best Dutch male and female athletes were recognised separately from 1959 onwards. The men's award was called the Herman van Leeuwen Cup during this period, while the women's award continued as the KNAU Cup. Since 2005, the awards have been known as the Dutch Athlete of the Year, and since 2018, it is again a mixed-gender award.
Junior athletes also gained recognition separately through the mixed-gender Albert Spree Cup (Dutch: Albert Spree-beker) that was first awarded in 1951. From 1959, male and female juniors were recognised separately; junior female athletes gained recognition through the Fanny Blankers-Koen Plaquette, while the award for junior male athletes continued as the Albert Spree Cup. These were replaced in 2006 by a mixed-gender junior award known as the Talent of the Year. Since 2018, this award has been merged with the Dutch Athlete of the Year award. In the years between 2011 and 2018, a separate award for para-athletes also existed.

## List of winners
### 1935–1946

Sauer Cup :
| Year | Athlete |
| 1935 | Tinus Osendarp |
| 1936 | Wil van Beveren |
| 1937 | Fanny Koen |
| 1938 | Nel van Balen Blanken |
| 1939 | Jan Brasser |
| 1940 | Fanny Blankers-Koen |
| 1941 | Wim Peters |
| 1942 | Chris Berger |
| 1943 | Fanny Blankers-Koen |
| 1944 | not awarded |
| 1945 | not awarded |
| 1946 | Women's relay team |

### 1947–1958

KNAU Cup :
| Year | Athlete |
| 1947 | Jef Lataster |
| 1948 | Frits de Ruijter |
| 1949 | Joop Overdijk |
| 1950 | Wim Slijkhuis |
| 1951 | Nico Lutkeveld |
| 1952 | Puck Brouwer |
| 1953 | Wil Lust |
| 1954 | Janus van der Zande |
| 1955 | Cor Aafjes |
| 1956 | Frans Künen |
| 1957 | Hannie Bloemhof |
| 1958 | Dini Hobers |

### 1959–2004

Herman van Leeuwen Cup and KNAU Cup :
| Year | Men | Women |
| 1959 | Eef Kamerbeek | Gerda Kraan |
| 1960 | Eef Kamerbeek | Joke Bijleveld |
| 1961 | Cees Koch | Gerda Kraan |
| 1962 | Cees Koch | Gerda Kraan |
| 1963 | Henk Evers | Lia Hinten |
| 1964 | Frans Luitjes | Tilly van der Made |
| 1965 | Fred van Herpen | Ilja Laman & Hilde Slaman |
| 1966 | Leo de Winter | Corrie Bakker |
| 1967 | Piet Olofsen | Mia Gommers |
| 1968 | Ed de Noorlander | Mia Gommers |
| 1969 | Ben Lesterhuis | Wilma van den Berg |
| 1970 | Bram Wassenaar | Ilja Keizer-Laman |
| 1971 | Egbert Nijstad | Els van Noorduyn |
| 1972 | Jos Hermens | Ilja Keizer-Laman |
| 1973 | Haico Scharn | Mieke van Wissen-Sterk |
| 1974 | Jos Hermens | Ciska Janssen-Jansen |
| 1975 | Jos Hermens | Mieke van Doorn |
| 1976 | Ruud Wielart | Ria Stalman |
| 1977 | Ruud Wielart | Mirjam van Laar |
| 1978 | Gerard Tebroke | Sylvia Barlag |
| 1979 | Harry Schulting | Sylvia Barlag |
| 1980 | Gerard Nijboer | Sylvia Barlag |
| 1981 | Hans Koeleman | Els Vader |
| 1982 | Gerard Nijboer | Carla Beurskens |
| 1983 | Rob Druppers | Ria Stalman |
| 1984 | Erik de Bruin | Ria Stalman |
| 1985 | Rob Druppers | Carla Beurskens |
| 1986 | Han Kulker | Nelli Cooman |
| 1987 | Han Kulker | Elly van Hulst |
| 1988 | Robert de Wit | Elly van Hulst |
| 1989 | Emiel Mellaard | Elly van Hulst |
| 1990 | Erik de Bruin | Ellen van Langen |
| 1991 | Erik de Bruin | Letitia Vriesde |
| 1992 | Robert de Wit | Ellen van Langen |
| 1993 | Bert van Vlaanderen | not awarded |
| 1994 | Bert van Vlaanderen | Nelli Fiere-Cooman |
| 1995 | Bert van Vlaanderen | Sharon Jaklofsky |
| 1996 | Marko Koers | Sharon Jaklofsky |
| 1997 | Marko Koers | Corrie de Bruin |
| 1998 | Robin Korving | Corrie de Bruin |
| 1999 | Kamiel Maase | Lieja Koeman |
| 2000 | Simon Vroemen | Lieja Koeman |
| 2001 | Kamiel Maase | Letitia Vriesde |
| 2002 | Simon Vroemen | Jacqueline Poelman |
| 2003 | Kamiel Maase | Lornah Kiplagat |
| 2004 | Chiel Warners | Karin Ruckstuhl |

### 2005–present

Athlete of the Year :
| Year | Men | Women |
| 2005 | Rens Blom | Lornah Kiplagat |
| 2006 | Bram Som | Karin Ruckstuhl |
| 2007 | Rutger Smith | Lornah Kiplagat |
| 2008 | Rutger Smith | Lornah Kiplagat |
| 2009 | Martijn Nuijens | Jolanda Keizer |
| 2010 | Eelco Sintnicolaas | Yvonne Hak |
| 2011 | Eelco Sintnicolaas | Dafne Schippers |
| 2012 | Churandy Martina | Dafne Schippers |
| 2013 | Ignisious Gaisah | Dafne Schippers |
| 2014 | Eelco Sintnicolaas | Dafne Schippers |
| 2015 | Liemarvin Bonevacia | Dafne Schippers |
| 2016 | Churandy Martina | Dafne Schippers |
| 2017 | Menno Vloon | Dafne Schippers |
| 2018 | Sifan Hassan | Sifan Hassan |
| 2019 | Sifan Hassan | Sifan Hassan |
| 2020 | not awarded | not awarded |
| 2021 | Sifan Hassan | Sifan Hassan |
| 2022 | Femke Bol | Femke Bol |
| 2023 | Femke Bol | Femke Bol |
| 2024 | Sifan Hassan | Sifan Hassan |