# Track & Field News Athlete of the Year

The Track & Field News Athlete of the Year award is given to track and field athletes by Track & Field News magazine, an American sports magazine. A panel of international track and field experts organized by the magazine selects the winners. The award has been given to men since 1959 and women since 1974.

## Winners

| Year | Male winner | Nationality | Female winner | Nationality |
| 1959 | Martin Lauer | West Germany | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1960 | Rafer Johnson | United States | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1961 | Ralph Boston | United States | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1962 | Peter Snell | New Zealand | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1963 | Yang Chuan-Kwang | Taiwan | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1964 | Peter Snell | New Zealand | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1965 | Ron Clarke | Australia | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1966 | Jim Ryun | United States | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1967 | Jim Ryun | United States | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1968 | Bob Beamon | United States | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1969 | Bill Toomey | United States | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1970 | Randy Matson | United States | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1971 | Rod Milburn | United States | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1972 | Lasse Virén | Finland | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1973 | Ben Jipcho | Kenya | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 1974 | Rick Wohlhuter | United States | Irena Szewińska | Poland |
| 1975 | John Walker | New Zealand | Faina Melnik | Soviet Union |
| 1976 | Alberto Juantorena | Cuba | Tatyana Kazankina | Soviet Union |
| 1977 | Alberto Juantorena | Cuba | Rosemarie Ackermann | East Germany |
| 1978 | Henry Rono | Kenya | Marita Koch | East Germany |
| 1979 | Sebastian Coe | United Kingdom | Marita Koch | East Germany |
| 1980 | Edwin Moses | United States | Ilona Slupianek | East Germany |
| 1981 | Sebastian Coe | United Kingdom | Evelyn Ashford | United States |
| 1982 | Carl Lewis | United States | Marita Koch | East Germany |
| 1983 | Carl Lewis | United States | Jarmila Kratochvílová | Czechoslovakia |
| 1984 | Carl Lewis | United States | Evelyn Ashford | United States |
| 1985 | Saïd Aouita | Morocco | Marita Koch | East Germany |
| 1986 | Yuriy Sedykh | Soviet Union | Jackie Joyner-Kersee | United States |
| 1987 | Saïd Aouita | Morocco | Jackie Joyner-Kersee | United States |
| 1988 | Sergey Bubka | Soviet Union | Florence Griffith-Joyner | United States |
| 1989 | Roger Kingdom | United States | Ana Quirot | Cuba |
| 1990 | Michael Johnson | United States | Merlene Ottey | Jamaica |
| 1991 | Sergey Bubka | Soviet Union | Heike Henkel | Germany |
| 1992 | Kevin Young | United States | Heike Drechsler | Germany |
| 1993 | Noureddine Morceli | Algeria | Wang Junxia | China |
| 1994 | Noureddine Morceli | Algeria | Jackie Joyner-Kersee | United States |
| 1995 | Haile Gebrselassie | Ethiopia | Sonia O'Sullivan | Ireland |
| 1996 | Michael Johnson | United States | Svetlana Masterkova | Russia |
| 1997 | Wilson Kipketer | Denmark | Marion Jones | United States |
| 1998 | Haile Gebrselassie | Ethiopia | Marion Jones | United States |
| 1999 | Hicham El Guerrouj | Morocco | Gabriela Szabo | Romania |
| 2000 | Virgilijus Alekna | Lithuania | Stacy Dragila | United States |
| 2001 | Hicham El Guerrouj | Morocco | Stacy Dragila | United States |
| 2002 | Hicham El Guerrouj | Morocco | Paula Radcliffe | United Kingdom |
| 2003 | Félix Sánchez | Dominican Republic | Maria Mutola | Mozambique |
| 2004 | Kenenisa Bekele | Ethiopia | Yelena Isinbayeva | Russia |
| 2005 | Kenenisa Bekele | Ethiopia | Yelena Isinbayeva | Russia |
| 2006 | Asafa Powell | Jamaica | Sanya Richards | United States |
| 2007 | Tyson Gay | United States | Meseret Defar | Ethiopia |
| 2008 | Usain Bolt | Jamaica | Tirunesh Dibaba | Ethiopia |
| 2009 | Usain Bolt | Jamaica | Sanya Richards | United States |
| 2010 | David Rudisha | Kenya | Blanka Vlašić | Croatia |
| 2011 | David Rudisha | Kenya | Vivian Cheruiyot | Kenya |
| 2012 | David Rudisha | Kenya | Valerie Adams | New Zealand |
| 2013 | Bohdan Bondarenko | Ukraine | Valerie Adams | New Zealand |
| 2014 | Renaud Lavillenie | France | Anita Włodarczyk | Poland |
| 2015 | Ashton Eaton | United States | Genzebe Dibaba | Ethiopia |
| 2016 | Wayde van Niekerk | South Africa | Anita Włodarczyk | Poland |
| 2017 | Mutaz Essa Barshim | Qatar | Anita Włodarczyk | Poland |
| 2018 | Eliud Kipchoge | Kenya | Caster Semenya | South Africa |
| 2019 | Karsten Warholm | Norway | Dalilah Muhammad | United States |
| 2020 | MVP: Armand Duplantis | Sweden | MVP: Yulimar Rojas | Venezuela |
| 2021 | Ryan Crouser | United States | Elaine Thompson-Herah | Jamaica |
| 2022 | Armand Duplantis | Sweden | Sydney McLaughlin | United States |
| 2023 | Ryan Crouser | United States | Faith Kipyegon | Kenya |
| 2024 | Armand Duplantis | Sweden | Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | United States |