Russian pole vault queen, Yelena Isinbayeva, has been awarded the 2009 Athlete of the Year title by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) for the second year in a row.
The winners were chosen by an online poll involving 614 journalists from 98 nations.
"Despite not clearing the bar at the Berlin Worlds, Isinbayeva proved her superiority when she vaulted 5.06 m at the Weltklasse Golden League meeting days later to break her own record of 5.05m from the Beijing Olympic Games," the organization said on its website.
The 27-year-old Russian athlete had received the title twice - in 2006 and 2008. She clearly won the title with 20.39%, ahead of Croatian high jump athlete Blanka Vlasic (16.63%), U.S. tennis player Serena Williams (11.54%), Italian swimmer Federica Pellegrini (11.34%) and Belgian tennis player Kim Clijsters (10.68%).
The world's fastest man, Jamaica's Usain Bolt, also retained his title of the AIPS Male Athlete of the Year in 2009. Bolt, 23, shattered his own 100- and 200-meter world records and then went on to set the third one in the 4x100m relay at the IAAF World Championships in Germany in August.
Bolt received 33.71% of the vote. He is followed by Argentinean football player Lionel Messi (15.99%), Swiss tennis player Roger Federer (13.06%), Italian motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi (5.44%) and U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps (4.53%).
MOSCOW, January 1 (RIA Novosti)
