NEW YORK, April 13. MICHAEL Phelps was honored tonight as the nation's top amateur athlete for 2003 with the 74th annual James E. Sullivan memorial award.
Phelps was recognized for his 2003 accomplishments, most notably his historical performance at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona where he broke five world records and left with six medals and three individual titles.
Phelps becomes the tenth American swimmer to win the award, and the first since Janet Evans won the honor in 1989. Past swimming winners are Ann Curtis (1944), Don Schollander (1964), Debbie Meyer (1968), John Kinsella (1970), Mark Spitz (1971), Tim Shaw (1975), John Naber (1977), Tracy Caulkins (1978) and Evans in 1989.
Phelps beat out LeBron James and three other finalists for the award.
This is the third-straight year that a swimmer was in the top five with Natalie Coughlin a finalist in both 2001 and 2002.