Who Will Be Swimming World’s 2016 World Swimmers of the Year?

Every year since 1964, Swimming World has acknowledged the top athletes in our sport by voting for the World Swimmers of the Year. A panel of 15 members, both national and international, participated in the 2016 voting process. In anticipation of the release of the December issue we at Swimming World would like to take a look back at previous winners.

(Editor’s note: In 2013 Swimming World stripped the East German athletes, who were systematically doped in the 1970s and ’80s, from their World and European Swimmer of the Year titles)

2015 Winners: Katie Ledecky & Adam Peaty

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Katie Ledecky secured her third straight World Swimmer of the Year title in 2015, tying her with the USA’s Debbie Meyer (1967-69) and Shirley Babashoff (1974-76) in second place for consecutive title wins. 2015 was a big year for Ledecky as she gradutaed from Stone Ridge High School (Md.) and lowered another three world records at the World Championships in Kazan, Russia. Ledecky posted a 15:27.71 in prelims of the 1500 free, before further lowering the record to a 15:25.48 in finals. She then followed that up with a dynamic 8:07.39 in the 800 free final.

Will Ledecky earn her fourth straight title of World Swimmer of the Year in 2016, tying her with the USA’s Janet Evans (1987-90) for the most consecutive titles?

Photo Courtesy: gianmattiadalberto/lapresse\

Adam Peaty garnered his first World Swimmer of the Year title after a successful 2015 season, becoming the first swimmer–male or female–from Great Britain to earn the award. 2015 saw Peaty become the first athlete to break the 58-second barrier in the men’s 100 meter breaststroke with a 57.92 at the British Championships in London. The then 20-year-old would continue his success at the FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia with gold medal finishes in both the 50 and 100 breaststrokes (26.51, 58.52).

No European male swimmer has repeated the World Swimmer of the Year title since Russia’s Denis Pankratov won in both 1995 and 1996, could Peaty become the second?

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PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS:

Year	Women	Men
2023	Kaylee McKeown, AUS	Leon Marchand, FRA
2022	Ariarne Titmus, AUS	David Popovici, ROU
2021	Emma McKeon, AUS	Caeleb Dressel, USA
2020	Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic	Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic
2019	Regan Smith, USA	Caeleb Dressel, USA
2018	Katie Ledecky, USA	Adam Peaty, GBR
2017	Sarah Sjostrom, SWE	Caeleb Dressel, USA
2016	Katie Ledecky, USA	Michael Phelps, USA
2015	Katie Ledecky, USA	Adam Peaty, GBR
2014	Katie Ledecky, USA	Kosuke Hagino, JPN
2013	Katie Ledecky, USA	Sun Yang, CHN
2012	Missy Franklin, USA	Michael Phelps, USA
2011	Rebecca Soni, USA	Ryan Lochte, USA
2010	Rebecca Soni, USA	Ryan Lochte, USA
2009	Federica Pellegrini, ITA	Michael Phelps, USA
2008	Stephanie Rice, AUS	Michael Phelps, USA
2007	Laure Manaudou, FRA	Michael Phelps, USA
2006	Leisel Jones, AUS	Michael Phelps, USA
2005	Leisel Jones, AUS	Grant Hackett, AUS
2004	Yana Klochkova, UKR	Michael Phelps, USA
2003	Hannah Stockbauer, GER	Michael Phelps, USA
2002	Natalie Coughlin, USA	Ian Thorpe, AUS
2001	Inge De Bruijn, NED	Ian Thorpe, AUS
2000	Inge De Bruijn, NED	Pieter van den Hoogenband, NED
1999	Penny Heyns, RSA	Ian Thorpe, AUS
1998	Jenny Thompson, USA	Ian Thorpe, AUS
1997	Claudia Poll, CRC	Michael Klim, Aus
1996	Penny Heyns, RSA	Denis Pankratov, RUS
1995	Kristina Egerszegi, HUN	Denis Pankratov, RUS
1994	Samantha Riley, AUS	Kieren Perkins, AUS
1993	Franziska Van Almsick, GER	Karoly Guttler, HUN
1992	Kristina Egerszegi, HUN	Egveni Sadovyi, URS
1991	Kristina Egerszegi, HUN	Tamas Darnyi, HUN
1990	Janet Evans, USA	Mike Barrowman, USA
1989	Janet Evans, USA	Mike Barrowman, USA
1988	Janet Evans, USA, ~~Kristin Otto, GDR~~ *	Matt Biondi, USA
1987	Janet Evans, USA	Tamas Darnyi, HUN
1986	Mary T. Meagher, USA, ~~Kristin Otto, GDR~~ *	Matt Biondi, USA
1985	Mary T. Meagher, USA	Michael Gross, FRG
1984	Tiffany Cohen, USA, ~~Kristin Otto, GDR~~ *	Alex Baumann, CAN
1983	Tiffany Cohen, USA, ~~Ute Geweniger, GDR~~ *	Rick Carey, USA
1982	Tracy Caulkins, USA, Petra Schneider, GDR *	Vladimir Salnikov, URS
1981	Mary T. Meagher, USA	Alex Baumann, CAN
1980	Tracy Caulkins, USA, ~~Petra Schneider, GDR~~ *	Rowdy Gaines, USA
1979	Cynthia Woodhead, USA	Vladimir Salnikov, URS
1978	Tracy Caulkins, USA	Jesse Vassallo, USA
1977	Wendy Boglioli, USA, ~~Ulrike Tauber, GDR~~ *	Brian Goodell, USA
1976	Shirley Babashoff, USA, ~~Kornelia Ender, GDR~~ *	John Naber, USA
1975	Shirley Babashoff, USA, ~~Kornelia Ender, GDR~~ *	Tim Shaw, USA
1974	Shirley Babashoff, USA, ~~Ulrike Tauber, GDR~~ *	Tim Shaw, USA
1973	Novella Calligaris, ITA, ~~Kornelia Ender, GDR~~ *	Rick DeMont, USA
1972	Shane Gould, AUS	Mark Spitz, USA
1971	Shane Gould, AUS	Mark Spitz, USA
1970	Alice Jones, USA	Gary Hall, USA
1969	Debbie Meyer, USA	Gary Hall, USA
1968	Debbie Meyer, USA	Charles Hickcox, USA
1967	Debbie Meyer, USA	Mark Spitz, USA
1966	Claudia Kolb, USA	Mike Burton, USA
1965	Martha Randall, USA	Dick Roth, USA
1964	N/A	Don Schollander, USA

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Yvonne Diamond

7 years ago

Phelps & Ledeckey

Veeboy Daniels

7 years ago

It’s me who will always win if you do contact me at 0619507522 please #fortheloveof_SWIMMING

Junaid Khan

7 years ago

#Adampeaty

Mihai

7 years ago

definitly Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky!