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| | Wednesday, December 15 Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year | |||||
| Now that you have cast your votes for the Games of the Year, ABC's Wide World of Sports wants your help in determining their Athlete of the Year.
Since its inception in 1961, ABC's Wide World of Sports has been spanning the globe to bring you the very best in the world of sports - from the Thrill of Victory to the Agony of Defeat.
When Jim Beatty ran the first sub-four-minute mile indoors in 1962, he earned recognition as the first Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year. Since that time, Wide World of Sports has honored an athlete each year for his or her accomplishments. From Beatty to gymnast Nadia Commaneci (1976), to hockey player Wayne Gretzky (1982) to speed skater Bonnie Blair (1992), the tradition continues.
Here is your opportunity to help determine who will be the 1999 Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year. Voting will end Dec. 25, Christmas Day and the winner will be unveiled during halftime of the final Monday Night Football game of the season on Jan. 3.
Check out a description of each candidate and let us know which you feel is the best.
Diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996, Armstrong, America's top bicycle racer, was given just a 40 percent chance of survival. Last July he overcame the cancer after undergoing chemotherapy and surgery, winning the 21-day Tour de France, cycling's most grueling test. Andre Agassi (Tennis) Won both the French and U.S. Grand Slams in a miracle comeback effort in 1999 assuring him the No. 1 ranking in the world for 1999. Ron Dayne (RB Wisconsin) The leading 1999 Heisman Trophy candidate broke Ricky Williams' all-time collegiate rushing record of 6, 279 yards with a 216-yard effort against Iowa, securing the Big Ten title and a return trip to the Rose Bowl for the Badgers. Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) Led the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Championship in his second season, winning MVP honors in the 1999 NBA Finals. Led the NBA in 1998-99 in double-doubles (37), also led the Spurs in scoring (21.7 ppg, 6th in the NBA), rebounds (11.4 rpg, 5th) and blocked shots (2.52 bpg, 7th), and ranked 2nd on the team in field-goal percentage (.495, 10th). Maurice Greene (Track & Field) Made track and field history with world record 9.79 for 100 meters at Athens on June 16. Greene won his second-consecutive 100 meter World Championship in Seville, Spain, this time in 9.80, the second fastest time ever. Dale Jarrett (NASCAR) Won the 1999 Winston Cup championship with four wins, 24 top-five finishes, 28 top-ten finishes and held the points lead for 27 straight weeks. Khalid Khannouchi (Track & Field) The Morrocan-born Khannouchi won the LaSalle Banks Chicago Marathon in 2 hours 5 minutes 42 seconds, shattering the previous world record by 23 seconds. Pedro Martinez (Boston Red Sox) Named 1999 American League Cy Young Award winner. Led the league with 23 victories, a 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts. Martinez is only the fifth player since 1970 to top all three categories. Juan Montoya (CART) A rookie season like no other in CART resulted in Montoya winning the PPG Cup and seven races along the way. Payne Stewart (Golf) Held the No. 8 ranking in the world prior to being killed in a tragic plane crash on Oct. 25th. Won 1999 U.S. Open with 15-foot par putt on 72nd hole to defeat Phil Mickelson by one shot at Pinehurst No. 2. Became 13th player to win two U.S. Opens. Won 1999 Pebble Beach Pro-Am . U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (World Cup Soccer) After 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of sudden death produced a scoreless tie, the U.S. defeated China 5-4 on penalty kicks to capture the Women's World Cup before a record 90,185 fans at the Rose Bowl. Tiger Woods (Golf) Won fourth consecutive start and second World Golf Championship event of 1999 at American Express Championship, winning a playoff with Miguel Angel Jimenez. Woods is first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win four in a row and first since Johnny Miller in 1974 to win eight times in one season. Woods, who turns 24 in December, now has 15 PGA Tour titles and has won eight of the last 11 stroke-play tournaments in which he has played. He won $6.6 million in earnings this season. Serena Williams (Tennis) In only her second year as a pro, won her first Grand Slam title when she beat No. 1-ranked Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) to capture the U.S. Open. Became the first black woman to win a Grand Slam title since Althea Gibson in 1958. Also won the doubles title with her older sister, Venus. New York Yankees (Major League Baseball) Swept the Atlanta Braves in four games to become the 20th team to win consecutive World Series titles. Posted a cumulative post season record of 22-3 in 1998-99. Since 1996, the Yankees won 12 straight World Series games. Marks the 25th World Series championship in this century for the Yankees. Alexei Yagudin (Figure Skating) In 1999 Alexei Yagudin dominated the figure skating season, successfully defended both his European and World titles and winning nine out of eleven competitions in the season. In 1998 Yagudin was crowned European and World Champion, marking the first time a Russian man won a World Championship title. | ALSO SEE Poll: Games of the Year Poll: NBA Game of the Year Poll: College basketball Game of the Year Poll: College football Game of the Year Poll: Baseball Game of the Year Poll: Game of the Year | |||||
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