LAUSANNE, Switzerland, CMC – Jamaican Olympic and World champion Usain Bolt and American tennis star Serena Williams have been voted International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Best Athletes for the second year in a row.
A panel of 470 sports journalists from 96 countries voted in this year’s poll.
Bolt received an overwhelming 1,282 votes, followed by Formula One Sebastien Vettel on 499 and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo on 437.
Williams, who in 2013 aced her finest season statistically with a 78-4 record, and 11 titles, received 915 votes, ahead of Russian pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayev (644) and Jamaican athletics star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (551).
European champion Bayern Munich, who dominated football in 2013, winning their first Club World Cup title, and finishing the Bundesliga season unbeaten, was the resounding winner of the Best Team award with 1707 votes, 1128 ahead of second place winner Miami Heat, two-time NBA Champions who racked up an incredible 27-game winning streak in 2013.
New Zealand’s All Blacks Rugby team with 14 wins from 14 matches in 2013 took third place.
This year’s Best Press Facilities Award has been split into two categories – Best One Day Sporting Event and Best Press Facilities, Major Championship.
Winner of the One Day Sporting Event award was the UEFA Champions League Final.
Winners of the second category were very close with the 2013 Moscow IAAF Track and Field Championships receiving 558 votes, the FIFA Confederations Cup (545) and FINA World Championships (486).