Simone Biles (USA) and Lionel Messi (Argentina) crowned AIPS Athletes of 2019. Photos/Getty images
LAUSANNE, December 30, 2019 – Argentina and FC Barcelona genius Lionel Messi was voted the AIPS Best Male Athlete of 2019, edging long distance legend Eliud Kipchoge into second place. The award for Best Female Athlete went to the USA gymnastics star Simone Biles for the 2nd year in a row: this is the result of a poll by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS), where a panel of 331 journalists from 102 countries voted for the Champions of 2019.
Earlier, it was announced that Liverpool FC were voted the Best Team, while the award for the Best Press Facility went to the IAAF World Championships Doha 2019.
LIONEL MESSI Nobody has won more games than Leo Messi in the last 10 years: after being recognised as Player of the Year six times, earlier in September he collected the BEST FIFA Men’s Player Award for the first time. This year the Argentinian forward also obtained the recognition of the International Sport Press Association with 394 votes (13,11%) leaving second position to the long distance runner Eliud Kipchoge (361) and the bronze medal to Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal. “My main objectives this season are La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa America – Messi said to FIFA earlier in September – It’s been four years since we’ve won the Champions League and we really want to win it again. We know, though, that if we don’t do the job day in day out, then we won’t make it. And as for the Copa America, I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to go for it yet again. I’m really excited about this year’s Copa.”
Here’s the full Best Male Athlete list:
Lionel Messi (Argentina) Football 394 (13,11%)
Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) Athletics 361 (12,01%)
Rafael Nadal (Spain) Tennis 282 (9,38%)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Football 240 (7,98%)
Lewis Hamilton (UK) Formula One 232 (7,72%)
Virgil van Dijk (The Netherlands) Football 159 (5,29%)
Marcel Hirscher (Austria) Ski 145 (4,82%)
Milák Krištof (Hungary) Swimming 143 (4,76%)
Luka Dončić (Slovenia) Basketball 129 (4,29%)
Egan Bernal (Colombia) cycling 129 (4,29%)
Christian Coleman (USA) Athletics 82 (2,73%)
Johannes Thingnes Boe (Norway) Biathlon 76 (2,53%)
Marc Márquez (Spain) Moto GP 57 (1,90%)
Saúl Álvarez (Mexico) Box 56 (1,86%)
Karsten Warholm (Norway) Athletics 53 (1,76%)
Caeleb Dressel USA) Swimming 53 (1,76%)
Tiger Woods (USA) Golf 49 (1,63%)
Kento Momota (Japan) Badminton 46 (1,53%)
Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) Tennis 46 (1,53%)
Anton Čupkov Swimming (Russia) 37 (1,23%)
Adam Peaty Swimming (UK) 35 (1,16%)
Yuzuru Hanyu (Japan) Figure Skating 33 (1,10%)
Stephen Curry (USA) Basketball 33 (1,10%)
Isaquias Queiroz (Brazil) Canoeing 24 (0,80%)
Joshiro Maruyama (Japan) Judo 24 (0,80%)
Jiří Prskavec (Czech Republic) Canoeing 22 (0,73%)
Javier Fernandez (Spain) Figure Skating 19 (0,63%)
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (Norway) Cross-country ski 19 (0,63%)
Tom Liebscher (Germany) Canoeing 15 (0,50%)
Nathan Chen (USA) Figure Skating 9 (0,30%)
Rudy Fernández (Spain) Basketball 2 (0,07%)
Sebastian Brendel (Germany) Canoeing 2 (0,07%)
SIMONE BILES For the second year running AIPS crowns Simona Biles Best Female Athlete. 2019 was the year Biles broke the internet when she became the first woman to land a triple-double in competition. She stormed her way into the record books winning five gold medals out of the six medal events at the Word Championship in Stuttgart making her the most decorated gymnast of all time at world championships with 25 medals across five competitions.
At only 22 years of age she is the most dominant gymnast ever known and well on her way to being one of the most dominant athletes in the history of sport. It’s not just that she defies gravity, performing feats that were presumed near impossible. She lands them with grace and makes them look easy.
Biles topped the AIPS poll with 452 votes ahead of runner up Megan Rapinoe, who starred in the FIFA 2019 Women’s World Cup with USA Team, who had 406 votes and Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce in third place with 331 votes.
Here’s the full Best Female Athlete list:
Simone Biles (USA) Gymnastics 452 (15,04%)
Megan Rapinoe (USA) Football 406 (13,51%)
Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce Athletics (Jamaica) 331 (11,01%)
Katinka Hosszu (Hungary) Swimming 302 (10,05%)
Mikaela Schiffrin (USA) Ski 232 (7,72%)
Dalilah Muhammad (USA) Athletics 191 (6,35%)
Ash Barty (Australia) Tennis 175 (5,82%)
Yulimar Rojas (Venezuela) Athletics 150 (4,99%)
Bianca Andreescu (Canada) Tennis 125 (4,16%)
Dorothea Wierer (Italy) Biathlon 109 (3,63%)
Dina Asher-Smith (UK) Athletics 103 (3,43%)
Darja Bilodid (Ukraine) Judo 87 (2,89%)
Clarisse Agbegnenou (France) Judo 75 (2,50%)
Therese Johaug (Norway) Cross-country ski 59 (1,96%)
Regan Smith (USA) Swimming 53 (1,76%)
Lisa Carrington (New Zealand) Canoeing 52 (1,73%)
Katie Taylor (Ireland) Boxing 46 (1,53%)
Risako Kawai (Japan) Wrestling 39 (1,30%)
Sanita Pušpure (Ireland) Rowing 19 (0,63%)
Here below the list of all the participating countries that provided one or more votes to the survey:
Hungary 37, Bulgaria 12, Ghana 10, Italy 10, Mexico 9, Austria 8, Colombia 8, Croatia 8, Romania 8, Spain 7, Switzerland 7, Cuba 6, Ukraine 6, Greece 5, Malta 5, Mongolia 5, Nigeria 5, Portugal 5, Russia 5, Slovak Republic 5, Algeria 4, Argentina 4, Belgium 4, Canada 4, Czech Republic 4, Ethiopia 4, Ireland 4, Poland 4, Slovenia 4, Usa 4, Albania 3, France 3, Germany 3, India 3, Iran 3, Japan 3, Malaysia 3, Pakistan 3, Paraguay 3, Saudi Arabia 3, Senegal 3, Turkey 3, Australia 2, Bangladesh 2, Bolivia 2, Brazil 2, Cameroon 2, Dr Congo 2, Egypt 2, Finland 2, Georgia 2, Great Britain 2, Ivory Coast 2, Kenya 2, Kosovo 2, Luxembourg 2, Moldova 2, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 2, Nicaragua 2, Puerto Rico 2, San Marino 2, Serbia 2, Suriname 2, Tunisia 2, Uganda 2, Uruguay 2, Afghanistan 1, Azerbaijan 1, Belarus 1, Benin 1, Bosnia Herzegovina 1, Burundi 1, Central African Rep. 1, Chile 1, China 1, Chinese Taipei 1, Costa Rica 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 1, Dominican Republic 1, Gambia 1, Guatemala 1, Iceland 1, Iraq 1,Korea 1, Kuwait 1, Lebanon 1, Liechtenstein 1, Lithuania 1, Macau 1, Mali 1, Mauritania 1, Morocco 1, Nepal 1, Norway 1, Qatar 1, Sudan 1, Sweden 1, Togo 1, Venezuela 1, Yemen 1.
Source: Maria Pia Beltran – AIPS Media
