Blanka Vlasic celebrates winning the IAAF / VTB Bank Continental Cup in Split (© Getty Images)
Reigning World High Jump champion Blanka Vlasic, the 2010 World Athlete of the Year, was named the best athlete of 2010 by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).
In an online poll of 515 international sports journalists from 93 nations, the Croatian star beat American Lindsey Vonn, the 2010 Winter Olympic downhill gold medallist, by more than 200 votes. Belgium's Kim Clijsters received the third most number of votes.
Vlasic won 18 of her 20 competitions in 2010, including her second World indoor High Jump title as well as her first European title. She also produced a perfect seven-for-seven record in the Inaugural Samsung Diamond League.
The men's honour went to Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal, who won three Grand Slam and three Masters titles. David Rudisha of Kenya, who twice broke the World record in the 800m and was named IAF World Athlete of the Year in 2010, finished fifth in the voting.
AIPS for the IAAF
In an online poll of 515 international sports journalists from 93 nations, the Croatian star beat American Lindsey Vonn, the 2010 Winter Olympic downhill gold medallist, by more than 200 votes. Belgium's Kim Clijsters received the third most number of votes.
Vlasic won 18 of her 20 competitions in 2010, including her second World indoor High Jump title as well as her first European title. She also produced a perfect seven-for-seven record in the Inaugural Samsung Diamond League.
The men's honour went to Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal, who won three Grand Slam and three Masters titles. David Rudisha of Kenya, who twice broke the World record in the 800m and was named IAF World Athlete of the Year in 2010, finished fifth in the voting.
AIPS for the IAAF
