Athlete of the Year (Germany)

The Track and Field Athlete of the Year award is given once a year to a female and male athlete who have achieved particular success in the past year.

The elections for the athletes of the year are carried out by the German Athletics Association . The users of Leichtathletik.de and the readers of the specialist magazine Leichtathletik as well as the magazine Leichtathletik Informations of the Friends of Athletics e. V.

Women

year	Athlete	discipline	Successes in the award year
2019	Malaika Mihambo	Long jump	Gold at the World Championships in Doha
2018	Gina Lückenkemper	100 meter run	Silver at the European Championships in Berlin, bronze with the relay
2017 2016 2015	Gesa Felicitas Krause	3000 meter obstacle course	German record over 3000 meters obstacle; 9th place at the World Championships in London Gold at the European Championships in Amsterdam; 6th place at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, bronze at the World Championships in Beijing
2014	Antje Möldner-Schmidt	3000 meter obstacle course	Gold at the European Championships in Zurich
2013	Christina Obergföll	Javelin throw	Gold at the World Championships in Moscow
2012	Lilli Schwarzkopf	Heptathlon	Silver at the Olympic Games in London
2011	Betty Heidler	Hammer throw	Silver at the World Championships in Daegu; Improvement of the world record
2010	Verena Sailer	100 meter run	Gold at the European Championships in Helsinki
2009	Steffi Nerius	Javelin throw	Gold at the World Championships in Berlin
2008	Irina Mikitenko	Marathon run	Victories at the London Marathon and the Berlin Marathon , each with a German record; Winner of the World Marathon Majors and first on the annual world best list in the marathon
2007	Franka Dietzsch	Discus throw	Gold at the World Championships in Osaka and thus the third world championship title
2006	Ulrike Maisch	Marathon run	Gold at the European Championships in Gothenburg, making it the first German European champion over the marathon distance
2005	Franka Dietzsch	Discus throw	Gold at the World Championships in Helsinki
2004	Steffi Nerius	Javelin throw	Silver at the Olympic Games in Athens
2003	Annika Becker	Pole vault	Second place at the World Championships in Paris
2002 2001	Grit Breuer	400 meter run	Gold with the relay at the 2002 European Championships in Munich, silver with the relay at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton
2000	Heike Drechsler	Long jump	Gold at the Olympic Games in Sydney
1999	Astrid Kumbernuss	Shot put	Gold at the World Championships in Seville; Grand Prix overall winner
1998	Heike Drechsler	Long jump	Gold at the European Championships in Budapest, so she won a gold medal at all European Athletics Championships from 1986 to 1998
1997 1996 1995	Astrid Kumbernuss	Shot put	Gold at the 1997 World Championships in Athens Gold at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta Gold at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg In the years 1995–1996 Astrid Kumbernuss won 51 competitions in a row.
1994 1993	Heike Drechsler	Long jump	Gold at the 1994 European Championships in Helsinki Gold at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart
1992 1991	Heike Henkel	high jump	Gold at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona Gold at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo; Grand Prix overall winner

Men

year	athlete	discipline	Successes in the award year
2019	Niklas Kaul	Decathlon	Gold at the World Championships in Doha
2018	Arthur Abele	Decathlon	Gold at the European Championships in Berlin
2017	Johannes Vetter	Javelin throw	Gold at the World Championships in London
2016	Thomas Röhler	Javelin throw	Gold at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro
2015	Arne Gabius	Long distance running	German records in the marathon and over 5000 meters (hall)
2014	Robert Harting	Discus throw	Gold at the European Championships in Zurich
2013	Raphael Holzdeppe	Pole vault	Gold at the World Championships in Moscow
2012	Robert Harting	Discus throw	Gold at the Olympic Games in London
2011	David Storl	Shot put	Gold at the World Championships in Daegu
2010	Christian Reif	Long jump	Gold at the European Championships in Barcelona
2009	Robert Harting	Discus throw	Gold at the World Championships in Berlin
2008	Raphael Holzdeppe	Pole vault	Gold at the Junior World Championships in Bydgoszcz Junior world record 8th place at the Olympic Games in Beijing
2007	Danny Ecker	Pole vault	Gold at the European Indoor Championships in Birmingham Bronze at the World Championships in Osaka
2006	Jan Fitschen	10,000 meter run	Gold at the European Championships
2005 2004	Tobias Unger	200 meter run	Tenth place in the world rankings in 2005 and thus best white 200-meter runner gold at the 2005 European Indoor Championships in Madrid 7th place at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki 7th place at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens Bronze at the 2004 World Indoor Championships in Budapest
2003	Andreas Erm	Go	Bronze with a German record at the World Championships in Paris / Saint-Denis
2002	Ingo Schultz	400 meter run	Gold at the European Championships in Munich (only German gold in the individual competitions)
2001	Lars Riedel	Discus throw	Gold at the World Championships in Edmonton
2000	Nils Schumann	800 meter run	Gold at the Olympic Games in Sydney Silver at the European Indoor Championships in Ghent
1999	Charles Friedek	Triple jump	Gold at the World Championships in Seville Gold at the Indoor World Championships in Maebashi (Japan)
1998	Nils Schumann	800 meter run	Gold at the European Championships in Budapest Gold at the European Indoor Championships in Valencia World Cup winner
1997	Lars Riedel	Discus throw	Gold at the World Championships in Athens
1996	Frank Busemann	Decathlon	Silver at the Olympic Games in Atlanta
1995	Lars Riedel	Discus throw	Gold at the World Championships in Gothenburg
1994	Dieter Baumann	5000 meter run	Gold at the European Championships in Helsinki
1993	Paul Meier	Decathlon	Bronze at the World Championships in Stuttgart
1992	Dieter Baumann	5000 meter run	Gold at the Olympic Games in Barcelona
1991	Dietmar Haaf	Long jump	Gold at the World Indoor Championships in Seville