Swimming star Penny Oleksiak voted CP’s female athlete of the year

TORONTO – Teenage swimming sensation Penny Oleksiak is The Canadian Press female athlete of the year.

The 16-year-old from Toronto won gold and silver medals and helped Canada win a pair of relay bronze at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Oleksiak dominated voting in the annual survey of editors and broadcasters across the country, taking 94 per cent of the votes.

Golfer Brooke Henderson finished in second with two votes, freestyle skiier Chloe Dufour-Lapointe received one vote and bobsledder Kaillie Humphries received one vote as well.

Oleksiak finished 2016 with a flourish.

She won a freestyle bronze and helped Canada win a pair of relay gold at December’s world short-course swimming championships in Windsor.

Winners of the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award, given out by The Canadian Press to the female athlete of the year:
2016 – Penny Oleksiak, swimming
2015 – Brooke Henderson, golf
2014 – Eugenie Bouchard, tennis
2013 – Eugenie Bouchard, tennis
2012 – Christine Sinclair, soccer
2011 – Jennifer Heil, freestyle skiing
2010 – Joannie Rochette, figure skating
2009 – Aleksandra Wozniak, tennis
2008 – Chantal Peticlerc, wheelchair racing
2007 – Hayley Wickenheiser, hockey
2006 – Cindy Klassen, speedskating
2005 – Cindy Klassen, speedskating
2004 – Lori-Ann Muenzer, cycling
2003 – Perdita Felicien, track and field
2002 – Catriona Le May Doan, speedskating
2001 – Catriona Le May Doan, speedskating
2000 – Lorie Kane, golf
1999 – Nancy Greene named Athlete of the Century (no athlete of the year)
1998 – Catriona Le May Doan, speedskating
1997 – Lorie Kane, golf
1996 – Alison Sydor, cycling
1995 – Susan Auch, speedskating
1994 – Myriam Bedard, biathlon
1993 – Kate Pace, skiing
1992 – Silken Laumann, rowing
1991 – Silken Laumann, rowing
1990 – Helen Kelesi, tennis
1989 – Helen Kelesi, tennis
1988 – Carolyn Waldo, synchronized swimming
1987 – Carolyn Waldo, synchronized swimming
1986 – Laurie Graham, skiing
1985 – Carling Bassett, tennis
1984 – Sylvie Bernier, diving
1983 – Carling Bassett, tennis
1982 – Gerry Sorensen, skiing
1981 – Tracey Wainman, figure skating
1980 – Sandra Post, golf
1979 – Sandra Post, golf
1978 – Diane Jones-Konihowski, track and field
1977 – Cindy Nicholas, swimming
1976 – Kathy Kreiner, skiing
1975 – Nancy Garapick, swimming
1974 – Wendy Cook, swimming
1973 – Karen Magnussen, figure skating
1972 – Jocelyn Bourassa, golf
1971 – Debbie Van Kiekebelt and Debbie Brill, track and field (tie)
1970 – Beverley Boys, diving
1969 – Beverley Boys, diving
1968 – Nancy Greene, skiing
1967 – Nancy Greene, skiing
1966 – Elaine Tanner, swimming
1965 – Petra Burka, figure skating
1964 – Petra Burka, figure skating
1963 – Marlene Stewart Streit, golf
1962 – Mary Stewart, swimming
1961 – Mary Stewart, swimming
1960 – Anne Heggtveit, skiing
1959 – Anne Heggtveit, skiing
1958 – Lucile Wheeler, skiing
1957 – Marlene Stewart, golf
1956 – Marlene Stewart, golf
1955 – Marilyn Bell, swimming
1954 – Marilyn Bell, swimming
1953 – Marlene Stewart, golf
1952 – Marlene Stewart, golf
1951 – No Award
1950 – Bobbie Rosenfeld, track and field, Named Athlete of the Half Century (no athlete of the year)
1949 – Irene Strong, swimming
1948 – Barbara Ann Scott, figure skating
1947 – Barbara Ann Scott, figure skating
1946 – Barbara Ann Scott, figure skating
1942-1945 – Second World War, No Awards
1941 – Mary Rose Thacker, figure skating
1940 – Dorothy Walton, badminton
1939 – Mary Rose Thacker, figure skating
1938 – Noel MacDonald, basketball
1937 – Robina Higgins, track and field
1936 – Betty Taylor, track and field
1935 – Aileen Meagher, track and field
1934 – Phyllis Dewar, swimming
1933 – Ada Mackenzie, golf