Djokovic and Bjoergen are the 2011 AIPS Athletes of the year
Baku, December 30 (AZERTAC). For the second year running a tennis ace has been voted the best male athlete of the year by members of the International Sports Press Association, AIPS. Serbian Novak Djokovic and Norwegian cross-country skier Bjoergen Marit were voted the best male and female athlete of the year 2011, by 379 journalists drawn from 82 countries. Three grand slam titles-the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US open earned Djokovic,who is currently ranked number one earned him 812 votes over 100 votes against Argentine and Barcelona maestro Lionel Messi(690). Messi also finished second in last years poll voting. Jamaican World 200m champion who is also the reigning IAAF athlete of the year ranked third with 441 votes. Interestingly Djokovic, the youngest player in the Open era to reach the semi finals of all four grand slam titles, beat Rafael Nadal, the 2010 AIPS male athlete, in two consecutive grand slam events. The women`s was a close race pitting the multiple and most successful cross-country skier Marit against the double world athletics champion Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot. The Norwegian-the star of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with four gold medals (Individual sprint,7.5 km + 7.5 km double pursuit, 10 km classical4 x 5 km) and a silver in the 30km won the vote by just 10 votes at 576 ahead of Cheruyoit(566). The long distance runner had a terrific season winning the Gold medals in the 5000m and 10000m in Daegu adding on to the senior women cross country title from Punta Umbria. Italian swimmer Pellegrini Federica ranked third with 448 of the 3240 votes cast. World club and Spanish La Liga champions Barcelona are the AIPS team of the year 2011 after garnering 1411 votes of the ahead of New Zealand`s All Blacks (1000) and Brazil`s volleyball team (616). The expansive and well-equipped media Centre and press tribune in Daegu, South Korea that hosted the IAAF world championships got the best press facility award with 633 votes. Wimbledon was second favorite with 616 votes while the press facility offered by the world cup-hosting nation of New Zealand was voted third best at 326.
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