Reuters
Tuesday, December 26

LONDON -- Tiger Woods, who won the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship in 2000, has been voted Reuters sportsman of the year.

"Over 12 months, his achievements outshine every other sportsman," said Donald Walker at The Scotsman.

Woods was the clear winner with 139 points out of a maximum of 250. German Formula One champion Michael Schumacher clinched second place with 73 points just ahead of Britain's gold medal-winning rower Steve Redgrave who bagged 67.

Fourth place went to Dutch swimmer Pieter van den Hoogenband (56), while Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, the Reuters sports personality of the year last year, finished fifth (48).

Fifty sports editors and journalists from 37 countries nominated up to five sportsmen. Each first-place choice was awarded five points, the second-placed four points and so on.

For many who took part, the year belonged to Woods.

In all he won nine U.S. titles, the best return since Sam Snead's 11 of 50 years ago, and matched Ben Hogan's achievement of winning three of the four majors to become the youngest man, at 24, and only the fifth ever, to complete a career Grand Slam.

"Tiger Woods continues to astonish," said Roger Crutchley at the Bangkok Post. "Winning three out of four majors this year just does not tell it all. For the first time in golfing history, you have a situation in which one player is clear favorite to win every time he plays."

The American touched perfection in winning the U.S. Open by a record 15 strokes and the British Open by eight, the latter in a record 19-under par.

Schumacher won plaudits from sports editors for winning Formula One's drivers' title, the first for Ferrari in 21 years, after a gripping duel with Mika Hakkinen in his McLaren.

Others went for Redgrave. Aged 38 and a diabetic, Redgrave won a fifth consecutive Olympic rowing gold, helping the men's coxless fours to an emotional victory in Sydney.

"Redgrave set a benchmark for Olympic excellence which seems unlikely to be broken in the foreseeable future," said Ori Lewis at Haaretz in Israel.

"To win five Olympic gold medals over a 16-year period in such a physically demanding sport as rowing makes Redgrave, who battled diabetes and Father Time to win in Sydney, a true iron man and an inspiration to millions," said Alastair Himmer at Kyodo World Service.

Fourth-placed Van den Hoogenband also went into the record books in Sydney. The Dutchman won the 200-meter freestyle over home favorite Ian Thorpe in world record time and then deposed Russian Alexander Popov in the 100 meters.

"Van den Hoogenband's upset win over Ian Thorpe at the 200 meters freestyle will remain as one of the Olympics' greatest moments ever," said Andre Fontenelle at Placar in Brazil.

The top five was completed by Armstrong who won the Tour de France for a second consecutive year.