The Bobbie Rosenfeld Award is an annual award given to Canada's female athlete of the year. The sports writers of the Canadian Press (CP) first conducted a poll to determine the nation's top female in 1932, naming track star Hilda Strike the winner.[1] The CP formalized the poll into an award in 1978, presenting their winner a plaque. It was named after Bobbie Rosenfeld, an all-around athlete and Olympic track and field champion whom the news organization had named its top athlete of the half-century in 1950.[2] The award is separate from the Northern Star Award, in which a select panel of sports writers vote for their top overall athlete.
The poll was suspended for four years during the Second World War after the CP decided it could not name a sporting "hero" at a time when Canadian soldiers were fighting in Europe.[3] Figure skater Barbara Ann Scott was the first woman to lead the poll three times, accomplishing the feat in consecutive years between 1946 and 1948.[4] That total was matched by speed skater Catriona Le May Doan in 2002.[5] Golfer Marlene Streit finished top of the poll the most times, winning on five occasions between 1952 and 1963.[6]
The 2023 winner was swimmer Summer McIntosh.
Voting
The CP first voted on a athletes of the year in 1932,[1] the same year it inaugurated a poll that became the Lionel Conacher Award for the nation's top male athlete.[7] The poll is separate from the previously existing Velma Springstead Trophy, which also names a female athlete of the year and was first presented by the Women's Amateur Athletic Federation of Canada in 1932.[8][9]
Hilda Strike was selected the first winner on a straight vote of each writer's top choice.[1] By 1935, the poll was conducted using a points system where voters ranked their top three choices. Each writer's top pick received three points, their second two, and their third one.[10] A tie occurred in 1971 as pentathlete Debbie Van Kiekebelt and high jumper Debbie Brill finished with an identical 208 points. Van Kiekebelt had more first place votes, 55 to 38, however the two women were named co-winners of the award.[11] Barbara Ann Scott was the first woman to unanimously win the award, doing so in 1947.[12] Scott nearly duplicated the feat the following year, however the lone dissenting vote was given to a mare, Victory Gift.[4]
No winner was selected for the year 1950, as the CP instead chose Bobbie Rosenfeld as Canada's female athlete of the half-century.[13] Skier Nancy Greene was voted Canada's female athlete of the century in 1999. Greene was herself a two-time winner of the annual poll, and was also an Olympic gold medallist, six-time Canadian champion and twice won the Alpine World Cup.[14] Voters selected their first disabled athlete as the winner in 2008, naming wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc the recipient of the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award after she won five gold medals and set three world records at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing.[15] Golfers and swimmers have won the most awards with 14 each, followed by skiers (including biathlete Myriam Bédard) with 12. Figure skaters have 10 victories.
List of winners
| Year | Winner | Sport | Win # | Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Hilda Strike | Track and field | 1 | Silver medallist at the 1932 Summer Olympics[1] |
| 1933 | Ada Mackenzie | Golf | 1 | Winner of Canadian Women's open and closed championships[16] |
| 1934 | Phyllis Dewar | Swimming | 1 | Quadruple gold medallist at 1934 British Empire Games[8] |
| 1935 | Aileen Meagher | Track and field | 1 | Considered Canada's top female sprinter[10] |
| 1936 | Betty Taylor | Track and field | 1 | Bronze medallist at 1936 Summer Olympics[17] |
| 1937 | Robina Higgins | Track and field | 1 | Set Canadian record in the javelin throw[18] |
| 1938 | Noel MacDonald | Basketball | 1 | Captained her team to national championship.[19] |
| 1939 | Mary Rose Thacker | Figure skating | 1 | Won North American championship[20] |
| 1940 | Dorothy Walton | Badminton | 1 | Toronto, Ontario and Canadian champion[21] |
| 1941 | Mary Rose Thacker | Figure skating | 2 | Won North American championship for third consecutive year[22] |
| 1942 | No award (Second World War)[a] | |||
| 1943 | No award (Second World War)[a] | |||
| 1944 | No award (Second World War)[a] | |||
| 1945 | No award (Second World War)[a] | |||
| 1946 | Barbara Ann Scott | Figure skating | 1 | Canadian and North American champion[23] |
| 1947 | Barbara Ann Scott[b] | Figure skating | 2 | European and world champion[12] |
| 1948 | Barbara Ann Scott[b] | Figure skating | 3 | Gold medallist at the 1948 Winter Olympics, European and world champion[4] |
| 1949 | Irene Strong | Swimming | 1 | Holder of numerous Canadian records[24] |
| 1950 | Bobbie Rosenfeld Athlete of the half-century[c] | Track and field | — | Gold and silver medallist at the 1928 Summer Olympics, set records in numerous athletics events, also played hockey, basketball and tennis[13] |
| 1951 | No award[25] | |||
| 1952 | Marlene Streit | Golf | 1 | Winner of Canadian Women's closed championship[26] |
| 1953 | Marlene Streit | Golf | 2 | Winner of the British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship[27] |
| 1954 | Marilyn Bell[b] | Swimming | 1 | First person to swim across Lake Ontario[28] |
| 1955 | Marilyn Bell | Swimming | 2 | Youngest person to swim across the English Channel[28] |
| 1956 | Marlene Streit[b] | Golf | 3 | Winner of eight tournaments, including U.S. Women's Amateur[29] |
| 1957 | Marlene Streit | Golf | 4 | Winner of Canadian closed and Ontario amateur championships[29] |
| 1958 | Lucille Wheeler[b] | Skiing | 1 | Winner of downhill and slalom world championships[30] |
| 1959 | Anne Heggtveit | Skiing | 1 | Winner of multiple European events[31] |
| 1960 | Anne Heggtveit[b] | Skiing | 2 | Gold medallist at the 1960 Winter Olympics[32] |
| 1961 | Mary Stewart | Swimming | 1 | Set world record in 110-yard butterfly[33] |
| 1962 | Mary Stewart | Swimming | 2 | Gold medallist at 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games[34] |
| 1963 | Marlene Streit | Golf | 5 | Winner of three tournaments, including Canadian open and closed championships[6] |
| 1964 | Petra Burka | Figure skating | 1 | Canadian champion and bronze medal winner at 1964 Winter Olympics[35] |
| 1965 | Petra Burka[b] | Figure skating | 2 | Winner of world championship[36] |
| 1966 | Elaine Tanner[b] | Swimming | 1 | Quadruple gold medallist at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games[37] |
| 1967 | Nancy Greene[b] | Skiing | 1 | Winner of the 1967 Alpine Skiing World Cup[38] |
| 1968 | Nancy Greene[b] | Skiing | 2 | Gold and bronze medallist at 1968 Winter Olympics and winner of the 1968 Alpine Skiing World Cup[39] |
| 1969 | Beverly Boys | Diving | 1 | Canadian champion and winner of English diving championship[40] |
| 1970 | Beverly Boys | Diving | 2 | Double gold medallist at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games[41] |
| 1971 | Debbie Van Kiekebelt[d] | Pentathlon | 1 | Gold medallist at 1971 Pan American Games[11] |
| 1971 | Debbie Brill[d] | High jump | 1 | Gold medallist at 1971 Pan American Games[11] |
| 1972 | Jocelyne Bourassa | Golf | 1 | Top-20 finish in the LPGA Tour standings[42] |
| 1973 | Karen Magnussen | Figure skating | 1 | Winner of world championship[43] |
| 1974 | Wendy Cook | Swimming | 1 | Triple gold medallist at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games[44] |
| 1975 | Nancy Garapick | Swimming | 1 | Set world record in the 200 metre backstroke[45] |
| 1976 | Kathy Kreiner | Skiing | 1 | Gold medallist at the 1976 Winter Olympics[46] |
| 1977 | Cindy Nicholas | Swimming | 1 | First woman and fastest person to complete a double crossing of the English Channel[47] |
| 1978 | Diane Jones-Konihowski | Pentathlon | 1 | Gold medallist at the 1978 Commonwealth Games[2] |
| 1979 | Sandra Post[b] | Golf | 1 | Second on the LPGA Tour, earned more prize money in a single year than any previous Canadian golfer[48] |
| 1980 | Sandra Post | Golf | 2 | Earned over US$100,000 on LPGA Tour[49] |
| 1981 | Tracey Wainman | Figure skating | 1 | Winner of the St. Ivel International[50] |
| 1982 | Gerry Sorensen | Skiing | 1 | Winner of the downhill world championship[51] |
| 1983 | Carling Bassett | Tennis | 1 | Winner of one tournament and finalist in two others as first year professional[52] |
| 1984 | Sylvie Bernier | Diving | 1 | Gold medallist at the 1984 Summer Olympics[53] |
| 1985 | Carling Bassett | Tennis | 2 | Ranked 17th in the world by the Women's Tennis Association[54] |
| 1986 | Laurie Graham | Skiing | 1 | Seven top-three finishes and third overall in downhill[55] |
| 1987 | Carolyn Waldo | Synchronized swimming | 1 | Double gold medallist at World Aquatic Championships[56] |
| 1988 | Carolyn Waldo[b] | Synchronized swimming | 2 | Double gold medallist at the 1988 Summer Olympics[57] |
| 1989 | Helen Kelesi | Tennis | 1 | Ranked 13th in the world by the Women's Tennis Association[58] |
| 1990 | Helen Kelesi | Tennis | 2 | First woman to win four consecutive national senior championships[59] |
| 1991 | Silken Laumann[b] | Rowing | 1 | World champion in single skulls and World Cup winner[60] |
| 1992 | Silken Laumann | Rowing | 2 | Won bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics, less than three months after serious accident that doctors predicted would end her career[25][61] |
| 1993 | Kate Pace | Skiing | 1 | Winner of the downhill world championship[62] |
| 1994 | Myriam Bédard[b] | Biathlon | 1 | Double gold medallist at 1994 Winter Olympics[63] |
| 1995 | Susan Auch | Speed skating | 1 | Won silver and bronze medals at world championships, second overall in World Cup[64] |
| 1996 | Alison Sydor | Cycling | 1 | Silver medallist at 1996 Summer Olympics, world champion and World Cup winner[65] |
| 1997 | Lorie Kane | Golf | 1 | Earned Canadian record of US$426,000 on LPGA Tour[66] |
| 1998 | Catriona Le May Doan | Speed skating | 1 | Gold and bronze medallist at 1998 Winter Olympics, leader in the World Cup at both 500 and 1000 metres[67] |
| 1999 | Nancy Greene Athlete of the century[c] | Skiing | — | Olympic gold medallist, two-time Alpine World Cup champion, six-time Canadian champion[14] |
| 2000 | Lorie Kane | Golf | 2 | Winner of three LPGA Tour events[68] |
| 2001 | Catriona Le May Doan | Speed skating | 2 | Canadian and world champion, set world record at 500 metres[69] |
| 2002 | Catriona Le May Doan[b] | Speed skating | 3 | Gold medallist at 2002 Winter Olympics, world champion, overall champion and set Olympic record at 500 metres[5] |
| 2003 | Perdita Felicien | Track and field | 1 | World champion in the 100 metres hurdles.[70] |
| 2004 | Lori-Ann Muenzer | Cycling | 1 | Gold medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics.[71] |
| 2005 | Cindy Klassen | Speed skating | 1 | Set four world records en route to winning eight medals on World Cup circuit.[72] |
| 2006 | Cindy Klassen[b] | Speed skating | 2 | Won five medals (one gold, two silver, two bronze – Canadian record) at the 2006 Winter Olympics.[73] |
| 2007 | Hayley Wickenheiser | Ice hockey | 1 | Captained Team Canada to world championship gold and named the most valuable player of the tournament.[74] |
| 2008 | Chantal Petitclerc[b] | Wheelchair racing | 1 | Won five gold medals and set three world records at 2008 Summer Paralympics.[15] |
| 2009 | Aleksandra Wozniak | Tennis | 1 | First Canadian in ten years to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam event.[75] |
| 2010 | Joannie Rochette | Figure skating | 1 | Won the bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics days after her mother died of a heart attack.[76] |
| 2011 | Jennifer Heil | Freestyle skiing | 1 | Finished her career by winning two gold medals in women's moguls at the Freestyle Skiing World Championships.[77] |
| 2012 | Christine Sinclair[b] | Soccer | 1 | Led Team Canada to a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, winning the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer.[78] |
| 2013 | Eugenie Bouchard | Tennis | 1 | Climbed to number 32 in the WTA rankings, was named Newcomer of the Year.[79] |
| 2014 | Eugenie Bouchard | Tennis | 2 | Reached number 5 in the WTA rankings, was named Most Improved Player, reached Wimbledon Finals.[80] |
| 2015 | Brooke Henderson | Golf | 1 | First Canadian to win on the LPGA Tour in more than a decade.[81] |
| 2016 | Penny Oleksiak[b] | Swimming | 1 | Won four medals (including one gold) at the 2016 Summer Olympics in swimming[82] |
| 2017 | Brooke Henderson | Golf | 2 | Won two LPGA Tour events, finishing 6th on the money list.[83] |
| 2018 | Brooke Henderson | Golf | 3 | Won two LPGA Tour events, first Canadian winner of the Canadian Women's Open title in 45 years, 4th on the money list.[84] |
| 2019 | Bianca Andreescu[b] | Tennis | 1 | Became the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam singles title by capturing the US Open women's singles championship[85] |
| 2020 | Christine Sinclair | Soccer | 2 | Became the all-time leading goal scorer in international play.[86] |
| 2021 | Leylah Fernandez | Tennis | 1 | Winner of the 2021 Monterrey Open and finalist at the 2021 US Open.[87] |
| 2022 | Marie-Philip Poulin[b] | Ice hockey | 1 | Captained Team Canada to gold medals at the 2022 Winter Olympics and 2022 World Championship, scoring her third Olympic game-winning goal at the former.[88] |
| 2023 | Summer McIntosh | Swimming | 1 | Won two gold medals at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships and set two world records.[89] |
Notes
a According to the Canadian Press, the award was discontinued between 1942 and 1945 because "sports writers decided athletes cannot rate as heroes while young Canadian pilots, paratroopers and corvette gunners fought for freedom in the shadow of death".[3]
b Denotes athlete also won the Northern Star Award as Canadian athlete of the year[90]
c No winner was announced for the years 1950 or 1999 as the Canadian Press instead voted for athlete of the half-century and century, respectively.[91]
d Joint winners named in 1971
References
Further reading
- Hall, M. Ann (2002), The girl and the game : a history of women's sport in Canada, Broadview Press ISBN 1-55111-268-X
- Greatest Sporting Moments: The Bobbie Rosenfeld and Lionel Conacher Award Winners in the Virtual Museum of Canada