AP Female Athlete of the Year

Lindsey Vonn is the 2010 Female Athlete of the Year, chosen by members of The Associated Press.

Never before has a skier - male or female - won one of the annual AP awards, which date to 1931.

Vonn received 77 of 175 votes submitted by news organizations that make up the AP's membership. That is more than double what anyone else got in the tally announced Saturday.

Vonn won two medals at the Vancouver Olympics, including the first downhill gold for an American woman, and captured her third consecutive World Cup overall title.

Racehorse Zenyatta's 32 votes placed her No. 2 in the AP balloting for the second consecutive year. The 6-year-old mare retired with a 19-1 record.

Connecticut basketball player Maya Moore finished third with 29 votes.

 Silent History

2010 (AP) -- Lindsey Vonn, skiing

2009 - Serena Williams, tennis

2008 - Candace Parker, basketball

2007 - Lorena Ochoa, golf

2006 - Lorena Ochoa, golf-x

2005 - Annika Sorenstam, golf

2004 - Annika Sorenstam, golf

2003 - Annika Sorenstam, golf

2002 - Serena Williams, tennis

2001 - Jennifer Capriati, tennis

2000 - Marion Jones, track

1999 - U.S. Soccer Team

1998 - Se Ri Pak, golf

1997 - Martina Hingis, tennis

1996 - Amy Van Dyken, swimming

1995 - Rebecca Lobo, basketball

1994 - Bonnie Blair, speedskating

1993 - Sheryl Swoopes, basketball

1992 - Monica Seles, tennis

1991 - Monica Seles, tennis

1990 - Beth Daniel, golf

1989 - Steffi Graf, tennis

1988 - Florence Griffith Joyner, track and field

1987 - Jackie Joyner-Kersee, track and field

1986 - Martina Navratilova, tennis

1985 - Nancy Lopez, golf

1984 - Mary Lou Retton, gymnastics

1983 - Martina Navratilova, tennis

1982 - Mary Decker Tabb, track

1981 - Tracy Austin, tennis-x

1980 - Chris Evert Lloyd, tennis

1979 - Tracy Austin, tennis

1978 - Nancy Lopez, golf

1977 - Chris Evert, tennis

1976 - Nadia Comaneci, gymnastics

1975 - Chris Evert, tennis

1974 - Chris Evert, tennis

1973 - Billie Jean King, tennis

1972 - Olga Korbut, gymnastics

1971 - Evonne Goolagong, tennis

1970 - Chi Cheng, track

1969 - Debbie Meyer, swimming

1968 - Peggy Fleming, figure skating

1967 - Billie Jean King, tennis

1966 - Kathy Whitworth, golf

1965 - Kathy Whitworth, golf

1964 - Mickey Wright, golf

1963 - Mickey Wright, golf

1962 - Dawn Fraser, swimming

1961 - Wilma Rudolph, track

1960 - Wilma Rudolph, track

1959 - Maria Bueno, tennis

1958 - Althea Gibson, tennis

1957 - Althea Gibson, tennis

1956 - Pat McCormick, diving

1955 - Patty Berg, golf

1954 - Babe Didrikson Zaharias, golf

1953 - Maureen Connolly, tennis

1952 - Maureen Connolly, tennis

1951 - Maureen Connolly, tennis

1950 - Babe Didrikson Zaharias, golf

1949 - Marlene Bauer, golf

1948 - Fanny Blankers-Koen, track

1947 - Babe Didrikson Zaharias, golf

1946 - Babe Didrikson Zaharias, golf

1945 - Babe Didrikson Zaharias, golf-x

1944 - Ann Curtis, swimming

1943 - Patty Berg, golf

1942 - Gloria Callen, swimming

1941 - Betty Hicks Newell, golf

1940 - Alice Marble, tennis

1939 - Alice Marble, tennis

1938 - Patty Berg, golf

1937 - Katherine Rawls, swimming

1936 - Helen Stephens, track-x

1935 - Helen Wills Moody, tennis

1934 - Virginia Van Wie, golf

1933 - Helen Jacobs, tennis

1932 - Babe Didrikson, track

1931 - Helene Madison, swimming

x-Both male and female winners were from the same sport