FINA, swimming’s international governing body, recently released their criteria for the 2015 Athlete of the year awards. At the end of the year, FINA will be honoring the best men’s and women’s swimmer, diver, high diver, open water swimmer, synchronized swimmer, and water polo teams.
Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu and South Africa’s Chad le Clos were honored last year as the 2014 Swimmers Of The Year. Other previous winners include:
Men: Women:
2010 Ryan Lochte (USA) 2010 Therese Alshammar (SWE)
2011 Ryan Lochte (USA) 2011 Missy Franklin (USA)
2012 Michael Phelps (USA) 2012 Missy Franklin (USA)
2013 Ryan Lochte (USA) 2013 Katie Ledecky (USA)
2014 Chad Le Clos (RSA) 2014 Katinka Hosszu (HUN)
The selection will be heavily based on the results from the FINA World Championships and the final results of the 2015 FINA World Cup.
The top 12 finishers in each individual event at the FINA World Championships will earn points for their performances, spanning from 180 for first place down to 25 points for 12th. The next set of criteria is for FINA’s Swimming World Cup. At the end of the series, the top twelve finishers will earn anywhere from 120 to 10 points towards the swimmer of the year award. The final set of criteria is for the World rankings in all of the events, both short course meters and long course meters. The top five swimmers in each event will earn between 25 and 5 points, unless one of those swimmers broke the World Record. In that case, the World Record breaker will be awarded 75 points instead of 25 points.
The selection criteria for the other awards can also be found below.
BEST SWIMMER OF THE YEAR RANKING
| SWIMMING | Olympic Games & FINA World Championships (50m & 25m) (1) | FINA Swimming World Cup (2) | WR bonus (3) | World Rankings (4) |
| 1 | 180 | 120 | 75 | 25 |
| 2 | 140 | 90 | 20 | |
| 3 | 130 | 80 | 15 | |
| 4 | 100 | 60 | 10 | |
| 5 | 90 | 50 | 5 | |
| 6 | 80 | 40 | ||
| 7 | 70 | 35 | ||
| 8 | 60 | 30 | ||
| 9 | 40 | 25 | ||
| 10 | 35 | 20 | ||
| 11 | 30 | 15 | ||
| 12 | 25 | 10 |
- Only individual events are considered
- Classification in the overall ranking
- For each individual WR in 50m or 25m
- Both in 50m and 25m for individual events, excluding the WR
In case of tie, should prevail the points at Olympic Games/World Championships and WR bonus.
BEST DIVER OF THE YEAR RANKING
| DIVING (individual, synchro, mixed and team events) |
Olympic Games & FINA World Championships (1) | FINA Diving World Series (2) | FINA Diving World Cup (1) |
| 1 | 180 | 120 | 80 |
| 2 | 140 | 90 | 70 |
| 3 | 130 | 80 | 60 |
| 4 | 100 | 60 | 40 |
| 5 | 90 | 50 | 35 |
| 6 | 80 | 40 | 25 |
| 7 | 70 | 35 | 20 |
| 8 | 60 | 30 | 15 |
| 9 | 40 | 25 | 10 |
| 10 | 35 | 20 | 8 |
| 11 | 30 | 15 | 6 |
| 12 | 25 | 10 | 4 |
- In the Team Event, points are divided by 2 for each athlete
- Classification in the overall rankings
In case of tie, should prevail the points at Olympic Games/World Championships.
BEST HIGH DIVER OF THE YEAR RANKING
| HIGH DIVING | World Championships | World Cup |
| 1 | 180 | 120 |
| 2 | 140 | 90 |
| 3 | 130 | 80 |
| 4 | 100 | 60 |
| 5 | 90 | 50 |
| 6 | 80 | 40 |
| 7 | 70 | 35 |
| 8 | 60 | 30 |
| 9 | 40 | 25 |
| 10 | 35 | 20 |
| 11 | 30 | 15 |
| 12 | 25 | 10 |
BEST OPEN WATER SWIMMER OF THE YEAR RANKING
| OPEN WATER (individual and team events) |
Olympic Games & FINA World Championships | FINA 10k MSWC (1) | FINA OWS Grand Prix (1) |
| 1 | 180 | 120 | 80 |
| 2 | 140 | 90 | 70 |
| 3 | 130 | 80 | 60 |
| 4 | 100 | 60 | 40 |
| 5 | 90 | 50 | 35 |
| 6 | 80 | 40 | 25 |
| 7 | 70 | 35 | 20 |
| 8 | 60 | 30 | 15 |
| 9 | 40 | 25 | 10 |
| 10 | 35 | 20 | 8 |
| 11 | 30 | 15 | 6 |
| 12 | 25 | 10 | 4 |
- Classification in the overall rankings
In case of tie, should prevail the points at Olympic Games/World Championships.
BEST SYNCHRONISED SWIMMER OF THE YEAR RANKING
| SYNCHRO (solo, duet, team, combo, mixed) |
Olympic Games & FINA World Championships | FINA Synchro World Trophy | FINA Synchro World Cup |
| 1 | 180 | 120 | 80 |
| 2 | 140 | 90 | 70 |
| 3 | 130 | 80 | 60 |
| 4 | 100 | 60 | 40 |
| 5 | 90 | 50 | 30 |
| 6 | 80 | 40 | 25 |
| 7 | 70 | 35 | 20 |
| 8 | 60 | 30 | 15 |
| 9 | 40 | 25 | 10 |
| 10 | 35 | 20 | 8 |
| 11 | 30 | 15 | 6 |
| 12 | 25 | 10 | 4 |
In case of tie, should prevail the points at Olympic Games/World Championships.
BEST WATER POLO TEAM OF THE YEAR RANKING
| WATER POLO | Olympic Games & FINA World Championships | FINA World League | FINA World Cup |
| 1 | 180 | 120 | 80 |
| 2 | 140 | 90 | 70 |
| 3 | 130 | 80 | 60 |
| 4 | 100 | 60 | 40 |
| 5 | 90 | 50 | 35 |
| 6 | 80 | 40 | 25 |
| 7 | 70 | 35 | 20 |
| 8 | 60 | 30 | 15 |
| 9 | 40 | 25 | 10 |
| 10 | 35 | 20 | 8 |
| 11 | 30 | 15 | 6 |
| 12 | 25 | 10 | 4 |
In case of tie, should prevail the points at Olympic Games/World Championships.
Objective criteria should be established beforehand, not when the competition is nearly complete.
With all due respect Hosszu did set a WR in the 200m IM olympic distance. If she can get the 400im WR in RIO and maybe surprise in an event like the 200back she will be right up there with Ledecky in terms of stature as a multiple WR holder.
There is nothing wrong with professional swimmers travelling the globe, swimming multiple races, marketing themselves and making money. That is what professional tennis players and golfers do. The point about the competition being moderate is a valid one, but surely that can’t be Katinka’s fault.
High level performances that Hosszu showed during 2015 LCM season deserve respect and her 200IM record was as much impressive as Ledecky’s 800 one. There is nothing wrong with earning money legally. Professional golfers are ranked by prize money earned. But FINA’s ranking system is not even close to ones used at ATP or PGA, the ones that measure and mean something. The traditional understanding of the meaning of “Best Swimmer of the Year” title is different from what FINA is trying to do. That’s why I call this ranking system the FINA’s Favorite of the year and leave the determination of the Best Swimmer of the Year to other people who understand more about swimming and level of achievements.
Cameron Van Der Burgh or Adam Peaty or Chad le Clos winner on the men’s side?
Katie Ledecky or Katinka Hosszu on the women’s side?
I’m too lazy to calculate.
By my reckoning, that would mean, yet again, that Hosszu would finish ahead of Ledecky because of her World cup points and SC rankings. Such a nonsense if this is confirmed.
It the best swimmer of the World Championships who set historical records is not the best swimmer of the year then I don’t care who FINA’s Favorite of the Year is. I agree with Cary’s comments at SW that reads ” Hosszu is the best at travelling to FINA events in the Middle East and Far East, making money, and marketing herself at meets with only moderate competition.”