| Index | ||||||
| Swimming | ||||||
| World Swimmer of the Year | ||||||
| Men | Women | |||||
| 1960 | ||||||
| 1961 | ||||||
| 1962 | ||||||
| 1963 | ||||||
| 1964 | ||||||
| 1965 | Cathy Ferguson | USA | ||||
| 1966 | ||||||
| 1967 | Debbie Meyer | USA | ||||
| 1968 | Charles Hickcox | USA | Debbie Meyer | USA | ||
| 1969 | Debbie Meyer | USA | ||||
| 1970 | ||||||
| 1971 | Shane Gould | AUS | ||||
| 1972 | Shane Gould | AUS | ||||
| 1973 | ||||||
| 1974 | Tim Shaw | USA | Ulrike Tauber | DDR | ||
| 1975 | Tim Shaw | USA | ||||
| 1976 | John Naber | USA | ||||
| 1977 | Brian Goodell | USA | Ulrike Tauber | DDR | ||
| 1978 | Jesse Vassallo | USA | ||||
| 1979 | ||||||
| 1980 | Rowdy Gaines | USA | Petra Schneider | DDR | ||
| 1981 | Alex Baumann | CAN | Mary T. Meagher | USA | ||
| 1982 | Vladimir Salnikov | URS | Petra Schneider | DDR | ||
| 1983 | Rick Carey | USA | Ute Geweniger | DDR | ||
| 1984 | Alex Baumann | CAN | Kristin Otto | DDR | ||
| 1985 | Michael Gross | FDR | Mary T. Meagher | USA | ||
| 1986 | Matt Biondi | USA | Kristin Otto | DDR | ||
| 1987 | Tamas Darnyi | HUN | Janet Evans | USA | ||
| 1988 | Matt Biondi | USA | Kristin Otto | DDR | ||
| 1989 | Mike Barrowman | USA | Janet Evans | USA | ||
| 1990 | Mike Barrowman | USA | Janet Evans | USA | ||
| 1991 | Tamas Darnyi | HUN | Krisztina Egerszegi | HUN | ||
| 1992 | Egveni Sadovyi | RUS | Krisztina Egerszegi | HUN | ||
| 1993 | Karoly Guttler | HUN | Franziska Van Almsick | GER | ||
| 1994 | Kieren Perkins | AUS | Samantha Riley | AUS | ||
| 1995 | Denis Pankratov | RUS | Krisztina Egerszegi | HUN | ||
| 1996 | Denis Pankratov | RUS | Penny Heyns | RSA | ||
| 1997 | Michael Klim | AUS | Claudia Poll | CRC | ||
| 1998 | Ian Thorpe | AUS | Jenny Thompson | USA | ||
| 1999 | Ian Thorpe | AUS | Penny Heyns | RSA | ||
| 2000 | Pieter van den Hoogenband | NED | Inge de Bruijn | NED | ||
| 2001 | Ian Thorpe | AUS | Inge de Bruijn | NED | ||
| 2002 | Ian Thorpe | AUS | Natalie Coughlin | USA | ||
| 2003 | Michael Phelps | USA | Hannah Stockbauer | GER | ||
| 2004 | Michael Phelps | USA | Yana Klochkova | UKR | ||
| 2005 | Grant Hackett | AUS | Leisel Jones | AUS | ||
| 2006 | Michael Phelps | USA | Leisel Jones | AUS | ||
| 2007 | Michael Phelps | USA | Laure Manaudou | FRA | ||
| 2008 | Michael Phelps | USA | Stephanie Rice | AUS | ||
| 2009 | Michael Phelps | USA | Federica Pellegrini | ITA | ||
| 2010 | Ryan Lochte | USA | Rebecca Soni | USA | ||
| 2011 | Ryan Lochte | USA | Rebecca Soni | USA | ||