Canada's Athlete of the Year named

Winnipeg speedskater Cindy Klassen has today been named as the recipient of the 2006 Lou Marsh Award as Canada's athlete of the year, squeaking past NBA MVP Steve Nash, who won the award last year.

The following are previous winners of the Lou Marsh Award, as selected by Canadian sportswriters:

************************* 2005 - Steve Nash, basketball 2004 - Adam van Koeverden, Olympic kayaker

2003 - Mike Weir, golfer

2002 - Catriona Le May Doan, speed skating

2001 - Jamie Salé & David Pelletier, figure skating

2000 - Daniel Igali, wrestling

1999 - Caroline Brunet, kayaking

1998 - Larry Walker, baseball

1997 - Jacques Villeneuve, auto racing

1996 - Donovan Bailey, athletics

1995 - Jacques Villeneuve, auto racing

1994 - Myriam Bédard, biathlon

1993 - Mario Lemieux, hockey

1992 - Mark Tewksbury, swimming

1991 - Silken Laumann, rowing

1990 - Kurt Browning, figure skating

1989 - Wayne Gretzky, hockey

1988 - Carolyn Waldo, synchronized swimming

1987 - Ben Johnson, track and field

1986 - Ben Johnson, track and field

1985 - Wayne Gretzky, hockey

1984 - Gaétan Boucher, speed skating

1983 - Wayne Gretzky, hockey

1982 - Wayne Gretzky, hockey

1981 - Susan Nattrass, shooting

1980 - Terry Fox, Marathon of Hope

1979 - Sandra Post, golf

1978 - Graham Smith, swimming

1978 - Ken Read, skiing

1977 - Guy Lafleur, hockey

1976 - Sandy Hawley, horse racing

1975 - Bobby Clarke , hockey

1974 - Ferguson Jenkins, baseball

1973 - Sandy Hawley, horse racing

1972 - Phil Esposito, hockey

1971 - Hervé Filion, harness racing

1970 - Bobby Orr, hockey

1969 - Russ Jackson, football

1968 - Nancy Greene, skiing

1967 - Nancy Greene, skiing

1966 - Elaine Tanner, swimming

1965 - Petra Burka, figure skating

1964 - Roger Jackson, rowing

1964 - George Hungerford, rowing

1963 - Bill Crothers, track and field

1962 - Don Jackson, figure skating

1961 - Bruce Kidd, track and field

1960 - Ann Heggtveit, skiing

1959 - Barbara Wagner, figure skating

1959 - Bob Paul figure skating

1958 - Lucille Wheeler, skiing

1957 - Maurice Richard, hockey

1956 - Marlene Streit, golf

1955 - Beth Whittall, swimming

1954 - Marilyn Bell, swimming

1953 - Doug Hepburn, weightlifting

1952 - George Genereux, shooting

1951 - Marlene Streit, golf

1950 - Bob McFarlane, football, track and field

1949 - Cliff Lumsden, swimming

1948 - Barbara Ann Scott, figure skating

1947 - Barbara Ann Scott, figure skating

1946 - Joe Krol, football

1945 - Barbara Ann Scott, figure skating

1941 - Theo Dubois, rowing

1940 - Gérard Côté, marathon

1939 - Bob Pirie, swimming

1938 - Bob Pearce, rowing

1937 - W. Marshall Cleland, equestrian sports

1936 - Phil Edwards, track and field

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