LORENA OCHOA TOPS AP FEMALE

ATHLETE OF YEAR POLL AGAIN

British Women's Open champion Lorena Ochoa from Mexico has topped the annual Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year poll. The 26-year-old, the world's No 1 female pro golfer and the first LPGA player to win more than $4million in one season, gained 71 votes, more than all the other leading candidates put together.

Lorena, pictured right, also won the AP Female award last year and follows in the famous footsteps of Annika Sorenstam, Kathy Whitworth, Mickey Wright and Babe Zaharias as the only golfers to win the prestigious poll two years in a row.

French Open women's tennis champion Justine Henin was runner-up with 17 votes.

New York Marathon winner Paul Radcliffe came third, Tennessee basketball player Candace Parker fourth and Allyson Felix, winner of three gold medals at the world track and field championships, completed the leading five this year.

Strangely enough, Tiger Woods did not win the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year award which went to an American Football player - New England Patriots quarter back Tom Brady.

Tennis ace Roger Federer from Switzerland was runner-up in the male voting.