The 27-year-old two-time outdoors world champion high jumper - who won the European outdoor title and the world indoors crown - won in a vote of around 390 journalists.

Vlasic, who was also named female athlete of the year both in Europe by the European Athletics Federation and world athlete of the year by the sport's global governing body the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), won 18 of her 20 competitions indoors and outdoors this year and registered six of the 10 best jumps of the year.

Skier Ivica Kostelic was named sportsman of the year - the 31-year-old won two Olympic silver medals in the slalom and super-combined.