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 Petter Northug of Norway named Norway's athlete of the year, after a vote by sports journalists in the Scandinavian country. The 29-year-old won four gold medals at the Nordic ski world championships in Falun, Sweden, earlier this year. It was the second time Northug won the annual award. He also won in 2009, and is the tenth Norwegian athlete with two or more wins, news agency NTB reported. The annual award, created in 1948, is handed out by the Norwegian Sportswriters Association. Northug scored 84 points, followed by ice hockey player Mats Zuccarello of the New York Rangers on 62 points, while cyclist Alexander Kristoff collected 41 points. This year, 17 athletes and teams vyed for the award. The top-10 list included downhill skier Aksel Lund Svindal, cross-country skier Marit Bjorgen - who won in 2005 - and last year's winner, biathlon athlete Ole Einar Bjorndalen. |