Six-time Olympic champion Michael Phelps has been voted world swimmer of the year by Swimming World magazine.
Fellow American Aaron Piersol, a double Olympic backstroke champion, was second, with Australian Ian Thorpe in third.
Phelps won eight medals in Athens, surpassing Mark Spitz's seven in 1972 and equalling the most won in a single Olympiad.
The 19-year-old won six golds, second only to Spitz' record of seven, with four in individual events and the remainder coming in relays.
It will come as a pleasant distraction to Phelps, who was also named male American swimmer of the year, after he was recently charged with drunk-driving.
Phelps was arrested last month and faces court in Maryland on December 29.
Yana Klochkova, who became the first swimmer to win both individual medley races in back-to-back Olympics when she successfully defended her 200m and 400m titles in Athens, was voted world female swimmer of the year. She was also voted European female swimmer of the year.
Olympic 100m freestyle champion Holland's Pieter van den Hoogenband became the male European swimmer of the year for the fourth time.
