Sorenstam completed the career Grand Slam of women's majors
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Swedish golfer Annika Sorenstam was named World Sportswoman of the Year at the Laureus Sports Awards.
The 33-year-old, who completed a career Grand Slam in 2003, was honoured along with 14-year-old American Michelle Wie, who won Newcomer of the Year.
England's World Cup-winning rugby union side were voted best team and Formula One champion Michael Schumacher won Sportsman of the Year.
Austrian skier Hermann Maier won best comeback for his return from injury.
Sorenstam had seven worldwide victories, set or tied 22 LPGA records, won the money list for a third successive year and was the LPGA Player of the Year for the sixth time.
She created a huge stir when she accepted an invitation to play in the Bank of America Colonial tournament on the men's US Tour in May, becoming the first woman for 58 years to play in a men's event.
She missed the halfway cut but earned widespread praise for her performance under enormous pressure.
The Swede went on to land two major championships, becoming only the sixth player to win a career Grand Slam.
She beat Grace Park in a play-off at the McDonald's LPGA Championship and won the Weetabix Women's British Open for the first time after beating Se Ri Pak by one stroke at Royal Lytham.
She was also a lynchpin of Europe's victorious Solheim Cup team against the US in Sweden in September 2003, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
She ended the season by finishing second to former Masters champion Freddie Couples in the Skins Game.
Wie followed in Sorenstam's footsteps, accepting an invitation to play in the US Tour's Sony Open in her native Hawaii, where she missed the cut by one shot.
MMIX
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