Armstrong, UConn pair win ESPY Awards

Lance Armstrong - AFP

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong was a repeat winner as male athlete of the year, and Connecticut basketball stars Diana Taurasi and Emeka Okafor were also honoured Wednesday night at the 12th annual ESPY Awards.

Armstrong is currently attempting to win the Tour de France for the sixth straight time, so he didn't attend the show hosted by comedian Jamie Foxx at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre.

"I'd like to say thank you very much to the fans," Armstrong said in a taped message. "This is a tremendous honour. It's always an honour when the people vote for you."

For the first time, fans determined the winners in all 36 categories, including the 19 cross-cutter honours that pit athletes from different sports against each other. More than 10 1/2 million votes were cast between June 21 and July 9.

Armstrong was honoured as the best male athlete over home run king Barry Bonds, quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, and NBA star Kevin Garnett.

Taurasi won the best college female athlete for the second straight year as well as the best female athlete, while Okafor was chosen the best male college athlete. The two led their respective teams to NCAA championships last spring.

"Wow, I didn't expect this at all. It means a lot," Taurasi said. "To be 22, I'm probably the youngest person here."

Taurasi is a rookie with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury.

Taurasi was selected over golfer Annika Sorenstam and tennis star Justine Henin-Hardenne in the female athlete of the year category.

The Detroit Pistons, who beat the Los Angeles Lakers in last month's NBA Finals, were picked as the best team over the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, World Series-winning Florida Marlins, Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning and the UConn men's and women's basketball teams.

 -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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