Time magazine Wednesday named Russian President Vladimir Putin "Person of the Year" for his "extraordinary feat of leadership in taking a country that was in chaos and bringing it stability."

The runners-up for 2007 went to Nobel Prize-winner Al Gore and the author of the "Harry Potter" books J.K. Rowling.

In an article entitled "Choosing Order Before Freedom" posted on the magazine's website, Time managing editor Richard Stengel said Putin was chosen for performing "an extraordinary feat of leadership in imposing stability on a nation that has rarely known it and brought Russia back to the table of world power."

(Xinhua News Agency December 20, 2007)