USOC Athlete of the Year
Encyclopedia
The USOC Athlete of the Year awards are presented on an annual basis by the United States Olympic Committee
to athletes who have distinguished themselves in one of the Olympic
or Paralympic
sport
s. Awards are presented to the Olympic or Paralympic SportsMan of the Year, SportsWoman of the Year, and Team of the Year.
Nominees for each award are submitted by the national governing bodies of Olympic, Paralympic, and Pan American Games
sports, and by their affiliated able-bodied and disabled sports organizations. Winners are selected by a vote of the USOC awards committee, consisting of USOC representatives, media representatives, and Olympic athletes.
The SportsMan and SportsWoman of the Year awards were first presented in 1974; the Team of the Year award was added in 1996 and the Paralympian of the Year award was added in 2004.
United States Olympic Committee
The United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization that serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and coordinates the relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and various...
to athletes who have distinguished themselves in one of the Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
or Paralympic
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s. Awards are presented to the Olympic or Paralympic SportsMan of the Year, SportsWoman of the Year, and Team of the Year.
Nominees for each award are submitted by the national governing bodies of Olympic, Paralympic, and Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
sports, and by their affiliated able-bodied and disabled sports organizations. Winners are selected by a vote of the USOC awards committee, consisting of USOC representatives, media representatives, and Olympic athletes.
The SportsMan and SportsWoman of the Year awards were first presented in 1974; the Team of the Year award was added in 1996 and the Paralympian of the Year award was added in 2004.
SportsMan of the Year
- 1974 — Jim Bolding, athletics
- 1975 — Clinton JacksonClinton JacksonClint Jackson is a former American boxer, who competed on behalf of the U.S. in the 1976 Summer Olympics.-Amateur highlights:*1974 National AAU Welterweight Champion...
, boxingBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds... - 1976 — John NaberJohn NaberJohn Phillips Naber is a former American swimmer who specialized in the backstroke and five-time Olympic medallist .-Career:...
, swimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native... - 1977 — Eric HeidenEric HeidenEric Arthur Heiden, M.D. is an American former long track speed skater and road cyclist who won all the men's speed skating races, and thus an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York,...
, speedskating - 1978 — Bruce DavidsonBruce Davidson (equestrian)Bruce Oram Davidson is an American equestrian who competes in the sport of eventing. He grew up in a family uninterested in horses, but began to compete in Pony Club events after a family friend introduced him to horses...
, equestrianismEquestrianismEquestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses... - 1979 — Eric Heiden, speedskating
- 1980 — Eric Heiden, speedskating
- 1981 — Scott HamiltonScott Hamilton (figure skater)Scott Scovell Hamilton is an American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist. He won four consecutive U.S. championships , four consecutive World Championships and a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics....
, figure skatingFigure skatingFigure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions... - 1982 — Greg LouganisGreg LouganisGregory "Greg" Efthimios Louganis is an American Olympic diver and author.He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States....
, divingDivingDiving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one... - 1983 — Rick McKinney, archeryArcheryArchery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
- 1984 — Edwin MosesEdwin MosesEdwin Corley Moses is an American track and field athlete who won gold medals in the 400 metre hurdles at the 1976 and 1984 Olympics. Between 1977 and 1987, Moses won 107 consecutive finals and set the world record in his event four times...
, athletics - 1985 — Willie BanksWillie BanksWilliam Augustus Banks III is an American athlete. Born at Travis Air Force Base, California, he grew up in San Diego County and went to Oceanside High School. Banks is an Eagle Scout....
, athletics - 1986 — Matt BiondiMatt BiondiMatthew Nicholas Biondi is a three-time U.S. Olympic swimmer in the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Summer Olympics, winning a total of 11 medals...
, swimming
- 1987 — Greg Louganis, diving
- 1988 — Matt Biondi, swimming
- 1989 — Roger KingdomRoger KingdomRoger Kingdom is a former sprint hurdler from the United States.Born in Vienna, Georgia, an athlete of note Roger excelled at the high jump and discus in his formative years as well as being a noteworthy American football player...
, athletics - 1990 — John T. SmithJohn T. SmithJohn T. "J.T." Smith is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling in the 1990s.-Tri-State Wrestling Alliance:...
, wrestlingWrestlingWrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position... - 1991 — Carl LewisCarl LewisFrederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis is an American former track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were gold. His career spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and...
, athletics - 1992 — Pablo MoralesPablo MoralesPablo Morales is an American former swimmer. He attended Bellarmine College Preparatory, in San Jose, California under the supervision of Larry Rogers...
, swimming - 1993 — Michael JohnsonMichael Johnson (athlete)Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world...
, athletics - 1994 — Dan JansenDan JansenDaniel Erwin Jansen is a former speed skater, best known for winning a gold medal in his final Olympic race after suffering through years of heartbreak. He graduated from West Allis Central High School....
, speedskating - 1995 — Michael Johnson, athletics
- 1996 — Michael Johnson, athletics
- 1997 — Pete SamprasPete SamprasPete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
, tennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... - 1998 — Jonny Mosely, skiingSkiingSkiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
- 1999 — Lance ArmstrongLance ArmstrongLance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
, cyclingCyclingCycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
- 2000 — Rulon GardnerRulon GardnerRulon Gardner is an American Olympian who competed in the 2000 Olympic games, winning the gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling upon defeating Russian Aleksandr Karelin, who was previously undefeated in 13 years of international competition...
, wrestling - 2001 — Lance Armstrong, cycling
- 2002 — Lance Armstrong, cycling
- 2003 — Lance Armstrong, cycling
- 2004 — Michael PhelpsMichael PhelpsMichael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...
, swimming - 2005 — Hunter KemperHunter KemperHunter Craig Kemper is a triathlete from the United States. He won the silver medal at the 1999 Pan American Games, behind Venezuela's Gilberto González, followed by the gold four years later in Santo Domingo....
, triathlonTriathlonA triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances... - 2006 — Joey CheekJoey Cheek+William Joseph Cheek is an American speed skater and former inline speed skater...
, speed skating - 2007 — Tyson GayTyson GayTyson Gay is an American track and field sprinter. His primary events are the 100 meters and 200 meters. His personal bests establish him as the second fastest athlete in the 100 meters and the fifth fastest athlete in the history of the 200 meters, with times of 9.69 and...
, athletics - 2008 — Michael Phelps, swimming
- 2009 — Todd LodwickTodd LodwickTodd Lodwick is an American nordic combined skier and by several measures the most successful North American in this sport ever...
, Nordic combined skiing - 2010 — Evan LysacekEvan LysacekEvan Frank Lysacek is an American figure skater. He is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2009 World champion, the 2005 & 2007 Four Continents champion, the 2007 & 2008 U.S. national champion, and the 2009/2010 Grand Prix Final champion....
, figure skating
SportsWoman of the Year
- 1974 — Shirley BabashoffShirley BabashoffShirley Frances Babashoff is a former swimmer from the United States, who set six world records and earned a total of eight individual Olympic medals in her career...
, swimming - 1975 — Kathy Heddy, swimming
- 1976 — Sheila YoungSheila YoungSheila Grace Young-Ochowicz is a former speed skater and track cyclist from the United States.-Short biography:...
, speedskating - 1977 — Linda FratianneLinda FratianneLinda Sue Fratianne is a former American Olympic figure skater who won four consecutive U.S. Championships .-Early career:...
, figure skating - 1978 — Tracy CaulkinsTracy CaulkinsTracy Anne Caulkins Stockwell, OAM, is a former American college and international swimmer, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and a former world record-holder....
, swimming - 1979 — Sippy Woodhead, swimming
- 1980 — Beth HeidenBeth HeidenElizabeth Lee "Beth" Heiden Reid is an American athlete who excelled in speed skating, cross-country skiing and bicycle racing. She was born in Madison, Wisconsin. Her brother Eric was a five-time gold-medalist speedskater at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics...
, speedskating - 1981 — Sheila Young Ochowicz, cycling/speedskating
- 1982 — Melanie SmithMelanie Smith (equestrian)Melanie Smith is an equestrian from the United States and Olympic champion. She won a gold medal in show jumping with the American team at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.-References:...
, equestrian - 1983 — Tamara McKinneyTamara McKinneyTamara McKinney is a former alpine ski racer, a member of the U.S. Ski Team from 1978-89. She was the overall World Cup champion in 1983, the only American woman to hold that title for a quarter century, until Lindsey Vonn in 2008....
, skiing - 1984 — Tracy Caulkins, swimming
- 1985 — Mary Decker Slaney, athletics
- 1986 — Jackie Joyner-KerseeJackie Joyner-KerseeJacqueline "Jackie" Joyner-Kersee is a retired American athlete, ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the women's heptathlon as well as in the women's long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals, in those four different events...
, athletics
- 1987 — Jackie Joyner-Kersee, athletics
- 1988 — Florence Griffith Joyner, athletics
- 1989 — Janet EvansJanet EvansJanet Beth Evans is a American competitive swimmer who specializes in distance freestyle. She recently announced her comeback to the sport with intentions to swim in the 2012 Olympic Trials.-Biography:...
, swimming - 1990 — Lynn JenningsLynn JenningsLynn Jennings is a retired American athlete who competed mainly in the long distances. She is one of the best female American runners of all time, with a range from 1500 meters to the marathon. She excelled at all three of the sport's major disciplines--track, road, and cross country...
, athletics - 1991 — Kim ZmeskalKim ZmeskalKimberly Lynn "Kim" Zmeskal Burdette is a retired American gymnast and a former national and world gymnastics champion in the early 1990s.-Early life and training:...
, gymnasticsGymnasticsGymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body... - 1992 — Bonnie BlairBonnie BlairBonnie Kathleen Blair is a retired American speedskater. She is one of the top skaters of her time, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, and in her Olympic career won five gold medals and one bronze medal.-Career:Blair...
, speedskating - 1993 — Gail DeversGail DeversYolanda Gail Devers is a retired three-time Olympic champion in track and field for the US Olympic Team. Devers was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up near National City, California and graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1984...
, athletics - 1994 — Bonnie Blair, speedskating
- 1995 — Picabo StreetPicabo StreetPicabo Street is a retired American alpine ski racer. She won gold medals in super G at the 1998 Winter Olympics and in downhill at 1996 World Championships, along with three other Olympic and World Championship medals. She also won World Cup downhill season titles in 1995 and 1996, the first...
, skiing - 1996 — Amy Van DykenAmy Van DykenAmy Van Dyken is an American swimmer who has six career Olympic gold medals. Four of these gold medals came in the 1996 Summer Olympics, making her the first American woman to accomplish such a feat and the most successful athlete at the 1996 Summer Olympics...
, swimming - 1997 — Tara LipinskiTara LipinskiTara Kristen Lipinski is an American figure skater. At the age of 15, she won the Ladies' Singles Olympic gold medal in figure skating at the 1998 Winter Olympics. Lipinski remains the youngest individual gold medalist in the history of the Olympic Winter Games. She is also the 1997 World...
, figure skating - 1998 — Picabo Street, skiing
- 1999 — Jenny ThompsonJenny ThompsonJennifer Beth Thompson is an American former competitive swimmer, and one of the most decorated Olympians in history, winning twelve medals, including eight gold medals , in the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 Summer Olympics.Thompson, a Massachusetts native who calls Dover, New Hampshire her...
, swimming
- 2000 — Marion JonesMarion JonesMarion Lois Jones , also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is a former world champion track and field athlete, and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA...
, athletics - 2001 — Jennifer CapriatiJennifer CapriatiJennifer Marie Capriati is a former world number one ranked professional tennis player, and the winner of three women's singles championships in Grand Slam tournaments. Capriati made her professional debut in 1990 at the age of 14 when she reached the finals of the hard court tournament in Boca...
, tennis - 2002 — Sarah HughesSarah HughesSarah Elizabeth Hughes is an American figure skater. She is the 2002 Olympic gold medalist and 2001 World bronze medalist in ladies singles.-Personal life:...
, figure skating - 2003 — Michelle KwanMichelle KwanMichelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...
, figure skating - 2004 — Carly PattersonCarly PattersonCarly Rae Patterson is an American singer and former gymnast. She is the 2004 Olympic All-Around Champion and a member of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame...
, gymnastics - 2005 — Katie HoffKatie HoffKathryn "Katie" Elise Hoff is an American swimmer. Hoff is strongest in the 200 and 400 meter individual medley, though she is a very capable swimmer in many events, ranging from the four 200 meter events to the 800 meter freestyle...
, swimming - 2006 — Hannah TeterHannah TeterHannah Teter is an American snowboarder from Belmont, Vermont. She is an Olympic champion, having won the gold medal in halfpipe at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. She also won bronze at the 2005 FIS World Championships at Whistler, British Columbia, and has six World Cup victories...
, snowboarding - 2007 — Katie HoffKatie HoffKathryn "Katie" Elise Hoff is an American swimmer. Hoff is strongest in the 200 and 400 meter individual medley, though she is a very capable swimmer in many events, ranging from the four 200 meter events to the 800 meter freestyle...
, swimming - 2008 — Natalie CoughlinNatalie CoughlinNatalie Anne Coughlin is an American swimmer and eleven-time Olympic medallist.At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Coughlin became the first American female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympics and the first woman ever to win a 100 m backstroke gold in two consecutive...
, swimming and Nastia LiukinNastia LiukinAnastasia Valeryevna "Nastia" Liukin is a Russian-American artistic gymnast. She was the 2008 Olympic individual all-around Champion, the 2005 and 2007 World Champion on the balance beam, and the 2005 World Champion on the uneven bars...
, gymnastics - 2009 — Lindsey Vonn, alpine skiing
- 2010 — Lindsey Vonn, alpine skiing
Team of the Year
- 1996 — Women’s National/Olympic Basketball Team
- 1997 — Women’s National Soccer Team
- 1998 — Women’s Olympic Ice Hockey Team
- 1999 — Women’s National Soccer Team
- 2000 — USA BaseballUSA BaseballUSA Baseball was founded in , and is the governing body for amateur baseball in the United States of America. It is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and organizes the United States national baseball team...
Olympic Team - 2001 — US Postal Service Cycling Team
- 2002 — Women’s Bobsled Team
- 2003 — Women’s Gymnastics Team
- 2004 — U.S. Olympic Softball Team
- 2005 — Men’s Badminton Doubles Team (T. Gunawan, H. Bach)
- 2006 — U.S. Olympic Men’s Curling TeamPete FensonPeter Fenson is an American curler, skip of the men's rink which represented the United States at the 2006 Winter Olympics. The rink took the bronze medal, the first ever Olympic medal for the United States in curling...
- 2007 — U.S. Women's World Championships Gymnastics
- 2008 — U.S. Olympic Men’s Indoor Volleyball TeamUnited States men's national volleyball teamThe United States men's national volleyball team is the national team for the United States of America, it is governed by USA Volleyball....
- 2009 — U.S. Four-Man Bobsled Team
- 2010 — U.S. Four-Man Bobsled Team
Paralympian of the Year
"These prestigious awards recognize the outstanding contributions these athletes have made to Olympic and Paralympic sport as well as the positive example they have set for all Americans,” said USOC Chief Executive Officer Jim Scherr. “Each of our winners exemplifies great sportsmanship and strength of character both on and off the field, and all are worthy additions to the distinguished list of past recipients."- 2004 — Erin PopovichErin PopovichErin Popovich is a three-time United States Paralympic swimmer. She has won 14 career Paralympic gold medals, and 19 total.- Personal life :...
, swimmingParalympic swimmingParalympic swimming is an adaptation of the sport of swimming for athletes with disabilities. Paralympic swimming is contested not only at the Summer Paralympic Games, but at disabled sports competitions throughout the world... - 2005 — Laurie Stephens, alpine skiingParalympic alpine skiingParalympic alpine skiing is an adaptation of alpine skiing for athletes with a disability. Paralympic alpine skiing is one of the sports in the Paralympic Winter Games...
- 2006 — Jessica LongJessica Long-Early life:Long was born in Siberia and was adopted from a Russian orphanage at the age of 13 months. Because of lower leg anomalies , her legs were amputated when she was 18 months old. She learned to walk with prostheses. Long has been involved in many sports including gymnastics, cheerleading,...
, swimming - 2007 — Jessica GalliJessica GalliJessica Galli is a female wheelchair athlete born on December 1, 1983. Raised in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, Galli has participated in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Paralympic Games. At the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games she won the silver medal in the 800 meter T53 female wheelchair race...
, athletics - 2008 — Erin Popovich, swimming
Paralympic SportsMan of the Year
- 2009 — Steve Cash, sled hockey
- 2010 — Taylor ChaceTaylor ChaceTaylor Chace is an American sledge hockey player.Chace is one of three children of Rick and Lisa Chace. He began playing ice hockey at age 5, and by age 16 was playing for the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs....
, sled hockey
Paralympic SportsWoman of the Year
- 2009 — Stephani Victor, alpine skiing
- 2010 — Alana Nichols, alpine skiing
Paralympic Team of the Year
- 2009 — U.S. National Sled Hockey Team
- 2010 — U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team