The United States Olympic Committee today announced the finalists for the Team USA Awards presented by Dow, Best of August, which recognize the outstanding achievements of Team USA athletes from last month. Fans are invited to vote for their favorite athletes and teams at TeamUSA.org/Awards through midnight Tuesday, Sept. 5.
A total of seven sports – diving, equestrian, Para track and field, softball, swimming, track and field, and wrestling – are represented among the 13 finalists across men’s, women’s and team categories.
Each of the finalists automatically qualify for consideration for the 2017 Team USA Awards presented by Dow Best of the Year. Their collective accomplishments tell the inspiring story of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes year-round. A complete list of monthly finalists from the 2016-17 qualification period can be found at TeamUSA.org. The 2017 Best of the Year Awards will be held Nov. 29 in Los Angeles.
In addition to Dow, the presenting sponsor, the Team USA Awards are supported by DICK’S Sporting Goods and USG.
AUGUST FINALISTS
Male Athlete of the Month
David Dinsmore (New Albany, Ohio), Diving
Claimed the silver medal at his World University Games debut, posting three dives of 82.50 points or more in the final – including a back 2½ somersault 2½ twist pike that earned 91.80 points.
Sam Kendricks (Oxford, Mississippi), Track and Field
Became the first American since 2007 to win the world championship gold medal in men’s pole vault, while also upsetting the world-record holder and eight-time-reigning Diamond League trophy winner to remain undefeated in 2017.
Isaiah Rigo (Cheney, Washington), Para Track and Field
Swept the T53-54 100-, 200- and 400-meter events at the World Para Athletics Junior Championships, recording a 1:01.99 in the 400 – fast enough to have earned a medal in the event at this year’s senior world championships.
Kyle Snyder (Woodbine, Maryland), Wrestling
In a bout that was dubbed “The Match of the Century” by United World Wrestling, defeated Olympic and two-time world champion Abdusalim Sadulaev of Russia, 6-5, to win the 97 kg. gold medal and help secure Team USA’s first men’s freestyle wrestling world team title since 1995.
Andrew Wilson (Bethesda, Maryland), Swimming
Set a meet record in the 200-meter breaststroke, earning three gold medals at the World University Games with additional wins in 100 breaststroke and 400 medley relay.
Female Athlete of the Month
Emma Coburn (Crested Butte, Colorado), Track and Field
Became the first American woman to ever win the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the IAAF World Championships, earning her first global gold medal while setting American and meet records in 9:02.58.
Hannah Dederick (Spokane Valley, Washington), Para Track and Field
Won five medals – including four golds – at the World Para Athletics Junior Championships, recording a 100-meter time that would have placed in the top-five at the 2017 senior world championships.
Ella Eastin (Irvine, California), Swimming
Won three medals at the 2017 World University Games, including gold in the women’s 200-meter butterfly with a personal-best time of 2:09.20.
Helen Maroulis (New York, New York), Wrestling
Won the women’s 58 kg. gold medal at the World Wrestling Championships, winning all five of her matches by technical fall and outscoring opponents, 52-0, for her second straight world title.
Haylie McCleney (Morris, Alabama), Softball
Led Team USA to the gold medal at the Pan American Championship, pacing the U.S. offense with a team-high .613 batting average, one home run, five RBIs and 17 runs scored.
Team of the Month
U.S. Show Jumping Team, Equestrian
Won gold at the FEI Nations Cup CSIO5* Dublin on zero faults, becoming the first all-female team, from any country, to win the Nations Cup in event history.
U.S. Women’s 4×400-meter World Championship Team, Track and Field
Won gold and recorded Team USA’s fastest time since the 2012 Olympic Games, beating the field by 5.98 seconds to set the largest margin of victory ever in a world championship 4×400-meter.
U.S. Men’s Freestyle World Championship Team, Wrestling
Won six medals to claim only the third U.S. men’s freestyle world team title in history – and the first since 1995 – edging Russia by one point with a dramatic victory in the final gold-medal match of the event.
SELECTION PROCESS
Each National Governing Body may nominate one female, one male and one team per sport discipline. An internal nominating committee selects finalists to advance to the voting round. Votes received from NGB representatives and select members of the media account for 50 percent of the final tally, with the other half determined by online fan voting viaTeamUSA.org/Awards.
Press Release courtesy of USOC
