The United States Olympic Committee today announced the finalists for the Team USA Awards presented by Dow, Best of July, 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/Awardsthrough midnight Monday, Aug. 7.
A total of seven sports – fencing, Para swimming, Para track and field, swimming, tennis, water polo and weightlifting – 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 atTeamUSA.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.
JULY FINALISTS
Male Athlete of the Month
Mikey Brannigan (East Northport, New York), Para Track and Field
Completed a historic triple-medal feat at the World Para Athletics Championships, winning the T20 800-meter and 1,500, while also claiming silver in the 5,000.
Caeleb Dressel (Green Cove Springs, Florida), Swimming
Won seven gold medals at the FINA World Championships, matching Michael Phelps’ record total from 2007 and becoming the first swimmer in history to win three world titles on a single day.
Robert Griswold (Freehold, New Jersey), Para Swimming
Set two world records and won four gold medals – including three individual titles – at the World Para Swimming World Series stop in Berlin.
Alexander Massialas (San Francisco, California), Fencing
Anchored the U.S. Men’s Foil Team to the silver medal at the FIE Senior World Championships and became the first American man to win overall world cup titles in back-to-back seasons.
Sam Querrey (Santa Monica, California), Tennis
Defeated reigning champion and No. 1 seed Andy Murray in the Wimbledon quarterfinals to become the first American man to reach a Grand Slam singles semifinal since Andy Roddick in 2009.
Female Athlete of the Month
Katie Ledecky (Bethesda, Maryland), Swimming
Won six medals – including five golds – while also claiming three-peats in three individual events and setting a women’s record with 14 gold medals in FINA World Championship competition.
Tatyana McFadden (Clarksville, Maryland), Para Track and Field
Won gold in all four of her events to lead Team USA and tie for the most medals of any athlete at the World Para Athletics Championships in London.
Sarah Robles (Houston, Texas), Weightlifting
Won gold medals in women’s total, snatch, and clean and jerk at the Pan American Championships, extending her unbeaten streak to four consecutive competitions in 2017.
Aspen Shelton (Willow Park, Texas), Para Swimming
Set American, Pan American and world records in the S13 200-meter backstroke, while winning her classification at the World Para Swimming World Series circuit in Berlin.
Venus Williams (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida), Tennis
At age 37, advanced to her first Wimbledon final since 2009 and became the oldest player to reach a Grand Slam final since 1994, finishing the tournament in second place with a No. 9 world ranking.
Team of the Month
U.S. Women’s 400-meter Medley Relay, Swimming
Kathleen Baker, Lilly King, Kelsi Worrell and Simone Manuel combined to win gold and set a world record in the women’s 400-meter medley relay with a time of 3:51.55 at the FINA World Championships.
U.S. Women’s National Team, Water Polo
Went undefeated (6-0) to win its second straight – and fifth overall – FINA World Championship title, becoming the first reigning Olympic champions to accomplish the feat in women’s water polo.
U.S. Women’s Foil Team, Fencing
Earned its best-ever finish at the FIE Senior World Championships, claiming silver and climbing to a historical best No. 2 position in the world rankings to conclude the 2016-17 season.
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 via TeamUSA.org/Awards.
Press Release courtesy of USOC.
