ATLANTA – Five-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky (Bethesda, Md./Nation’s Capital Swim Club) was named USA Swimming Athlete of the Year for a record fourth consecutive year and earned the Phillips 66 Performance Award for the fifth straight occasion after a world-record swim in the 800-meter freestyle at the 2016 Olympic Games.
The awards were among the 17 presented at the United States Aquatic Sports Convention in downtown Atlanta.
With four gold medals and a silver medal, for the best performance by a female, at this summer’s Olympic Games, Ledecky once again made history. She became one of just four American women to win four gold medals at a single Olympics, and joined Debbie Meyer (1968) as the only women to win the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle at the same Games. Ledecky added gold in the 4x200m free relay and silver in the 4x100m free relay, swimming the anchor leg in each race. She also bested her own world records with swims of 3:56.46 in the 400m free and 8:04.79 in the 800m free in Rio.
In her award-winning 800m free performance in Rio, Ledecky led wire-to-wire with incredibly consistent splits until closing with a 28.99 final 50 meters to touch 11 seconds clear of the field. The victory gave Ledecky her fourth gold medal in Rio and her fifth world-record swim in the 800m free since 2013.
“I am so grateful and honored to receive these awards, and also to have had the opportunity again to represent the United States at the Olympic Games on another tremendous National Team. I want to thank my family and local community, my NCAP and Team USA teammates, coaches and staff, USA Swimming, Phillips 66 and everyone who continues to support Team USA and the sport of swimming,” Ledecky said. “Special thanks must go to my coach Bruce Gemmell and trainer Lee Sommers for their knowledge, dedication, and hard work in helping me become a better swimmer.”
The 2016 USA Swimming Award was presented to Travis Tygart, United States Anti-Doping Agency Chief Executive Officer, for his and USADA’s devoted efforts in providing fair sport for clean athletes. The USA Swimming Award is the highest honor given annually by the national governing body.
Tygart, the USADA CEO since 2007, has been an unyielding advocate for clean sport. He was a leader in working with FINA to increase testing for the top 10 ranked swimmers in each event leading up to and at the Olympic Games.
“It is a huge honor to have wonderful partners like USA Swimming, and for USADA to be recognized in this fashion,” said Tygart. “We are humbled by this award and will to continue to work every day so that clean athletes and coaches can win the right way.”
Dave Durden of the University of California and Cal Aquatics, who coaches five members of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, was honored as the American Swimming Coaches Association Coach of the Year earlier this month. He coached individual medalists Nathan Adrian, Ryan Murphy and Josh Prenot at the Rio Olympic Games and was an assistant coach on the Olympic Team staff. John Morse and Doug Wharam of Nashville Aquatic Club shared USA Swimming Developmental Coach of the Year honors.
Olympians Haley Anderson (Granite Bay, Calif./Trojan Swim Club) and Jordan Wilimovsky (Malibu, Calif./Team Santa Monica) claimed top open water swimming honors following fifth-place finishes in Rio. Anderson was named Female Open Water Swimmer of the Year, while Wilimovsky earned Fran Crippen Male Open Water Swimmer of the Year accolades. Both were repeat winners from 2015 and Anderson has won the award five consecutive years.
Catherine Vogt, open water head coach for the 2016 Olympic Team, was awarded the Glen S. Hummer Award, given to the individual making the greatest contribution to open water swimming for the year.
The Adolph Kiefer Safety Award was presented to Jill White, founder of the Starfish Aquatics Institute, an internationally recognized water safety certification agency providing certifications in every facet of aquatics. The Starfish Aquatics Institute is a global leader in drowning prevention, and it has brought its varied educational programs to six continents.
Two honorees were recognized for the Diversity & Inclusion Award for strong commitments to bringing swimming to the African-American community. The Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, through its Swim1922 program, has taught generations of African-Americans to swim and Tommy Jackson (City of Atlanta Dolphins) for more than 35 years has influenced thousands of children to join the sport.
Paralympian Rebecca Meyers (Baltimore, Md./North Baltimore Aquatic Club) earned the Trischa L. Zorn Award following a standout performance in Rio. At the 2016 Paralympic Games, she won three gold medals and one silver, while setting three world records. The award is presented for the outstanding performance of the year by an adapted swimmer.
A complete list of winners:
Female Open Water Swimmer of the Year: Haley Anderson (Trojan Swim Club)
Fran Crippen Memorial Male Swimmer of the Year: Jordan Wilimovsky (Team Santa Monica)
Glen S. Hummer Award: Catherine Vogt (Trojan Swim Club)
Adolph Kiefer Safety Commendation Award: Jill White (Starfish Aquatics Institute)
Trischa L. Zorn Award: Rebecca Meyers (North Baltimore Aquatic Club)
James Raymond “Jimi” Flowers Disability Coach of the Year: Tom Hazelett (YMCA of Triangle Area)
Outstanding Disability Service Award: Bill Keating (Cincinnati Marlins)
Make a Splash Hero Award: Bob Crunstedt (Minnesota Swimming)
Safe Sport Impact Award: Paul Stauder (Indiana Swimming)
Diversity Inclusion Award: Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (organization); Tommy Jackson (individual, City of Atlanta Dolphins)
Kenneth J. Pettigrew Award: Bob Griffiths (Carrollwood Village Swim Team)
ASCA Coach of the Year (Presented at the ASCA Convention): Dave Durden (Cal Aquatics)
Developmental Coach of the Year: John Morse, Doug Wharam (Nashville Aquatic Club)
Athletes’ Appreciation Award: John Morse (Wichita Swim Club)
Phillips 66 Performance of the Year Award: Katie Ledecky, 800m Freestyle, 2016 Olympic Games (Nation’s Capital Swim Club)
USA Swimming Athlete of the Year: Katie Ledecky (Nation’s Capital Swim Club)
USA Swimming Award: Travis T. Tygart, United States Anti-Doping Agency
Press release courtesy of USA Swimming.
Mylena Cristina Mais q merecido! 🙂
Nice ! She sure earned it. Congrats, Katie.
Well deserved. Kate has got on quietly with her swimming and got the results that she worked hard for
She’s awesome
Wait! What about Lochte?? Lol
Very well deserved! She’s genuinely awesome!
Nicole Bright. Scott Bright
I loved the underwater camera on her at the Olympics.
Would be rude if she didn’t
Bravo.
Congratulations
Well deserved!! Wonderful role model for ALL!!!!
Congratulations Katie ! Great role model !