Olympic triathlon champion and two-time world champion Gwen Jorgensen is among the 20 women nominated by the US Women’s Sports Foundation for the Sportswoman of the Year Award.
The award honours the year’s best in women’s sports, including 10 individual athletes and 10 athletes who participate in team sports. Jorgensen (St Paul, Minnesota) was nominated for her gold medal winning performances at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, 2016 ITU World Triathlon Leeds, 2016 ITU World Triathlon Yokohama and the 2015 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Chicago, where she clinched her second straight world title after an unprecedented undefeated season.
Triathlon fans can visit sportswomanoftheyear.com to vote for Jorgensen.
Finalists were selected based on athletic performances between 1 August 2015 and 21 August 2016. The public and the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Awards Committee select the award winners by a 50-50 vote. The winners will be those two athletes who receive the highest combined share of a public vote (50% of composite) and the Awards Committee vote (50% of composite).
Individual sport finalists are:
Simone Biles, gymnastics, USA
Kayla Harrison, judo, USA
Gwen Jorgensen, triathlon, USA
Lydia Ko, golf, New Zealand
Katie Ledecky, swimming, USA
Helen Maroulis, wrestling, USA
Tatyana McFadden, Paralympic track & field, USA
Claressa Sheilds, boxing, USA
Elaine Thompson, track & field, Jamaica
Serena Williams, tennis, USA
Team sport finalists are:
Valerie Arioto, softball, USA
Heather Erickson, sitting volleyball, USA
Helen Glover & Heather Stanning, rowing, Great Britain
Ashleigh Johnson, water polo, USA
Hilary Knight, ice hockey, USA
Carli Lloyd, soccer, USA
Alexandra Danson, field hockey, Great Britain
Maya Moore, basketball, USA
Kira Walkenhorst & Laura Ludwig, beach volleyball, Germany
Zhu Ting, volleyball, China
USA Triathlon (USAT) serves as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 races and connects with nearly 500,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world.
In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
