Dec 30, 2011,
11:44 AM ET
Team USA had plenty of memorable moments from 2011, and with just seven months to go until the Opening Ceremony at the London 2012 Olympic Games, there is a lot of momentum for U.S. athletes.
The momentum got rolling in April when Kim Rhode, a four-time Olympic shooter, qualified for a nomination (pending approval by the USOC) for London. A 17-year-old at her first Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, Rhode is now a 32-year-old veteran heading into the 2012 Games in London.
“I’m just truly honored in every aspect of it,” Rhode told www.teamusa.org back in April. “To have the honor of representing our country for the fifth time, I’m totally stoked about it.”
Rhode wasn’t the only member of Team USA to have a memorable year in 2011.
Here’s a look at some of the top performers from Team USA athletes in 2011:
David Boudia: The diver became the first American man to medal in the 10-meter at the world championships in 25 years when he earned a silver medal in the event in Shanghai (Greg Louganis won the gold and Bruce Kimball earned the bronze in 1986). He also won an individual bronze medal at a FINA World Series meet in Great Britain and a silver in the synchronized event in a World Series meet in Mexico (with partner Thomas Finchum). He wrapped 2011 by earning six 10s on his final dive to win the gold medal in the men’s 10-meter event and his 16th career national title at the USA Diving Winter National Championships held in Knoxville, Tenn., in December.
Bob and Mike Bryan: The twin brothers and 2008 Olympic bronze medalists in doubles, scored their 11th career Grand Slam title in 2011 when they won at Wimbledon. The victory marked the second Wimbledon title of their career. Jordan Burroughs: Burroughs won his third Big 12 title against Oklahoma's Tyler Caldwell and won the Hodge Trophy for his season, wrestling's equivalent of the Heisman trophy, awarded each year to the nation's most dominant wrestler. Three weeks after his last college match, he won the U.S. Open (74 kg). He didn’t stop there. He earned a world title and a Pan-Am Games title as well.
Desiree Davilia and Ryan Hall: The Americans had outstanding performances at the 2011 Boston Marathon. Davilia’s time of 2:22:38 is the fastest time run by an American woman in the Boston Marathon. Hall, meanwhile, placed fourth in 2:04.58.
Meryl Davis and Charlie White: The 2010 Olympic silver medalists dominated the ice dancing world in 2011, winning every event they competed in, including the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo. They became the first U.S. team to win the world title in ice dancing. The duo also won the 2011 ISU Grand Prix Final, during which it beat Canadian rival and Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.
Shani Davis: The two-time Olympic champion and nine-time world champion speed skater earned three medals at the 2011 World Championships (two gold) and this past month at the U.S. National Championships in Milwaukee, he won both the 1000 and 1500.
Brady Ellison: The list of his honors and achievements from 2011 are more than many athletes garner in a lifetime. Among his highlights: Ellison became the first recurve archer to win three consecutive World Cup stages and the first archer to win two consecutive World Cup Final gold medals; he won a gold medal at the London Test Event, beating Korea’s top archer Im Dong Hyun; he also earned a gold medal at the World Archery Championships and is the top-ranked male athlete after the first of three U.S. Olympic Team Trials events for archery. The No. 1-ranked male recurve archer in the world and a member of the No. 1-ranked male recurve team in the world, Ellison certainly is on target for good things to come in 2012.
Field Hockey: In arguably the biggest victory in U.S. field hockey history, the U.S. women’s team upset world champion Argentina, 4-2, to win the gold medal in the Pan American Games and earn a berth to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Missy Franklin: The 16-year-old phenom made a splash at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China, by claiming five medals (three gold). Franklin anchored the U.S. women’s medley relay to its first world title since 1998. Three days later, she was in Palo Alto, Calif., swimming at the national championships and she won the 100 back and 100 free. In October, she set her first world record in the 200 back (short course) with a time of 2:00.03.
Sarah Groff and Gwen Jorgensen: Groff earned a bronze medal in Kitzbuhel, Austria, marking the first podium finish for an American woman in the International Triathon Union's world championship series and she finished the 2011 season ranked third overall in the WCS — the best finish by an American in the series’ three-year history. She qualified for the Olympic Games by placing seventh in the ITU's Dextro Energy World Championship Series. Jorgensen, meanwhile, also earned a spot in London by placing second on the course that will be used at the Olympic Games in 2012. That marked the best finish by an American woman in the history of the ITU Triathlon Series.
Sarah Hammer: She earned the silver medal in the ominium, a new sport added to the Olympic program for 2012, at the UCI World Track Cycling Championships in March. She also earned a silver medal in the team pursuit (along with Dotsie Bausch and Jennie Reed), another new Olympic sport.
Brendan Hansen: The four-time Olympic medalist called it quits after the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games when he placed a disappointing fourth in the 100 breaststroke. But he returned to the pool at the Santa Clara International Swim Meet in the spring, and later won the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke at the U.S. Nationals with times of 1:00.08 and 2:10.59 respectively.
Trey Hardee: He captured the men’s decathlon title at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, and was followed by fellow American Ashton Eaton. For Hardee, it was his second consecutive world title. Should 2008 Olympic champion Bryan Clay be healthy enough to compete in 2012, the three could pull off an American sweep in London.
Jason Kidd and Tim Thomas: Kidd is a two-time Olympic gold medalist who finally earned an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011; Thomas is a silver medalist hockey goaltender from the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver who led the Boston Bruins to a Stanley Cup title in 2011.
Ryan Lochte: The six-time Olympic medalist swimmer was dominant in the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China. He won six medals there, five gold, and beat 16-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps in the 200 free. (Lochte was clocked at 1:44.44; Phelps at 1:44.79). He also set a world record in the 200 individual medley, becoming the first swimmer to set a world record in a 50-meter pool since polyurethane suits were banned. Lochte was timed at 1:54.00; Phelps again was second with a personal-best 1:54.16.
Lindsey Jacobellis: The Olympic silver medalist and seven-time X Games gold medalist captured her third world championship title in snowboard cross in La Molina, Spain.
Lee Kiefer: The fencer earned a bronze medal at the world championships, marking the first time the United States had a senior world championship medalist in women’s individual foil since 1999. She quickly found herself in Guadalajara, Mexico, at the Pan-American Games, where she won the individual gold medal in foil and a team gold medal.
Steffen Peters: The two-time Olympian led a U.S. sweep in dressage at the Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. Rounding out the podium were Heather Blitz and Marisa Festerling. Also at the Pan-Am Games, the U.S. Show Jumping Team had an impressive showing. Four riders – three-time Olympic medalist Beezie Madden, Christine McCrea, Kent Farrington and McLain Ward – produced a pair of double clear rounds to earn the team gold medal and qualify a spot for the team in London next summer.
Dwight Phillips: With a leap of 8.45 meters (27 feet, 8 ¾ inches) at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, Phillips claimed his fourth consecutive world title in the long jump. The 2004 Olympic champion finished fourth at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2008 and missed an opportunity to defend his gold medal in Beijing. He will be on a mission to return to the Games next summer in London.
Katherine Reutter and Simon Cho: The 2010 Olympic short track speed skating medalists struck gold at the 2011 World Championships in Sheffield, England. Reutter won the gold medal in the 1500 and added two silvers and a bronze while Cho, 19, became the youngest U.S. skater to win a world gold medal by winning the 500.
Jennifer Simpson: Simpson had a strong showing at the 2011 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, winning the mile and 3000 meters. At the outdoor national championships, she was second in the 1500. But at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, she was the surprise winner in the 1500 beating rivals Hannah England and Natalia Rodriguez in a time of 4:05:40.
Hope Solo and Abby Wambach: This dynamic duo helped lead the U.S. women’s soccer team to the FIFA Women’s World Cup final in dramatic fashion this summer in Germany. With Solo keeping things in check in goal, Wambach performed heroic headers (all four of her goals were scored on headers) to give the United States its first shot at the World Cup title since Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain achieved that feat in 1999. Unfortunately for the U.S. women, they lost to Japan in a shootout in the final but they won the hearts of Americans. Solo went on to TV’s “Dancing With The Stars,” and Wambach wound up being named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. Both will be together again next month at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Vancouver, where they hope to clinch a berth for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Rebecca Soni: The three-time Olympic medalist reeled in three gold medals at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China, including two individual golds (100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke). Her third gold came in a relay with Natalie Coughlin, Dana Vollmer and Missy Franklin. She also had quite the adventure this fall when she visited the sites of England as part of the TeamUSA: Britain Bound program.
Dara Torres: Earlier this year, the five-time Olympian was recovering from knee surgery. But at age 43, she qualified for a spot at the U.S. Olympic Trials next summer in the women’s 50-meter freestyle. The 12-time Olympic medalist finished sixth at the Missouri Grand Prix, but was fast enough to qualify for the Trials.
Eric and Sandra Uptagrafft: Both members of this married couple have earned nominations (pending USOC approval) to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team in the sport of shooting. Eric, a sergeant first class and a 1996 Olympian, will compete in the men’s 50m rifle. Sandra, a member of the Navy Reserves who specializes in information technology, earned a nomination to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team by virtue of her second-place finish in the 25m sport pistol event at the Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
U.S. Water Polo: Both the U.S. men’s and women’s water polo teams struck gold in Mexico and punched their tickets to London. The USA Water Polo Men’s National Team won the Pan American Games gold medal and a berth to the 2012 Olympic Games with a 7-3 defeat of Canada. The women also beat Canada in an epic battle, 27-26. Maggie Steffens’ goal on the final penalty shot coupled with a Canada miss secured victory and brought an end to a shootout that saw each team have 20 attempts.
Lindsey Vonn: The Olympic champion skier is off to her best World Cup start winning five of her six races, and looks as though she wants redemption after last season when she lost the overall title by just three points to Maria Hoefl-Riesch.
Rau’shee Warren: The flyweight became the first American boxer to earn a third berth to the Olympic Games. He earned the bronze medal at the AIBA Men’s World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Jordyn Wieber: The gymnast from DeWitt, Mich., claimed the 2011 All-Around world championship, the 2011 U.S. national title and the 2011 American Cup title. Not bad for a high school junior. Considering she competed against several Olympians (including 2008 Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson) at nationals, Wieber found out quickly she belonged in the elite Team USA club.
Women’s Eight: The U.S. team claimed its six consecutive gold medal at the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia. The crew of coxswain Mary Whipple, Eleanor Logan, Caroline Lind, Amanda Polk, Jamie Redman, Taylor Ritzel, Meghan Musnicki, Susan Francia and Esther Lofgren was in second place halfway through but rallied to keep its consecutive wins record intact.
Material from various news services and press releases from National Governing Bodies was used to compile this report.
Images from Getty Images