30 Olympians, Paralympians nominated for 2009 ESPY Awards

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - With a show-leading four nominations, 14-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps heads a list of more than 30 U.S. Olympians and Paralympians up for 2009 ESPY Awards. Another Olympic swimmer, 42-year-old Dara Torres, will be given a special ESPY for Best Comeback at the event televised July 19 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, has been nominated for Best Male Athlete, Best Championship Performance, Best Record Breaking Performance and Best U.S. Male Olympian. If Phelps wins Best Male Athlete, he would become the first Olympian since Michael Johnson in 1997 to take home the honor. Phelps previously won the Best Male Olympic Performance ESPY in 2005.

Torres, twice retired from her sport, came back to win three silver medals in Beijing in the 50-meter freestyle, the 4x100 freestyle relay and the 4x100 medley relay. The haul gave her a total of 12 Olympic medals dating back to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

In its 17th year, the ESPY Awards will commemorate the most exciting moments, greatest achievements and top performances in athletics around the globe. Four categories specifically honor Olympians and Paralympians - Best U.S. Male Olympian, Best U.S. Female Olympian, Best Female Athlete with a Physical Disability and Best Male Athlete with a Physical Disability.

Nominated in the male Olympian category are 2008 Olympic decathlon champion Bryan Clay, two-time 2008 Olympic gold medalist track athletes LaShawn Merritt and Angelo Taylor and Phelps.

The female Olympian category nominees are six-time 2008 Olympic medalist swimmer Natalie Coughlin, 2008 Olympic 100-meter hurdles gold medalist Dawn Harper and gymnastics teammates Shawn Johnson (four Olympic medals) and Nastia Liukin (five Olympic medals). Johnson was also nominated for Best Breakthrough Athlete.

The nominees in the Best Female Athlete with a Physical Disability category are swimmer Jessica Long (six-time 2008 Paralympic medalist), sailor Maureen McKinnon-Tucker (first female Paralympic sailing gold medalist), goalball player Asya Miller (2008 Paralympic gold medalist) and swimmer Erin Popovich (six-time 2008 Paralympic medalist).

In the category of Best Male Athlete with a Physical Disability are pentathlete Jeremy Campbell (two-time 2008 Paralympic gold medalist) and wheelchair rugby player Will Groulx (2008 Paralympic gold medalist).

Coughlin and Liukin along with 2008 Olympic gold medalists Candace Parker (basketball) and Serena Williams (doubles tennis) represent four of the five nominees for Best Female Athlete. Williams is also nominated for Best Female Tennis Player, while Parker is up for Best WNBA Player against two-time Olympic gold medalist Diana Taurasi.

Members of the 2008 Olympic "Redeem Team" that won the gold medal in men's basketball litter the nominees list. Kobe Bryant picked up three nominations including Best Male Athlete, Best Championship Performance and Best NBA Player. Two-time Olympians LeBron James (Best Male Athlete, Best NBA Player) and Dwyane Wade (Best NBA Player) added nominations, as did 2008 Olympian Dwight Howard (Best NBA Player).

Joining Phelps and Bryant on the Best Championship Performance list is the two-time Olympic beach volleyball champion team of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. May-Treanor and Walsh did not lose a set in cruising to gold in Beijing.

The U.S. 4x100 men's freestyle swimming relay team is up for the Best Moment ESPY. The team comprised of Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak stunned viewers by overtaking a vaunted French team for the gold. Lezak blazed by French anchor Alain Bernard in the final 50 meters for the dramatic victory.

Other U.S. Olympians nominated include women's basketball assistant coach/2000 Geno Auriemma (Best Coach/Manager), soccer player/2000 Landon Donovan (Best MLS Player), baseball player/2008 Stephen Strasburg (Best Male College Athlete), snowboarder/2006 Shaun White (Best Male Action Sports Athlete) and gymnast/2004 Courtney Kupets and swimmer/2004 Dana Vollmer (Best Female College Athlete).