(L-R) Katie Ledecky, the U.S. Women's National Water Polo Team and Caeleb Dressel earned Best of July honors for the Team USA Awards presented by Dow.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Standout performances during July earned Caeleb Dressel (Green Cove Springs, Florida), Katie Ledecky (Bethesda, Maryland) and the U.S. Women’s National Water Polo Team Best of July honors for the Team USA Awards presented by Dow, the United States Olympic Committee announced today. Dressel, Ledecky and the U.S. women’s national team are among the qualified athletes and teams that are eligible for Best of the Year honors in 2017.
Dressel won seven gold medals to lead all competitors at the FINA World Championships, matching Michael Phelps’ record total from 2007. He earned three individual world titles in the 50-meter freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly, while also aiding Team USA to gold medals in the 400 freestyle, 400 medley, mixed 400 medley and mixed 400 freestyle relays. He made history by becoming the first swimmer ever to win three world titles in a single day on July 29, and became the first American male since 2011 to win three individual events at the same FINA World Championships.
Ledecky won six medals – including five golds – to lead all female swimmers at the FINA World Championships, setting a women’s record with 14 gold medals in FINA World Championships competition. She earned her third straight individual world titles in the 400-meter freestyle, 800 freestyle and 1,500 freestyle, while also adding gold medals in the 400 and 800 freestyle relays, along with a silver medal in the 200 freestyle.
The U.S. women’s national team won its second straight FINA World Championship title – and fifth overall – in Budapest, Hungary, going undefeated (6-0). The U.S. defeated Spain, 13-6, in the gold-medal match to maintain its hold of every major international championship and become the first team to win a world title the year after capturing the Olympic gold medal. The U.S. women dominated every phase of the tournament, winning all but one game by more than four goals.
In addition to Dow, the presenting sponsor, the Team USA Awards are supported by DICK’S Sporting Goods and USG.
About the Team USA Awards
Each National Governing Body may nominate one female, one male and one team per discipline. An internal nominating committee selects five nominees from both the male and female categories, and three from the team category 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.
Each of the five monthly men's and women's finalists, and three team finalists automatically qualify for consideration for the 2017 Team USA Awards presented by Dow Best of the Year. Visit TeamUSA.org for a complete list of monthly finalists from the 2016-17 qualification period, which runs from September 2016-August 2017. The 2017 Best of the Year Awards will be held in December.
