Swimming Stars Descend on Times Square - USA Swimming 2010 Golden Goggle Awards

Ryan Lochte, Natalie Coughlin and Michael Phelps Headline Awards Ballot

The top swimmers in the USA, including Ryan Lochte, Natalie Coughlin and Michael Phelps, headline the nominations for the 2010 USA Swimming Foundation Golden Goggle Awards which honor the top swimming performances of the 2010. This year's awards gala will take place November 22 at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City. This is the first time the event has ever been held in the heart of Times Square.

A total of eight Golden Goggle awards will be presented this year, including Male and Female Athlete of the Year. Fans can vote for the winners online at www.GoldenGoggles.com. Online voting begins October 19, and will continue through November 19.

This year's event will be hosted by "Today" co-host and NBC National TV Correspondent Natalie Morales and will mix swim stars with entertainment industry celebrities. Morales has been with "Today" since 2006 and is a national correspondent for all NBC News platforms including "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams," Dateline NBC," and MSNBC.

Lochte, Coughlin and Phelps headline the ballot this year with four nominations apiece, including two individual nominations and two relay nominations. The nominations for the star-studded event are selected based on the top accomplishments of the year by U.S. swimmers, with a special emphasis places on the Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships which were held this past August in Irvine, Calif. The U.S. Team had a stellar performance at that meet, earning the Championship Team Trophy and taking home a total of 51 medals - 27 gold, 17 silver and seven bronze.

The nominees for 2010 Male Athlete of the Year include Lochte, Phelps and Nathan Adrian (Bremerton, Wash.). The three swimmers combined for 14 gold medals at the 2010 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships. The 2010 Female Athlete of the Year category features Coughlin, Rebecca Soni (Plainsboro, N.J.), Dana Vollmer (Granbury, Texas) and Elizabeth Beisel (Saunderstown, R.I). All four female nominees won individual medals at Pan Pacs, and together raked in 12 gold medals.

In other categories, Amanda Beard (Irvine, Calif.), Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.), Jessica Hardy (Long Beach, Calif.), and Kate Zielger (Great Falls, Va.) are nominated in the Perseverance Award category, an honor which is given to the athlete who came back from adversity, retirement, illness, injury, etc. In addition, the ballot for Breakout Performer of the Year features 2010 standouts Teresa Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa.), Eva Fabian (Keene, N.H.), Missy Franklin (Centennial, Colo.) and David Plummer (Oklahoma City, Okla.).

The Golden Goggle Awards serve as a fundraiser for the USA Swimming Foundation, which strives to make communities better through the sport of swimming. Among its initiatives is the Make a Splash initiative, a national, child-focused water safety campaign that strives to provide swim lessons for children who otherwise could not afford them.

USA Swimming 2010 Golden Goggle Awards Nominees

Breakout Performer of the Year

• Teresa Crippen
• Eva Fabian
• Missy Franklin
• David Plummer

Perseverance Award

• Amanda Beard
• Tyler Clary
• Jessica Hardy
• Kate Ziegler

Coach of the Year

• Bob Bowman
• Dave Durden
• Teri McKeever
• Dave Salo
• Gregg Troy

Relay Performance of the Year

• Men's 4 x 100 Free Relay (Pan Pacific Championships)
• Women's 4 x 100 Free Relay (Pan Pacific Championships)
• Men's 4 x 200 Free Relay (Pan Pacific Championships)
• Women's 4 x 100 Medley Relay (Pan Pacific Championships

Race of the Year - Women

• Natalie Coughlin, 100m Free (Pan Pacific Championships)
• Allison Schmitt, 200m Free (Pan Pacific Championships)
• Kate Ziegler, 800m Free (Pan Pacific Championships)
• Rebecca Soni, 200m Breast (Pan Pacific Championships)

Race of the Year - Men

• Nathan Adrian, 50m Free (Pan Pacific Championships)
• Ryan Lochte, 200m IM (Pan Pacific Championships)
• Michael Phelps, 100m Fly (Pan Pacific Championships)

Female Athlete of the Year

• Elizabeth Beisel
• Natalie Coughlin
• Rebeca Soni
• Dana Vollmer

Male Athlete of the Year

• Nathan Adrian
• Ryan Lochte
• Michael Phelps

About The USA Swimming Foundation
The USA Swimming Foundation was established in 2004 for the purpose of using the sport of swimming to make communities better. The Foundation focuses its resources on three main areas: making communities safer in and around the water so as to reduce drownings; encouraging diversity in the sport of swimming; and using swimming to promote a healthy lifestyle and to combat issues such as childhood obesity. Based in Colorado Springs, the Foundation is managed by an independent board of directors. For more information, visit www.swimfoundation.org.