Jones (New Brunswick, N.J. / NC State) won an individual award in the Breakout Performer of the Year category after capturing his first U.S. national title in the 50m freestyle and winning international gold in the same event with the fastest time in the world this year. Phelps (Baltimore Md. / Club Wolverine) took home his second Male Race of the Year award for his world record-setting performance in the 200m individual medley at the Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships.
Jones and Phelps, together with teammates Neil Walker (Verona, Wis. / Longhorn) and Jason Lezak (Irvine, Calif. / Irvine Novaquatics), won the Relay Performance of the Year Award after swimming on the world record-setting men’s 4x100m freestyle relay at Pan Pacs. The quartet broke South Africa’s two-year-old world record, set at the 2004 Olympic Games.
“I just want to once again thank these fine gentlemen,” Jones said. “They gave me the kind words of, ‘You can do it, don’t mess up.” No, they didn’t say that, they were really supportive.”
Olympians Brendan Hansen (Havertown, Pa. / Longhorn) and Katie Hoff (Towson, Md. / North Baltimore) were honored with the athlete of the year awards based on their performances at the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships and the Pan Pacific Championships in August. Hansen, who won the Perseverance Award in 2005, set three world records in the span of 20 days in August. Hoff won five medals – three of them gold – at Pan Pacs for her second-straight Female Athlete of the Year award.
“I think the funniest thing about this award is that I had to break three world records to get it,” Hansen said. “It just goes to show the strength of this team. You have to break a world record just to think about holding one of these things.
“I could thank a lot of people, but I’m just going to thank two: Eddie Reese and Kris Kubik. I came to the pool deck in 2000 with lots of potential. The reason I’m here today is because of these two men.”
University of Michigan coach Bob Bowman was named the Coach of the Year after coaching seven athletes who qualified for the 2006 Pan Pac team. Four of the Club Wolverine athletes won individual medals in Victoria, and Phelps smashed three world records. This is Bowman’s first Golden Goggle Award.
Two-time Olympic silver medalist Erik Vendt (North Easton, Mass. / Club Wolverine) won the Perseverance Award after coming back from retirement to make the 2007 World Championships team. Vendt, who returned to competitive training in April for the first time since the 2004 Olympic Games, earned a silver medal in the 1500m free at Pan Pacs.
Whitney Myers won Female Race of the Year honors for her swim in the 200m IM at Pan Pacs. Myers was under world record pace for part of the race and went on to defeat Hoff, the American record holder.
2006 Golden Goggle Award Winners
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Breakout Performer of the Year
Cullen Jones (New Brunswick, N.J. / NC State)
Perseverance Award
Erik Vendt (North Easton, Mass. / Club Wolverine)
Coach of the Year
Bob Bowman (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Michigan / Club Wolverine)
Relay Performance of the Year
Men's 4 x 100 Free Relay (Pan Pacific Championships)
Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md. / Club Wolverine), Neil Walker (Verona, Wis. / Longhorn), Cullen Jones (New Brunswick, N.J. / NC State) and Jason Lezak (Irvine, Calif. / Irvine Novaquatics)
Female Performance of the Year
200 IM (Pan Pacific Championships)
Whitney Myers (Oxford, Ohio / Tucson Ford)
Male Performance of the Year
200 IM (Pan Pacific Championships)
Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md. / Club Wolverine)
Female Athlete of the Year
Katie Hoff (Towson, Md. / North Baltimore)
Male Athlete of the Year
Brendan Hansen (Havertown, Pa. / Longhorn)
Previous Golden Goggle Award Winners
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Breakout Performer of the Year
2005: Jessica Hardy
2004: Larsen Jensen
Perseverance Award
2005: Brendan Hansen
2004: Kaitlin Sandeno (Comeback of the Year)
Coach of the Year
2005: Eddie Reese
2004: Eddie Reese
Relay Performance of the Year
2005: Women’s 4x200 Free Relay (World Championships) Natalie Coughlin, Katie Hoff, Whitney Myers, Kaitlin Sandeno
2004: Women’s 4x200 Free Relay (Olympic Games) Natalie Coughlin, Dana Vollmer, Carly Piper, Kaitlin Sandeno
Female Performance of the Year
2005: 1500 Freestyle (World Championships) – Kate Ziegler
2004: 200 Breaststroke (Olympic Games) – Amanda Beard
Male Performance of the Year
2005: 100 Butterfly (World Championships) – Ian Crocker
2004: 100 Butterfly (Olympic Games) – Michael Phelps
Female Athlete of the Year
2005: Katie Hoff
2004: Natalie Coughlin
Male Athlete of the Year
2005: Aaron Peirsol
2004: Michael Phelps
About USA Swimming: As the National Governing Body for competitive swimming in the United States, USA Swimming formulates the rules, implements policies and procedures, conducts national championships, disseminates safety and sports medicine information and selects athletes to represent the United States in international competition. USA Swimming has more than 300,000 members nationwide and sanctions more than 7,000 events each year. For more information, visit usaswimming.org.
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 governed by its own board of directors and is managed by USA Swimming staff members, including three-time Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines. For more information, visit usaswimming.org/foundation.
