Ryan Lochte Named USA Swimming Athlete of the Year, Adolph Kiefer Honored with USA Swimming Award

DALLAS, Texas, September 19. RYAN Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.) was named USA Swimming's Swimmer of the Year at the annual U.S. Aquatic Sports Awards Banquet Saturday. The two-time Olympian won six gold medals at the 2010 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships, and was the high-point winner at the 2010 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships. The award was the second in two days for Lochte, who won the ConocoPhillips Performance Award on Friday.

USA Swimming presented its most prestigious award, the USA Swimming Award, to backstroke legend and safety activist Adolph Kiefer. The 1936 Olympian has dedicated much of his life to promoting safety, health and fitness. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Kiefer led an effort to improve swimming instruction in the Navy and is estimated to have taught 13,000 sailors to swim. An outspoken proponent of learn-to-swim and aquatic safety, his company, Kiefer & Associates, has been a long-time seller of hundreds of safety products. The International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee has sat on three presidents' Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Also a successful inventor, Kiefer holds 12 patents, including one for the non-turbulent racing lane line.

Kiefer has been active in USA Swimming in the area of safety, and even has an annual award named after him, the "Adolph Kiefer Safety Commendation Award."

About the Swimmer of the Year Award
The Swimmer of the Year Award is presented to the athlete judged by the USA Swimming House of Delegates as the most outstanding swimmer of the previous year.

About the USA Swimming Award
The USA Swimming Award was established in 1981 to recognize exceptional contributions to the sport of swimming. The award is presented each year to an individual or organization selected for financial, material or service contributions to USA Swimming. The award is a two-thirds life-size bronze sculpture of a swimmer mounted over a wave of marble.

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