The 2016 USA Swimming Golden Goggles is a star-studded awards gala celebrating the year’s top achievements in swimming. This year’s event kicks off in NYC at 6:30 p.m. EST.
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After a special compilation of carpool karaoke footage not included in this summer’s viral video, Rowdy Gaines took to to the stage. He reflected on this summer’s USA Olympic Team success and impressive combination of veterans and rookies. Before starting to present awards, a compilation of this year’s swims, records and commentary was played.
Female Race of the Year
This award is given to the female swimmer with the greatest single individual race of the year, with special emphasis on the 2016 Olympic Games.
SIMONE MANUEL, 100M FREESTYLE, 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES – In a history-making performance Simone Manuel won the gold medal in the 100m freestyle in an American and Olympic record 52.70. Manuel trailed Australia’s Cate and Bronte Campbell at the turn and made her move over the final 50. She touched in a tie with Canada’s Penny Oleksiak to top the podium. Manuel’s victory marked the first gold medal for Team USA in the event since 1984, and she became the first female African-American swimmer to win any medal in an individual event.
Male Race of the Year
This award is given to the male swimmer with the greatest single individual race of the year, with special emphasis on the 2016 Olympic Games.
MICHAEL PHELPS, 200M BUTTERFLY, 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES – Michael Phelps earned his first individual gold in Rio – and the 20th gold medal of his decorated career – with a victory in the 200m butterfly, reclaiming the top spot in the event for the first time since 2008. After opening up a lead of nearly a half second at the 100-meter mark, Phelps held off a hard-charging Masato Sakai of Japan to win by four-hundredths of a second in 1:53.36 for the tightest 200m fly finish in Olympic history.
Team Leadership and Inspiration Award
This inaugural award was given to a great team leader.
Elizabeth Beisel, attending her 11th Golden Goggles, received the award.
IMPACT Award
This award is given to somebody who leaves the sport better than they found it.
Michael Phelps took home the award.
Breakout Performer of the Year
This award is given to the athlete whose performance(s) stand out in relation to other years, with special emphasis on the 2016 Olympic Games.
LILLY KING – As an Indiana University freshman, Lilly King swept the breaststroke events at the 2016 NCAA Championships and carried that momentum through to this summer’s U.S. Olympic Trials and the Olympic Games. In Omaha, she won the 100m and 200m breaststroke to qualify for her first major international event outside of the 2015 World University Games, where she was a silver medalist. In Rio, King struck gold in the 100m breast in an Olympic record 1:04.93 and added a second gold medal in the 4x100m medley relay. King’s 100m breast gold medal was the first for Team USA since 2000.
Perseverance Award
This award is given to the athlete who came back from adversity, retirement, sickness, injury, etc., to have an outstanding performance(s) in 2016, with special emphasis on the 2016 Olympic Games.
ANTHONY ERVIN – Sixteen years after winning gold in the 50m free in Sydney and with seven-year hiatus from the sport in between, 35-year-old Anthony Ervin was back on the U.S. Olympic roster for a third time in 2016. He was second in the 50m free at Olympic Trials to become the oldest American male swimmer to qualify for an individual Olympic event since 1904. Once in Rio, Ervin made history again by winning gold in the 50m freestyle in 21.40 by just one-hundredth of a second to become the oldest swimmer to win individual Olympic gold.
Coach of the Year Award
This award is given to the coach whose athlete(s) performed at the highest level throughout the year, with special emphasis on the 2016 Olympic Games.
DAVE DURDEN – Dave Durden, an assistant men’s coach for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team and men’s head coach at Cal, coached five members of the Team USA men’s roster in Rio – Nathan Adrian, Ryan Murphy, Jacob Pebley, Josh Prenot and Tom Shields. This group combined for nine medals, including four by Adrian and three from Murphy, who also set a world record in the 100m backstroke at the Games. Adrian, Murphy and Prenot were each individual medalists. On the collegiate front, Durden guided the Golden Bears to a runner-up finish at the men’s 2016 NCAA Championships. This was Durden’s first experience on an Olympic coaching staff.
Relay Performance of the Year
This award is given to the best team relay performance, male or female. The performance considered must be a finals performance, with special emphasis on the 2016 Olympic Games.
MEN’S 4X100M FREESTYLE RELAY, 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES – The U.S. men’s 4x100m freestyle relay line-up of Caeleb Dressel, Michael Phelps, Ryan Held and Nathan Adrian won gold in 3:09.62, 0.61 seconds ahead of runner-up France. Dressel led off with a personal best 100m free time, before Phelps posted the team’s second-fastest split of 47.12 to give Team USA a lead it would not relinquish. Held kept the U.S. in front on the third leg, and Adrian split 46.97 – the fastest in the field – to secure the gold medal.
Female Athlete of the Year
This award is given to the top female swimmer of the year with special emphasis on achievements at the 2016 Olympic Games.
KATIE LEDECKY – With four gold medals and a silver medal claimed in Rio, Katie Ledecky once again made history. She became one of just four American women in any sport to win four gold medals at a single Olympic Games, and joined Debbie Meyer (1968) as the only women to win the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle at the same Games. Ledecky added gold in the 4x200m free relay and silver in the 4x100m free relay. In addition, she bested her own world records with swims of 3:56.46 in the 400m free and 8:04.79 in the 800m free in Rio. At 2016 Olympic Trials, Ledecky was victorious in the 200m, 400m and 800m free. Over the last five summers, she has swum in 15 individual finals at Olympic Games, World Championships and Pan Pacific Championships and won gold medals in each of those races.
Male Athlete of the Year
This award is given to the top male swimmer of the year with special emphasis on achievements at the 2016 Olympic Games.
MICHAEL PHELPS – The United States’ flagbearer for the Opening Ceremony, Michael Phelps won six medals – five of them gold – at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, boosting his record-setting career totals to 28 medals, including 23 gold, and extending his legacy as the most decorated Olympian of all-time. Individually in Rio, Phelps won a record fourth consecutive Olympic title in the 200m individual medley, reclaimed gold in the 200m butterfly for the first time since 2008 and earned silver in the 100m butterfly. Phelps also helped lead the U.S. to a gold-medal sweep in all three men’s relays – 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle and 4x100m medley. He won the 100m fly, 200m fly and 200m IM at the 2016 Olympic Trials to become the first U.S. male swimmer to qualify for five Olympic Games.