These awards honor the accomplishments of swimmers over the last year. They are presented by the USA Swimming Foundation, and the ceremony recognizes eight categories, which include “Breakout Performer of the Year,” “Coach of the Year,” “Relay Performance of the Year,” “Male Race of the Year,” “Female Race of the Year,” “Male Athlete of the Year,” “Female Athlete of the Year” and the “Perseverance Award.”
The nominees for “Breakout Performer of the Year” include Michael Andrew, Zach Harting, Austin Katz, and Andrew Seliskar.
Ella Eastin, Katie McLaughlin, and Micah Sumrall are nominated for the “Perseverance Award.” The nominated coaches in the “Coach of the Year” category include Jack Bauerle, Dave Durden, David Marsh, Teri McKeever, and Greg Meehan.
The “Male Race of the Year” is comprised of races at this year’s Pan Pacific Championships. These include Michael Andrew’s 50 meter freestyle race, Zane Grother’s 800 meter freestyle, Ryan Murphy’s 100 meter backstroke, and Chase Kalisz’ 200 meter individual medley.
The “Female Race of the Year” is quite eclectic this year since it features such races as Katie Ledecky’s 1,500 meter freestyle at the TYR Pro Swim Series at Indianapolis, Kathleen Baker’s 100 meter backstroke at the Phillips 66 U.S. National Championships, Micah Sumrall’s 200 meter breaststroke at the Pan Pacific Championships, and Haley Anderson’s 10 kilometers open water race at the Pac Pacifics.
Two relay races are in the running for “Relay Performance of the Year” and they were both races at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships. These include the men’s 4x 200 meter freestyle relay and the men’s 4x 100 meter medley relay.
Ryan Murphy, the year’s most-nominated athlete, will be vying for “Male Athlete of the Year,” along with Chase Kalisz and Jordan Wilimovsky. On the other hand, Haley Anderson, Kathleen Baker, and Katie Ledecky are nominated for “Female Athlete of the Year.”
Aside from honoring the U.S. swimmers’ achievements, the Golden Goggle Awards serve as a fundraiser for the USA Swimming Foundation.
To learn more about the 2018 Golden Goggle Awards, check out the official website.
