Standout performances during July earned the U.S. women’s national water polo team, Stanford sophomore Katie Ledecky, and Caeleb Dressel, ‘Best of July’ honors for the Team USA Awards presented by Dow, the United States Olympic Committee announced Tuesday.
Dressel, Ledecky and the U.S. women’s national team are among the qualified athletes and teams that are eligible for Best of the Year honors in 2017.
The U.S. women’s national team, with eight Stanford affiliated athletes, won its second straight FINA World Championship title, and fifth overall, in Budapest, Hungary, going undefeated (6-0).
The U.S. defeated Spain, 13-6, in the gold-medal match to maintain its hold of every major international championship and become the first team to win a world title the year after capturing the Olympic gold medal.
The U.S. women (26-1 on the year) dominated every phase of the tournament, winning all but one game by more than four goals.
Ledecky won six medals, five golds, to lead all female swimmers at the FINA World Championships, setting a women’s record with 14 overall gold medals in FINA World Championships competition.
She earned her third straight individual world titles in the 400-meter freestyle, 800 freestyle and 1,500 freestyle, while also adding gold medals in the 400 and 800 freestyle relays, along with a silver medal in the 200 freestyle.
Dressel won seven gold medals to lead all competitors at the FINA World Championships, matching Michael Phelps’ record total from 2007.
He earned three individual world titles in the 50-meter freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly, while also aiding Team USA to gold medals in the 400 freestyle, 400 medley, mixed 400 medley and mixed 400 freestyle relays.
He made history by becoming the first swimmer ever to win three world titles in a single day on July 29, and became the first American male since 2011 to win three individual events at the same FINA World Championships.
By USA Water Polo
By USA Water Polo
By USA Water Polo