Four U.S. Ski & Snowboard Athletes Nominated for Team USA's Best of December Awards
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) today announced finalists for the Team USA Awards, Best of December, which recognize the outstanding achievements of Team USA athletes from last month. Four U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes are nominated: Tommy Ford, Chris Corning, Aaron Blunck and Mikaela Shiffrin. In addition, the women's cross country 4x5 kilometer relay team of Sophie Caldwell, Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, Rosie Brennan and Jessie Diggins, was nominated.
Fans are invited to vote for their favorite athletes and teams at TeamUSA.org/Awards through midnight Tuesday, Jan. 7.
U.S. Ski & Snowboard Nominations
Male Athlete of the Month
Aaron Blunck, Freestyle Skiing
Clinched the gold medal in halfpipe for the second straight year at the U.S. Grand Prix world cup in Copper Mountain, Colorado, and earned silver at the world cup in Secret Garden, China.
Chris Corning, Snowboarding
Clinched his seventh career season title by taking bronze in big air at the world cup in Beijing and additionally won gold at the world cup in Atlanta, delivering the first-ever quad cork 1800 on a scaffold big air jump.
Tommy Ford, Alpine Skiing
Won gold in giant slalom at the world cup in Beaver Creek, Colorado, clinching the first win by an American man in nearly three years.
Female Athlete of the Month
Mikaela Shiffrin, Alpine Skiing
Won her fourth straight world cup on U.S. snow in slalom in Killington, Vt., by a margin of 2.29 seconds—her biggest victory gap in three years—and capped the month by sweeping two world cup races in Lienz, Austria, to bring her career total to 64 wins, matching Lindsey Vonn’s record for most women’s world cup victories in one discipline with 43 slalom wins.
Team of the Month
U.S. Women’s 4x5-kilometer Relay, Cross-Country Skiing
The relay squad of Sophie Caldwell, Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, Rosie Brennan and Jessie Diggins took silver at the world cup in Lillehammer, Norway, matching the best world cup podium finish for Team USA in the event.
Selection Process
Each National Governing Body may nominate one female, one male and one team per sport discipline. An internal nominating committee selects finalists to advance to the voting round. Votes received from NGB representatives and select members of the media account for 50% of the final tally, with the other half determined by online fan voting via TeamUSA.org/Awards.
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