Recipients will be announced at the 40th Annual Salute.

Meet the 2019 Individual Sport Finalist

Artistic Gymnastics - USA

Simone Biles

Auto Racing - United Kingdom

Jamie Chadwick

Mountain Biking - USA

Kate Courtney

Climbing - Slovenia

Janja Garnbret

Golf - South Korea

Jin Young Ko

Paralympic Swimming - USA

Rebecca Meyers

Paralympic Triathlon - USA

Allysa Seely

Boxing - USA

Claressa Shields

Alpine Skiing - USA

Mikaela Shiffrin

Track & Field - USA

Ajeé Wilson

Recipients will be announced at the 40th Annual Salute.

Meet the 2019 Team Sport Finalist

Wheelchair Basketball - Netherlands

Mariska Beijer

Ice Hockey - USA

Kendall Coyne Schofield

Wheelchair Tennis - Netherlands

Diede de Groot

Water Polo - USA/Stanford

Makenzie Fischer

Softball - USA/UCLA

Rachel Garcia

Bobsled - Germany

Mariama Jamanka and Annika Drazek

Ice Dancing - France

Gabriella Papadakis

Soccer - USA

Megan Rapinoe

Synchronized Diving - China

Shi Tingmao and Wang Han

Basketball - USA

A’ja Wilson

Ice Hockey - USA

Kendall Coyne Schofield

  • As team captain, helped the U.S. capture the gold medal at the 2019 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s World Championship (April)  
  • 2019 National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) Champion (March) 
  • First woman to compete in an NHL All-star Skills Competition (January, 2019)

Track & Field - USA

Ajeé Wilson

  • Won the Women’s Outdoor 800m at the 2019 IAAF Diamond League Meet in Stockholm, Sweden (May)
  • Won the Women’s Indoor 1000m at the 2019 USATF Indoor Championships (February)
  • Currently owns both the outdoor and indoor American record in the Women’s 800m after winning the Women’s indoor 800m at the 2019 NYRR Millrose Games (February)

Basketball - USA

A’ja Wilson

  • Helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup (September)
  • Named the 2018 WNBA Rookie of the Year (September)
  • Named to the 2018 WNBA All-Star Team (July) 

Synchronized Diving - China

Shi Tingmao and Wang Han

  • Won gold in the 3m synchronized diving event at the 2019 FINA Diving World Series in Montreal (April)
  • Won gold in the 3m synchronized diving event at the 2019 FINA Diving World Series in Beijing (March) 
  • Won gold in the 3m synchronized diving event at the 2019 FINA Diving World Series in Sagamihara (March)

Soccer - USA

Megan Rapinoe

  • Won the Golden Ball as the best player in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Golden Boot as the top scorer (June/July) 
  • Scored six goals and had three assists in seven games at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France (June/July)
  • Scored one goal in the 2-0 win against Netherlands in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final (July)

Ice Dancing - France

Gabriella Papadakis

  • Set a new total score world record of 223.13 points in Ice Dance at the 2019 ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating (April)
  • Won a gold medal at the 2019 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in the Overall Placement with partner Guillaume Cizeron (March) 
  • Won a gold medal at the 2019 ISU European Figure Skating Championships in the Overall Placement with partner Guillaume Cizeron (January)

Bobsled - Germany

Mariama Jamanka and Annika Drazek

  • 2019 International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Champions – Two-woman bobsleigh (March)
  • 2018/19 Overall International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup winners  (February) 
  •  First place at the 2018/2019 BMW International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup in Sigulda (December 2018)

Softball - USA/UCLA

Rachel Garcia

  • 2019 NCAA National Champion (June) 
  • 2019 Honda Cup Winner (Given to the top female collegiate athlete) (June)
  • 2019 Team USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year (2nd year in a row) (May)

Water Polo - USA/Stanford

Makenzie Fischer

  • 2019 Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) World League Super Final Champion with Team USA, helping the USA women qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (June) 
  • 2019 NCAA National Champion (May)   
  • Top female water polo player in the NCAA (Peter J. Cutino award) (June)

Wheelchair Tennis - Netherlands

Diede de Groot

  • Ranked No. 1 in the world in women’s singles and doubles by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as of Jun. 17, 2019
  • 2019 Roland Garros Doubles Champion with partner Aniek van Koot (June)
  • Only wheelchair tennis player to have held four grand slam singles titles at the same time (2018 Wimbledon and US Open, 2019 Australian and French Open)

Artistic Gymnastics - USA

Simone Biles

  • 2019 Stuttgart World Cup Champion (March)
  • 2018 World Team, Individual All-Around, Vault, and Floor Exercise champion at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Doha, Qatar (November)
  • Became the first woman to win four World Championship All-Around titles at the 2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Doha, Qatar on November 1, 2018

Wheelchair Basketball - Netherlands

Mariska Beijer

  • Led the 2019 International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) European Championships in points per game (24.3), was second in rebounds per game (11.4) and averaged 1.4 steals per game (June/July) 
  • 2018 IWBF World Champion (August) 
  • MVP of the 2018 IWBF World Championships (August)

Alpine Skiing - USA

Mikaela Shiffrin

  • World Cup Overall Champion at the 2018-19 International Ski Federation (FIS) Alpine Ski World Cup (February)
  • Holds the record for number of wins during a single World Cup season (17)
  • Slalom World Champion at the 2019 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships – first athlete to win four successive World titles in the same discipline (February)

Boxing - USA

Claressa Shields

  • Currently the undisputed middleweight champion, according to the World Boxing Association (WBA) as of June 24, 2019
  • One of only seven boxers, male or female, to hold all four major world titles in boxing (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO) – Unified the four titles after defeating Christina Hammer in April 2019
  • Named the Boxing Writers Association of America Female Fighter of the Year in December 2018

Paralympic Triathlon - USA

Allysa Seely

  • Ranked No. 1 in the world in Women’s PTS2 Paratriathlon according to the International Triathlon Union (ITU) as of July 10, 2019
  • Won the 2019 Montreal ITU World Paratriathlon Series in the PTS2 classification (June)
  • Won the 2018 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Gold Coast (September)

Paralympic Swimming - USA

Rebecca Meyers

  • Ranked No. 1 in the world by World Para Swimming for Women’s S12 400m Freestyle, 100 Butterfly, and SM12 200m IM as of June 24, 2019
  • Broke a 27-year old American record in the S12 50m Freestyle at the 2019 WPS World Series in Indianapolis (April)
  • First place in the Women’s 400m Freestyle, setting a World Record, in the S12 classification at the 2018 Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships (August)

Golf - South Korea

Jin Young Ko

  • Held the No. 1 spot on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings for 12 consecutive weeks following her victory at the ANA Inspiration (April 8 – June 30, 2019)
  • Won the ANA Inspiration on April 4, 2019 and became a major champion in her 42nd career LPGA Tour start
  • 2018 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year (October)

Climbing - Slovenia

Janja Garnbret

  • Ranked No. 1 in the world by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) as of July 11, 2019
  • Won every event in the 2019 Bouldering World Cup Series
  • Placed first or second at every Lead and Bouldering event in which she competed in 2018

Mountain Biking - USA

Kate Courtney

  • Ranked No. 1 in the world for Women’s Elite Mountain Bike (Cross Country) for the 2019 season by the International Cycling Union (UCI) as of June 24, 2019
  • Won the Cross Country Olympic race at the 2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic (May)
  • Won the Women’s Elite Cross Country Mountain Bike race at the 2018 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland (September)

Auto Racing - United Kingdom

Jamie Chadwick

  • After four of the six scheduled races for the inaugural W Series have taken place, she currently stands in first place overall
  • In February 2019, she became the first woman to win the MRF Challenge Championship
  • In August 2018, she became the first female driver in history to win a BRDC British Formula 3 Championship race at Brands Hatch