American swimmers Katie Ledecky and Simone Manuel have been nominated for 2017 Kids’ Choice Sports Awards.
The annual awards show is a sports-specific spinoff of the original that has been put on by children and teens television network Nickelodeon every year since 1988, which makes 2017 the 30th edition of that show. The Kids’ Choice Sports Awards were launched in 2014. Winners receive a ceremonial orange blimp trophy, which was a logo for the network for the first 25 years of the channel’s existence.
While some special awards are given out by Nickelodeon staff, the main awards are all voted on by Nickelodeon viewers, meaning that they primarily represent the interests of a younger audience.
While no swimmer has ever won an award, 23-time Olympic gold medalist and most decorated swimmer in history Michael Phelps is on the Kids’ Choice Awards Sports Council that advises the shows on categories and nominees.
Honors being given out at the 2017 edition:
- Favorite Male Athlete
- Favorite Female Athlete
- King of Swag
- Queen of Swag
- Best Cannon
- Biggest Powerhouse
- Clutch Player of the Year
- Don’t Try This At Home
- Favorite Newcomer
- Hands of Gold
- Need for Speed
- Sickest Moves
Ledecky is nominated for Favorite Female Athlete after winning 4 gold medals and 1 silver medal at the Olympics while breaking World Records in the 400 and 800 freestyles in the process. She also won and broke American, NCAA, and U.S. Open Records at the 2017 NCAA Championships in the 500 yard free, the 800 yard free relay, and 400 yard free relay, and won 5 titles overall.
Other category nominees:
- Simone Biles, gymnastics
- Alex Morgan, soccer
- Nneka Ogwumike, basketball
- Mikaela Shiffrin, skiing
- Serena Williams, tennis
Manuel was nominated for the multi-gender Favorite Newcomer category. Manuel took 4 Olympic medals, including a tied-for-individual gold in the 100 free that also saw her break the American and Olympic Records in 52.70. She and Ledecky are teammates at Stanford, and together helped carried the Cardinal to the NCAA Championship in March.
Both athletes were also nominated for Honda Sports Awards earlier this year as the best collegiate female swimmer, which Ledecky ultimately won.
Other category nominees:
- Laurie Hernandez, gymnastics
- Dak Prescott, football
- Dario Saric, basketball
- Corey Seager, baseball,
- Breanna Stewart, basketball
Congratulations ladies! ?