In the lead up to the Nov. 19 Golden Goggle Awards, USA Swimming will highlight the eight award categories. 

Full event details, including table and seat purchasing opportunities, can be found at GoldenGoggles.com.

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FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

This award is given to the top female swimmer of the year with special emphasis on achievements at the 2017 FINA World Championships.

Lilly King
Lilly King had her sights set on world-record swims in Budapest and she delivered. The Indiana University star won gold and surpassed world records in the 50m and 100m breaststrokes with times of 29.40 and 1:04.13, respectively. King added gold in the 4x100m medley relay and 4x100m mixed medley relay for a total of four gold medals at the 2017 FINA World Championships. Earlier in 2017, King defended her NCAA titles in the 100y and 200y breast.

Katie Ledecky
Katie Ledecky continued her unprecedented run of international success in Budapest by winning six medals – five gold – and claiming her third straight world titles in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle. Her 3:58.34 effort in the 400m free was a meet record and ranks as the second-fastest time in history. Ledecky added gold in the 4x100m and 4x200m free relays, as well as a second straight FINA World Championships medal (silver) in the 200m free. The Stanford standout now owns a women’s record 14 career gold medals in FINA World Championships action, including 10 individual world titles – more than any other woman. Earlier in 2017, Ledecky won five NCAA titles, posted nine American-record performances and 12 NCAA-record swims in her first year at Stanford.

Simone Manuel
Olympic champion Simone Manuel picked up where she left off last summer with six medals, including gold in the 100m freestyle, at the 2017 FINA World Championships. In the process, she established American records in her 100m free victory (52.27) and her bronze-medal finish in the 50m free (23.97). In addition, Manuel anchored Team USA to gold in in four relays – 4x100m free, 4x100m medley, mixed 4x100m free and mixed 4x100m medley – to join teammate Katie Ledecky as the only women to win six medals in Budapest. Earlier in the year, Manuel won NCAA titles in the 50y and 100y free for national champion Stanford.