USA Swimming, the national governing body for the sport of swimming in the United States, and the USA Swimming Foundation, the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming, celebrated its 22nd annual Golden Goggle Awards ceremony. The event, which honors the performances of the United States at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore earlier this year, bestowed seven awards, including Female and Male Athletes of the Year presented by Omega and the Relay of the Year presented by Toyota.

The Golden Goggle Awards are USA Swimming’s annual celebration honoring athletes, coaches, and alumni for their impact on the sport of swimming throughout the year. All proceeds directly benefit the USA Swimming Foundation’s mission of Saving Lives, Building Champions, and Impacting Communities.

2025 USA Swimming Golden Goggle Award Winners:

• Female Athlete of the Year, presented by Omega: Katie Ledecky
• Male Athlete of the Year, presented by Omega: Luca Urlando
• Coach of the Year, presented by Omega: Todd DeSorbo
• Fran Crippen Open Water Athlete of the Year: Ivan Puskovitch
• Relay of the Year presented by Toyota: Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay – Regan Smith, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, and Torri Huske
• Alumni of the Year: Elizabeth Beisel
• Foundation Impact Award: David and Maya Shackley
  

Female Athlete of the Year presented by Omega: Katie Ledecky

As a four-time Olympian, Katie Ledecky (Bethesda, Md./Gator Swim Club) continued to prove her dominance on the world stage as the greatest female American athlete of all time. In Singapore, she claimed her seventh world title in the 800-meter freestyle and sixth world title in the 1500m freestyle. The 800m freestyle win marked a new legacy for Ledecky, as she became the only swimmer in history to achieve seven consecutive world titles. She also claimed a silver in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay and bronze in the 400m freestyle.

Ledecky on the evening: “This was a fun night, and a lot of money was raised for the USA Swimming Foundation. I’m very honored to receive this award. There were so many female athletes who performed at such a high level this year, and it’s an honor to be on a team with them. Thank you to my coaches, including Coach Nesty and all my coaches at Florida, my teammates, and my family.”

Male Athlete of the Year presented by Omega: Luca Urlando

In the men’s 200m butterfly, Luca Urlando (Sacramento, Calif./Athens Bulldog Swim Club) became the second American ever to clock a time of 1:51. After shoulder surgery in 2022, Urlando made an astonishing comeback to the sport with a dominant performance from the start of the race, claiming his first world title with a final time of 1:51.87.

Urlando on winning this award: “It really means the world to me. Honestly, when I think about winning this award, I think about all the people that have supported me through this journey. My parents, my family, my sister, all my coaches and teammates who believed in me to help me get to this point. Thank you to my sponsor, Mizuno, for their unconditional love and support. The University of Georgia and all their resources and staff that have brought me to this moment. I really cannot be more thankful and honored to receive this award.”

Coach of the Year presented by Omega: Todd DeSorbo

For the second year in a row, Todd DeSorbo won the Coach of the Year Award presented by Omega. DeSorbo is the head coach for the men’s and women’s swim team at the University of Virginia. Of the 21 medals won by the women’s team at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, nine of those were claimed by his current or former University of Virginia (UVA) swimmers. This past year, the UVA women’s team solidified its swimming dominance by earning a fifth consecutive NCAA title, making the program just one of three to do so since 1996. DeSorbo was also awarded the 2025 ASCA George Haines Coach of the Year award by the American Swimming Coaches Association for his contributions to American swimming. He was also awarded the Division I Coach of the Year award by the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association five years in a row (2021-2025).

Fran Crippen Open Water Athlete of the Year: Ivan Puskovitch

The 3K Knockout Sprint debuted at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in July, where Ivan Puskovitch (West Chester, Pa./TSM Aquatics) secured a seventh-place finish. The event requires athletes to swim three races without a warm-down. Puskovitch completed the first leg of 1500m in 17:08.80, the second leg of 1000m in 11:31.80, and the final leg of 500m in 6:07.20. His finish secured the highest placement for the U.S. in the open-water races.

Puskovitch on how much this award means to him: “This Fran Crippen Open Water Athlete of the Year Award means so more to me than it just being a trophy, it’s a symbol of Fran’s legacy. The fact that it drives me every day in my training, in every pool and every lap I swim on the course. I’m so honored to come from an environment that also shaped Fran throughout his swimming career. He is one of the greatest open water swimmers in American history and I’m glad to be able to build upon that legacy.”

Relay of the Year presented by Toyota: Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay

In the final event of the meet, the women’s 4x100m medley relay secured U.S. dominance again as Regan Smith (Lakeville, Minn./Longhorn Aquatics), Kate Douglass (Pelham, N.Y./Cavalier Aquatics), Gretchen Walsh (Nashville, Tenn./Cavalier Aquatics), and Torri Huske (Arlington, Va./Alto Swim Club) claimed gold and a world record with a time of 3:49.34. Prelims swimmers for the event included Katharine Berkoff (Missoula, Mont./Wolfpack Elite), Lilly King (Evansville, Ind./Indiana Swim Club), Claire Curzan (Cary, N.C./TAC Titans), and Simone Manuel (Sugar Land, Texas, Longhorn Aquatics).

G. Walsh on the history of this relay: “Winning this award means everything and it is the race I am going to remember the most from this summer. It was a collaborative effort. I feel like we had a lot in store going into this meet, and some things didn’t come to fruition, but this did. It was unexpected but it was amazing regardless. I feel like I came away from this meet feeling satisfied and excited for more. We’ve won that relay three years in a row, it’s won Relay of the Year three years in a row, and we’ve broken a world record two years in a row. I’m thinking to myself we have a trajectory and legacy here.”

Douglass on the relay: “Everyone agrees, this is the most fun relay of the meet. It closes out the meet and we are always excited to be a part of it. Last year, I was a prelims relay swimmer, so this year, getting to be in the final, it just meant so much. I was glad that I got to swim in it with these ladies, and I’m glad all of us were able to accept this award together.”

Smith on America’s dominance of this relay: “Winning this award means so much. The medley relay is incredibly dominant, and we have a lot of pride in that. Every time we get to be on this relay it’s a privilege. We have so much depth in all four strokes, and we expect nothing less than winning and dominating every single time we get up on the blocks together. I’m really proud of us.”

Huske on the award: “This is my favorite relay. The women’s relay is always at the end of every meet, and I feel like we always go out with a bang. I was immediately excited when I was told I was going to swim at night. It definitely means a lot, especially after everything that we went through together this summer.”

Alumni of the Year: Elizabeth Beisel

Outside of an outstanding competitive career as a two-time Olympian, Elizabeth Beisel has continued to honor and support the sport through numerous endeavors. As a current Ambassador and member of the USA Swimming Foundation Board of Directors, she has committed to supporting swimmers at every level, making a significant impact across the country. In the broader sports community, Beisel has solidified herself as an NBC and ESPN media contributor, published her memoir ‘Silver Lining,’ and speaks to multiple Fortune 500 companies on overcoming adversities.

Beisel on being surprised by the award: “I had zero idea I was receiving this award. Usually, I have good sense on this type of thing, but honestly, I was absolutely shocked. It is amazing because I know how much being on the National Team means, and to be recognized as Alumni of the Year is so special. It’s a testament to not me, but the work that the USA Swimming Foundation and USA Swimming are doing. I’m just blown away.”

“Elizabeth Beisel has been a champion of swimming for decades,” said USA Swimming Foundation Executive Director Elaine Calip. “As an Ambassador and member of the USA Swimming Foundation Board of Directors, she has impacted individuals from age group swimmers learning how to swim to elite athletes competing on the international stage. Her commitment to swimming and her uplifting spirit created a clear consensus on why she is deserving of the 2025 USA Swimming Foundation Alumni of the Year Award.”

Foundation Impact Award: David and Maya Shackley
For many years, David and Maya Shackley have continued to make a lasting impact on the swimming community. David has served as the USA Swimming Foundation Board Chair for the past four years and is a leader who instantly elevates the room. During his tenure, the USA Swimming Foundation has helped support the most successful Olympic Trials in its history, doubled the roster of mentors through the Donor-Athlete Partnership Program (DAPP), and expanded the partnership with U.S. Masters Swimming, resulting in record-setting support of Adult Learn-to-Swim funding. Additionally, the Shackleys have directly mentored numerous athletes. Through the DAPP program, they have financially supported and personally mentored Bobby Finke, Brennan Gravely, Ivan Puskovitch, Andrew Seliskar, Leah Smith, and Jordan Wilimovsky, allowing them to continue their swimming careers until retirement.

David Shackley on being surprised by the award: “I was very surprised. I saw Andrew (Seliskar) and Brennan (Gravely) and they both gave me great reasons to why they were supporting this great cause tonight, so I didn’t think anything of it. Once I saw them, plus Ivan (Puskovitch) and Bobby (Finke) on the stage, I knew something was up.”

“We are eternally thankful to both David and Maya for their continued support of the USA Swimming Foundation and the swimming community,” said Calip. “Their leadership has impacted so many individuals, including directly sponsoring six current and former National Team athletes. Their work will be remembered long after David finishes his Board Chair position in December, and we know the Shackleys will always be valued members of the USA Swimming and USA Swimming Foundation family.”