OLYMPIC COMMITTEE HONORS BRIAN
U.S. Olympic Committee Honors Shawn Johnson and Brian Lopes for September Accomplishments
Oct. 11, 2007
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The U.S. Olympic Committee announced gymnastics’ Shawn Johnson and cycling’s Brian Lopes as its September Athletes of the Month.
Johnson (West Des Moines, Iowa) became just the fourth U.S. woman ever to win the world all-around gold medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Sept. 1-9. The only other U.S. women to win the award were Kim Zmeskal (1991), Shannon Miller (1993-94) and Chellsie Memmel (2005).
While the all-around medal was the most impressive of her feats at the 2007 Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, Johnson also won two other gold medals to bring her overall total for the event to three. Her other two world titles came in the floor and team exercises. Johnson’s performance for the team allowed the squad to win only their second title in history and the first at a World Championship outside of the U.S.
Lopes (San Clemente, Calif.) also brought home a world title for the U.S. after finishing first in the 4-cross competition at the 2007 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Fort William, Scotland on Sept. 7. Lopes was nearly eliminated in the semifinal, but was able to recover and place second in the heat to advance to the finals. A flawless final allowed Lopes to stay ahead of top-seeded Romain Saladini (FRA) to win the event.
Second place for the female vote went to cycling’s Jill Kintner (Seattle, Wash.). Kintner won her third consecutive UCI Mountain Bike 4-Cross World Championship. Kintner earned the top qualifier spot in the head-to-head discipline and continued her success in the round of 16 to obtain the coveted rainbow jersey, signifying the best in the world.
Results:
Men
1. Brian Lopes, Cycling
2. Brad Walker, Track & Field
3. Brad Vering, Wrestling
Women
1. Shawn Johnson, Gymnastics
2. Jill Kintner, Cycling
3. Ronda Rousey, Judo
Team
1. U.S. Greco-Roman Team, Wrestling
2. U.S. Women’s World Championship Team, Gymnastics
3. U.S. Women’s Eight, Rowing
For more information, please contact the USOC Communications Division at (719) 866-4529.
Posted by paula on October 11, 2007 09:15 PM