INDIANAPOLIS, September 20, 2021 – Seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles of Spring, Texas, and reigning Olympic women’s all-around champion Sunisa Lee of St. Paul, Minn., have been named finalists for the 91st AAU James E. Sullivan Award presented by Eastbay, bestowed annually to the nation’s top athlete. Voting for the award is open to the public. The finalist voting round is open now through 11:59 p.m. ET on September 27.
Biles claimed her record seventh U.S. all-around national championship in 2021 in addition to the U.S. Classic and U.S. Olympic Team Trials all-around titles. Already the most decorated gymnast in history, Biles added an Olympic team silver medal and bronze on balance beam at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Lee was also part of the U.S. team that won silver in Tokyo and added a gold medal in the women’s all-around and a bronze on uneven bars. Lee was the U.S. uneven bars national champion and placed second in the all-around at both the U.S. Championships and U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Past award recipients from the sport of gymnastics include Kurt Thomas (1979), Paul Hamm (2004) and Shawn Johnson (2008). This year’s winner will be revealed at a celebratory luncheon October 22 at the Rosen Centre in Orlando, Fla.
In addition to Biles and Lee, the list of 2021 finalists includes collegiate athletes, Olympians and Paralympians. The other finalists are:
- Jocelyn Alo, softball
- Julia Arciola, baton twirling
- Paige Bueckers, basketball
- Caitlin Clark, basketball
- Ryan Crouser, track and field
- Ayo Dosunmu, basketball
- Caeleb Dressel, swimming
- Logan Eggleston, volleyball
- Allyson Felix, track and field
- Justin Fields, football
- Luka Garza, basketball
- Sydney Hilley, volleyball
- Grant Holloway, track and field
- Sam Howell, football
- Lydia Jacoby, swimming
- Dani Jones, track and field
- Erriyon Knighton, track and field
- Kevin Kopps, baseball
- Nick Lee, wrestling
- Madison Lilley, volleyball
- Aari McDonald, women’s basketball
- Sydney McLaughlin, track and field
- Evan Medell, taekwondo
- Tamyra Mensah Stock, wrestling
- Athing Mu, track and field
- Maddie Musselman, water polo
- Michael Penix, Jr., football
- Javonte Perkins, basketball
- Nick Piccininni, wrestling
- Dana Rettke, volleyball
- Brad Snyder, swimming and triathlon
- Gable Stevenson, wrestling
- David Taylor, wrestling
- Drew Timme, basketball
- Obi Toppin, basketball
- Ariel Torres, karate
The AAU Sullivan Award has been presented since 1930. More information is available at aausullivan.org.