© John Cheng

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Nov. 10, 2009 – 2009 world all-around champion Bridget Sloan and taekwondo athlete Steven Lopez are the U.S. Olympic Committee’s October Athletes of the Month for their World Championship performances, and USA Baseball’s 18U National Team earned Team of the Month honors after winning gold at the 18U Pan American Championships. A member of the 2008 Olympic silver medal-winning U.S. gymnastics team, all eyes were on Sloan (Pittsboro, Ind.) at the 2009 World Championships in the O2 Arena in London, England. The 2009 U.S. all-around champion won the all-around title, edging fellow American Rebecca Bross. An impressive floor routine gave Sloan an all-around score of 57.825 and the World Championship title on Oct. 16. Sloan also placed sixth in the uneven bars final with a score of 14.600.

Lopez (Sugar Land, Texas) became the first fighter in history to win five World Championship titles when he captured the men’s welterweight gold medal on Oct. 14 at the 2009 WTF World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. The three-time USOC Athlete of the Month is undefeated at the biennial event since winning his first World Championship in 2001.

The 18U National Team was honored for its gold medal-winning performance at the COPABE "AAA" 18U Pan American Championships in Barguisimeto, Venezuela. The title was a first for USA Baseball at the tournament.

More than 4,100 votes were cast by followers of the USOC’s Twitter site (@ USOlympic). The Twitter vote accounts for 10 percent of the final tally, with a voting panel of U.S. Olympic family members comprising the remainder.

Voting Results

Women
1. Bridget Sloan, Gymnastics
t2. Danielle Pelham, Taekwondo
t2. Catherine Bouwcamp, Wheelchair Fencing
3. Mariel Zagunis, Fencing

Men
1. Steven Lopez, Taekwondo
2. Tim O’Donnell, Triathlon
3. Myles Porter, Judo

Team
1. 18U National Team, Baseball
2. Team USA, Wheelchair Rugby
3. Meryl Davis and Charlie White, Figure Skating