U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, Class of 2019

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee have revealed the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, class of 2019, which will be honored and inducted at an awards dinner Nov. 1, at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The class of 2019 is comprised of nine individuals, one team, two legends, one coach and one special contributor, and together, represents 12 different sports.

The inductees include Candace Cable (Para alpine skiing, Para Nordic skiing, Para track and field), Lisa Leslie (basketball), Nastia Liukin (gymnastics), Misty May-Treanor (beach volleyball), Apolo Anton Ohno (short track speedskating), Erin Popovich (Para swimming), Dara Torres (swimming), Chris Waddell (Para alpine skiing, Para track and field), the 1998 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team, John Carlos (legend: track and field), Tommie Smith (legend: track and field), Ron O’Brien (coach: diving) and Tim Nugent (special contributor).

The finalists for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame class of 2019 consisted of 15 Olympians, nine Paralympians, and three teams. Among the candidates was 3-time Olympic Sailing medalist Mark Reynolds.

“The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame represents the pinnacle of competitive excellence in our nation, and its inspiring members are champions who have transcended sport through the legacy they leave both on and off the field of play,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “It’s an honor to welcome the class of 2019 into this prestigious and celebrated honor roll. We thank them for their impact on sport and society, and for continuing to inspire the next generation of athletes and fans.”

The class of 2019 has represented the United States at a combined 36 Olympic and Paralympic Games, tallying 79 medals including 43 golds. There are also two new sports or sport disciplines added to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame. Ohno is the first short track speedskater to be inducted, while Cable is the first Nordic skier.

The 13 inductees were determined by a voting process that includes Olympians and Paralympians, members of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic family, and an online vote open to fans. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame was one of the first national sports halls of fame to include fan voting as part of its selection process, and this year, nearly 200,000 votes were cast at TeamUSA.org/vote.

This will be the 16th class inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, bringing the total to 154 inductees (individuals and teams). The first class was inducted in 1983. Full report.