Katie Ledecky And Luca Urlando Honored At 2025 Golden Goggle Awards

Katie Ledecky and Luca Urlando secured athlete of the year honors at the 2025 USA Swimming Golden Goggle Awards this month. The awards celebrate their performances at the World Aquatics Championships held this past summer in Singapore.

What Are The Golden Goggle Awards?

Each year, USA Swimming hosts the Golden Goggle Awards to honor athletes, coaches and alumni who have made a significant impact on the sport. The 2025 ceremony, marking the 22nd annual event, was held at the Denver Art Museum in Denver, Colorado.

This year’s program featured seven awards: Female Athlete of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, Fran Crippen Open Water Athlete of the Year, Relay of the Year, Alumni of the Year and the Foundation Impact Award.

Each award winner is chosen by both a selection panel and fan votes. For Female Athlete of the Year, the nominees were Katharine Berkoff, Kate Douglass, Ledecky and Gretchen Walsh. Male Athlete of the Year honors included Jack Alexy, Shaine Casas, Luke Hobson and Urlando. The Coach of the Year category featured Bob Bowman, Todd DeSorbo and Anthony Nesty.

In open water, Fran Crippen Open Water Athlete of the Year nominees included Mariah Denigan, Dylan Gravley, Brinkleigh Hansen and Ivan Puskovitch. For Relay Performance of the Year, the nominated teams were the mixed 4×100 freestyle relay and the women’s 4×100 medley relay.

Athletes Of The Year

Ledecky earned the Women’s Athlete of the Year award after winning two individual gold medals at the 2025 World Championships, claiming titles in both the 800 freestyle and 1500 freestyle. Her time in the 800 freestyle set a new championship record and achieved her seventh world title in that event.

Earlier this year, at the Pro Series stop in Fort Lauderdale, Ledecky shattered her own 800 freestyle world record with a time of 8:04.12 and posted the second-fastest 1500 freestyle performance in history.

Urlando winning the Male Athlete of the Year award did not come as a surprise, as he was the only male member of Team USA to win an individual title at the World Championships, capturing gold in the 200 fly and becoming only the second American ever to post a time of 1:51. This win comes as a comeback, as Urlando had to fight his way to the top after enduring shoulder surgery.

Coach Of The Year

For the second year in a row, DeSorbo has been awarded the Coach of the Year honor. He leads the University of Virginia’s men’s and women’s swim programs.

Nine of the 21 medals won by the U.S. women’s team at the World Championships were captured by his current or former UVA athletes. In 2025, the UVA women’s team claimed its fifth consecutive NCAA title, becoming just the third program to reach that milestone. The Collegiate Swim Coaches Association recognized DeSorbo as Division I Coach of the Year for five seasons in a row, from 2021 through 2025.

Fran Crippen Open Water Athlete Of The Year

The Fran Crippen Open Water Athlete of the Year award was presented to Puskovitch, who placed seventh in the 3K Knockout Sprint at the World Championships. This year was the first time the event was included in the meet. The unique format challenges athletes to swim three consecutive races without a warm-down.

Puskovitch’s performance was the highest finish by any U.S. athlete in the open water events. He completed the 1500-meter opening leg in 17:08.80, followed by 1000 meters in 11:31.80 and closed with a 500-meter swim in 6:07.20.

Relay Performance Of The Year

The women’s 4×100 medley relay was named Relay Performance of the Year after winning gold and setting a new world record at the World Championships with a time of 3:49.34. Berkoff, Lilly King, Claire Curzan and Simone Manuel swam in the prelims, while Regan Smith, Douglass, Walsh and Torri Huske competed in the final.

The U.S. team won by more than three seconds over Australia, who took silver. Smith, King, Walsh and Huske also held the previous world record of 3:49.63, set at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they won gold.

Alumni Of The Year And Foundation Impact Award

Two-time Olympian Elizabeth Beisel received the Alumni of the Year award for her role as a current Ambassador and member of the USA Swimming Foundation Board of Directors. Beisel swam for the University of Florida and won two Olympic medals at the 2012 London Games: silver in the 400 IM and bronze in the 200 backstroke. She was recognized for her continued involvement in the sport through various contributions beyond her competitive career.

David and Maya Shackley were honored with the Foundation Impact Award for their significant contributions to the swimming community as well. David has served as Chair of the USA Swimming Foundation Board for the past four years, during which he helped lead several major initiatives, including support for the 2024 Olympic Trials. The event was the first ever held in a football stadium and set a new record for attendance.

The Shackleys also played a key role in doubling the roster of mentors through the Donor-Athlete Partnership Program, strengthening the partnership with U.S. Masters Swimming and personally mentoring several athletes.