December 4/05 10:42 am - US Sports Academy's 2005 Athlete of the Year Award, Hughes Wins Gold, Birthday

Posted by Editoress on 12/4/05
 

United States Sports Academy's 2005 Athlete of the Year Award

As of December 1st, sports fans worldwide are voting online for the United States Sports Academy‚s 2005 Athlete of the Year award. The ballot, run in conjunction with USATODAY.com, can be found HERE.

The 2005 male ballot includes Lance Armstrong, Ole Einar Bjoerdalen, Tom Brady, Reggie Bush, Tim Duncan, Jermaine Dye, Roger Federer, Matt Leinart, Peyton Manning, Bode Miller, Asafa Powell, Aaron Peirsol, Tony Stewart and Tiger Woods.

This years female ballot includes Kim Clijsters, Natalie Coughlin, Tirunesh Dibaba, Yolanda Griffith, Gao Jun, Deena Kastor, Nastia Liukin, Danica Patrick, Paula Radcliffe, Irina Slutskaya, Annika Sorenstam, Venus Williams and Yelena Isinbayeva.


Hughes Wins World Cup Gold
Courtesy Speedskating Canada

Clara Hughes of Winnipeg won the gold medal in the women's 5,000-metres race to highlight a triple medal performance for Canada on Saturday at the fourth stop on the long track speed skating circuit.

Hughes took the gold clocking six minutes and 56.45 seconds, just one second off the track record and her fastest time by five seconds at the indoor oval. Olympic champion Claudia Pechstein of Germany was second in 6:57.33 and Cindy Klassen of Winnipeg third in 6:57.98.

"Technically it was the best 5,000 race of my career" said Hughes, the bronze medallist in the event at the 2002 Olympics. "It was really motivating to have that race today because it confirms that all the things I'm doing to improve are working. I felt like every time I had a stride that was a little bit off, I was totally aware of it and that I could change and make it better. I've never had race like that."

It was tough week for Hughes who battled a bad cold and was still stuffed up on Saturday.

"I went in thinking this could be really good or really bad," she said. "But I remembered that Cindy (Klassen) wasn't feeling well at the World Cup in Calgary (last month) and went on to break a world record. It's a good lesson that if something like that happens at the Olympics, I just have to stay calm, deal with it and take care of myself."

Happy Birthday to..... Jacques Landry who is celebrating today