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Lead Stories: Friday, November 21, 2008

Felix and Gay finalists for 2007 Athlete of the Year

Posted December 5th, 2007 at 6:00 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

2007 Jesse Owens Award winners Allyson Felix and Tyson Gay are finalists for the 2007 United States Sports Academy Athlete of the Year presented by USATODAY.com and MSNBC.com. Last year, the ballot attracted nearly half a million votes from around the globe.

Votes will be collected online from November 30- December 24. The ballot will be located on a website hosted by the Academy, which is currently available through a direct link from the USA Track & Field website at www.usatf.org.

At just 21 years old, Felix became the second woman in history to win three gold medals at a single World Outdoor Championships with her triumphs in Osaka, Japan. She first won the 200m in a personal-best 21.81 seconds. It was the fastest time by a woman since 1999 and was the largest margin of victory in World Outdoor history (.53).
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Nike assembles all-star cast calling for equality in women’s sports

Posted August 28th, 2007 at 10:20 AM by Martha Jones

Section: News & Results, Columns, SPOTLIGHT

Today, Nike launched its multi-platform campaign, “ATHLETE,” featuring world-class athletes Mia Hamm, Gabby Reece, Picabo Street, and Serena Williams, among others, demanding that female athletes everywhere be respected and judged on their athletic abilities. After speaking with young female athletes across the United States, Nike found they still feel “unequal” when it comes to being respected in sports.

“I am an ATHLETE,” Mia Hamm defiantly states before streetballer Alvina Carroll closes the spot saying … “It’s not a girl thing. It’s not a boy thing. It’s a skills thing.”

It is a conversation that Nike has elevated in various ways during the past 35 years with campaigns such as “Let Me Play”, and yet, we are continually reminded that disrespect and inequality continue to permeate the sports landscape.

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Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Lance Armstrong among sports stars to launch Athletes for Hope

Posted April 26th, 2007 at 11:00 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Columns, SPOTLIGHT

An elite group of professional athletes have joined forces to launch Athletes for Hope, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization to help athletes, their fans, and the corporate community do more to make the world a better place.

Athletes for Hope’s 12 Founding Athletes hail from different sports but share a common passion for philanthropy. They are: Andre Agassi, Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong, Warrick Dunn, Jeff Gordon, Mia Hamm, Tony Hawk, Andrea Jaeger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lemieux, Alonzo Mourning and Cal Ripken, Jr.

These Founding Athletes have come together to “Pass the Passion” and ignite a movement of giving back.
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