Evan Lysacek and Ashley Wagner were nominated by U.S. Figure Skating for the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Female and Male Athlete of the Month based on their performances in November. U.S. Ice Dance Champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White were also nominated for the third consecutive month in the Team of the Month category.
Fans, who account for one-tenth of the entire vote in each category, are able to vote for their choice in the female, male and team categories through Dec. 7 via polls posted on the @USOlympic Twitter. The direct poll links are: http://twtpoll.com/8hrcel for Lysacek; http://twtpoll.com/m23oqk for Wagner; and http://twtpoll.com/tv8c9f for Davis and White.
Lysacek, the reigning World Champion, started November with a silver medal from the Cup of China. Two weeks later, he took home gold from the Skate America in Lake Placid, N.Y. The two performances secured Lysacek a spot in the 2009 Grand Prix Final, taking place Dec. 3-6, in Tokyo, Japan. It was the first Skate America gold for Lysacek, who won four consecutive silver medals.
Wagner, the 2008 U.S. bronze medalist and two-time World Junior bronze medalist, took home bronze from the NHK Trophy in Nagano, Japan, on Nov. 7. Wagner’s bronze, along with the silver she earned at the 2009 Rostelecom Cup earlier in the season, gives Wagner the distinction of the only U.S. ladies qualifier for the Grand Prix Final.
Davis and White won the gold at the NHK Trophy. Overall, the ice dancing pair racked up 201.97 points and took their second Grand Prix gold medal this season, finishing more than 24 points ahead of second-place Sinead Kerr and John Kerr of Great Britain. The second gold medal win of the Grand Prix season puts them in the first-place position heading into the Grand Prix Final.
Figure skaters who have previously won the award include Lysacek, who has twice been the USOC Male Athlete of the Month, and ice dancers Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, who were the March 2009 Team of the Month based on their silver medal at the World Championships.