WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., July 9, 2013 – Top performances throughout June earned wheelchair tennis player David Wagner (Chula Vista, Calif.) Athlete of the Month recognition, while the men’s doubles team of Bob Bryan (Sunny Isles Beach, Fla.) and Mike Bryan (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) received Team of the Month honors, the United States Olympic Committee announced today.
Wagner went undefeated in June, claiming four quad titles while notching a 7-0 record in singles matches and a 5-0 record in doubles matches. His stellar run was highlighted by wins in singles and doubles competition at the 2013 Japan Open, held May 29-June 2 in Lizuka, Japan and the 2013 BNP Paribas Open, held June 25-30 in Paris. The Paribas Open win marked his second consecutive Super Series title, as he regained the quad singles crown with a straight-sets win over world No. 7 Anders Hard of Sweden. In doubles, he partnered with Canada’s Adrian Dieleman for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory. The Japan Open saw Wagner defeat Lucas Sithole of South Africa, 6-1, 6-4, in the singles final and partner with Canadian Sarah Hunter for the 7-5, 7-6 (4) doubles victory.
Bob and Mike Bryan – the all-time winningest doubles tennis team – went undefeated in June by capturing their 14th Grand Slam title at the 2013 Roland Garros French Open and the doubles title at the Wimbledon tune-up event in London the following week. Earning their first French Open title since 2003, the sibling duo defeated Michael Llodra and Nicolas Mahut, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (4). The following week, the Bryans won their 90th career doubles title at the Queens Club in London on grass.
Also receiving Athlete of the Month honors was Olympic gold medalist swimmer Katie Ledecky (Bethesda, Md.). Ledecky posted a brilliant week by winning the women’s 400-meter freestyle, 800 freestyle and 1,500 freestyle events at the 2013 U.S. National Championships, held June 25-29 in Indianapolis. On the final night of competition, Ledecky smashed Janet Evans’ 1988 meet record in the 1,500 with a lifetime best swim of 15:47.15, which marked the top performance in the world this year. In addition to winning the 800 and posting a national age group record in her 400 victory, Ledecky claimed second place in the 200 freestyle. In the process, she became the first American woman to qualify for the FINA World Championships in the 200, 400, 800 and 1,500 freestyle events.
Tennis’ Serena Williams (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and track & field’s Brianna Rollins (Miami, Fla.) earned second and third place in the female vote, respectively. On the men’s side, track & field’s Tyson Gay (Lexington, Ky.) finished runner-up, while swimming’s Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.) claimed third. The U.S. Women’s U16 National Basketball Team finished second in the team competition, while the U.S. Collegiate National Baseball Team rounded out the voting in third.
Each National Governing Body may nominate one female, one male and one team per discipline. A voting panel selects the winners from the pool of nominees with online fan voting via Twitter accounting for 10 percent of the total vote.