Sarah Hughes Wins 2002 Sullivan Award

Sarah Hughes and Dick Button with the Sullivan Award. Photo courtesy IFS

2002 Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hughes earned another accolade Tuesday night at the New York Athletic Club in New York City — the prestigious James. E. Sullivan Award. Hughes became the second straight figure skater to win the award; Michelle Kwan was the 2001 recipient. In the award's 73-year history, only three figure skaters have won the award — Hughes, Kwan and Dick Button. Button, the 1949 Sullivan winner, was at the ceremony Tuesday night and presented Hughes with the award.

The Sullivan Award is presented annually by the Amateur Athletic Union to the top amateur athlete in the naiton. Hughes was one of five finalists for the award; the others were speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, swimmer Natalie Coughlin, wrestler Cael Sanderson and Paralympic skier Chris Waddell.

Hughes claimed the Olympic gold medal at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and became the first person in figure skating history to rebound from fourth place to win an Olympic gold medal since the short program-free skate scoring system was introduced at the 1992 Olympic Winter Games. Hughes skated one of the most technically demanding programs ever attempted in an Olympic ladies competition including two clean triple-triple combinations (triple Salchow-triple loop and triple toe-triple loop). Hughes, 16, also became the fourth youngest Olympic ladies figure skating champion of all time.

Hughes began her quest for Olympic gold by claiming the silver medal at Skate America and captured her first international gold medal at Skate Canada the following week. In the final major international competition prior to the Olympics, Hughes claimed the bronze medal at the prestigious ISU Grand Prix Final in Kitchener, Canada. Hughes qualified for the 2002 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team by placing third at the 2002 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles, Calif.

After being nominated for five awards, Hughes claimed the 2002 ESPY award for "Best U.S. Olympian." During the summer of 2002, Hughes was named as the first spokesperson by General Electric since former president Ronald Reagan and was selected as the March of Dimes Sportswoman of the Year. She was also named as spokesperson for Campbell's Soup "Labels for Education" program. Hughes, who has claimed a medal in every event she has entered since the 2000 World Championships, was recognized by the USFSA

for her achievements in 2002 as a scholar-athlete by being named to the Chevrolet/USFSA Scholastic Honors Team. Hughes, who is a high school senior at Great Neck North High School, gained early acceptance to Harvard University but has yet to formally announced her plans for college.

A voting body of over 800 members narrowed the field of finalists from 11 to the top five for the 73rd Annual AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award, based on the qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship, and the ideals of amateurism.

The AAU Sullivan Award goes far beyond athletic accomplishments and honors those who have shown strong moral character. It has been presented annually by the AAU since 1930 as a salute to founder and past president of the Amateur Athletic Union, and a pioneer in amateur sports, James E. Sullivan.