Jordyn Wieber: United States Olympic Committee’s (USOC) Athlete of the Month for November 2011
Recently turned pro and all-round champion, Jordyn Wieber, has been selected as the Athlete of the Month by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) for November 2011.
The United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization responsible for coordinating between various global sports federations. It functions as the National Olympic Committee as well as the National Paralympic Committee for the United States.
Despite its legal status, the organization operates like a charity due to the absence of regular financing from the government of United States.
Under its aegis are national governing bodies for each Olympic sport. It is these governing bodies that are responsible for carrying out the Olympic Committee’s tasks for the assigned sport. The USOC attends to the governing bodies’ financial needs.
As the name itself implies, the Olympic Committee’s focus are Olympic athletes specifically. However, it also performs support activities for American athletes in general.
It is the USOC that selects and nominates athletes for Olympic Winter Games, Pan American Games and Games of the Olympiad.
Incorporated in 1984, the USOC also provides facilities such as training centres and support staff to elite athletes. It was known by a different name back then, and underwent several name changes till it was renamed to its present day name in 1961.
The USOC also recognizes and appreciates local contributors to the Olympic or Paralympic sports, as well as local star athletes (and teams) who have noteworthy achievements to their claim.
These awards and honours include the USOC Athlete of the Year, the USOC Coach of the Year, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, and the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award.
Wieber, the most recent athlete to have received an honourable recognition from the USOC, is the Female Athlete of the Month. Male athlete and team, for the same honour, are rower Mike Gennaro and the U.S. women’s field hockey team.
Wieber’s most recent achievement in the gymnastics arena has been her stellar performance in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships held in Tokyo this October.
She earned two golds, one all-round and one as part of the U.S. team, and a bronze for her seamless performance on the balance beam.
Wieber has been in gymnastics since the impressionable age of four. Her first National Championships was in 2006, at 11 years of age, where she was a remarkable combination of the youngest contender with one of the best performances.
Her first national championships brought her a silver medal, as well as an elite gymnast status. She consistently earned (at least one, often more) gold medal(s) in each of the following years, competing in various gymnastics tournaments individually and
as part of the U.S. team.
The senior international elite trains at Twistars Gymnastics, under the supervision of Kathryn Geddert.
Her achievements and this recent acknowledgement indicate towards her potential as a candidate for the annual awards given out by the USOC in the future. Not to mention that being USOC’s Athlete of the Month will exert a positive influence on Wieber’s marketability,
now that she is a pro.
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