Liukin is finalist for 2008 United States Sports Academy Athlete of the Year

DAPHNE, Ala. - 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas, is one of 12 female athletes nominated for the 2008 United States Sports Academy Athlete of the Year. Fans can vote for Liukin through Dec. 24 on the Academy's Web site (http://vote.ussa.edu/aoy). The Academy will present three awards: overall Athlete of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year.

Along with Liukin, the other female nominees are: Rebecca Adlington, United Kingdom, swimming; Kirsty Coventry, Zimbabwe, swimming; Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopia, track and field; Yelena Isinbayeva, Russia, track and field; Guo Jingjing, China, diving; Lorena Ochoa, Mexico, golf; Candace Parker, USA, basketball; Paula Radcliffe, United Kingdom, track and field (marathon); Lindsey Vonn, USA, skiing; Chrissie Wellington, USA, triathlon; and Serena Williams, USA, tennis.

The 12 male nominees are: Usain Bolt, Jamaica, track and field; Kobe Bryant, USA, basketball; Brian Clay, USA, track and field (decathlon); Roger Federer, Switzerland, tennis; Haile Gebrselassie, Ethiopia, track and field (marathon); Ryan Howard, USA, baseball; Jimmie Johnson, USA, auto racing (NASCAR); Eli Manning, USA, football (NFL); Rafael Nadal, Spain, tennis; Michael Phelps, USA, swimming; Tim Tebow, USA, football (NCAA); and Tiger Woods, USA, golf.

At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Liukin won a total of five medals, the most by any female gymnast in 2008, to tie the U.S. gymnastics record for most medals in one Olympics, currently held by Mary Lou Retton (1984) and Shannon Miller (1992). Liukin's medals are: gold - all-around; silver - team, balance beam and uneven bars; and bronze - floor exercise. Liukin is just the third U.S. woman to win the Olympic all-around crown. Earlier in 2008, Liukin won the all-around title at both the Tyson American Cup and the Pacific Rim Championships presented by Gillette Venus. Liukin is coached by her father, Valeri, who has four Olympic medals from 1988, including two gold. She trains at WOGA.

Voters must select and rank their top three choices for both the male and female categories. The male or female athlete who receives the most points will be named the overall Athlete of the Year, and the top remaining athletes in their respective categories will be named Male Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year.

Presented by USATODAY.com and NBCSports.com, the United States Sports Academy Athlete of the Year award is the culmination of the Academy's yearlong Athlete of the Month program, which recognizes the accomplishments of men and women in sports around the world. The Academy's Athlete of the Month is selected by an international voting committee of former athletes, media, sports organizations and governing bodies.