Annie Lazor (Beverly Hills, Mich.) received this year’s Perseverance Award. Lazor won the 200m breaststroke at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June, less than two months after the sudden passing of her father. Making her Olympic debut in Tokyo at age 26, she would go on to win the bronze medal, standing on the awards podium with her teammate, Lilly King, who won silver.
Bobby Finke (Clearwater, Fla.) took home Male Race of the Year honors for his gold medal-winning performance in the first-ever men’s 800m freestyle race contested at the Olympic Games. With 100m remaining, Finke was in fifth place. At the 750m mark, Finke was still in fourth place. But with an amazing surge over the final 50 meters, Finke became the first U.S. man to win Olympic gold in a distance...