Phelps (Towson, Md.) is the first American – and the only person in a non-boycotted Olympic Games – to win eight Olympic medals at a single Games. He won four individual titles (100m fly, 200m fly, 200m IM and 400m IM) at the Athens Games – matching Mark Spitz’s individual total – plus the bronze medal in the 200m free and three relay medals, including gold leading off the 800m free, gold swimming in the preliminaries of the 400m medley (teammate Ian Crocker replaced him in the finals) and bronze in the 400m free. Additionally, Phelps broke the 400m IM world record, the American records in the 200m free and 800m free relay, and Olympic records six times while competing in the Athens Games. Returning to competition a mere two months after the Olympic flame was extinguished, Phelps won the gold medal in 200m free and set a new American record at the Short Course World Championships before pulling out of the meet with an injury.

The first American to twice win five national titles at one championship – and to do so in three different strokes – Phelps won the 100m free, 200m free, 200m back, 100m fly and 200m IM at the U.S. Spring Nationals. His five titles brought his career total to 20, ranking him first among active American male swimmers. At the U.S. Olympic Trials, Phelps also became the first American to qualify in six individual events, winning the 200m free, 200m fly (in U.S. Open record time), 200m IM and 400m IM (lowering his own world record), and placing second in the 200m back and 100m fly, two events in which world record times were needed to beat him. Named World Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World magazine for the second year in a row, Phelps ranked first in the world in the 200m fly, 200m IM and 400m IM, and placed in the top-three for three other events.

Patterson (Baton Rouge, La.) won the all-around gold medal at the Athens Olympic Games and was the silver medalist in the balance beam and team competitions. Other 2004 achievements for the talented gymnast included sweeping all four events en route to winning her second consecutive all-around title at the Visa American Cup, the world’s most prestigious international invitational; winning three gold medals (team, beam and floor) and all-around silver at the Pacific Alliance Championships; and earning a share of her first national all-around title plus the silver on balance beam and gold on the floor exercise at the Visa U.S. Gymnastics Championships.

The first American Olympic all-around female gold medalist since Mary Lou Retton in 1984, Patterson is also the USA’s only all-around female champion in a non-boycotted Games and the youngest Olympic all-around champion in the past 16 years. Patterson finished 2004 with an impressive 11 gold and four silver medals, marking a successful comeback from a broken elbow that sidelined her for half of 2003.

The U.S. Olympic Softball Team captured its third consecutive gold medal at the Athens Games, outscoring opponents 51-1 while achieving a 9-0 record. The squad, which broke 18 Olympic records in 2004, went 55-2/3 scoreless innings and combined for a team batting average of .343. The pitching staff earned a 0.12 ERA. The nine straight wins at the Games extended the USA’s streak to 79, dating back to July 13, 2003. The team also completed a 53-0 "Aiming for Athens" pre-Olympic tour to approximately 30 U.S. cities, outscoring opponents 476-14. In pre-Games play, the pitching staff’s ERA was 0.22 and the squad combined for a team batting average of .403.

Pictured on the August 30 cover of Sports Illustrated as the "The Real Dream Team," USA Softball battled both on and off the field in Athens to overcome the tragic loss of head coach Mike Candrea’s wife, Sue, who passed away just 10 days before the squad headed for Greece. Following her sudden death from a brain aneurysm while traveling with the team in central Wisconsin, Team USA placed the letters "SC" on its helmets and wristbands as the players continued their journey to the Olympic Games podium in her honor.

Team members were Laura Berg (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.), Crystl Bustos (Canyon Country, Calif.), Lisa Fernandez (Long Beach, Calif.), Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.), Amanda Freed (Cypress, Calif.), Lori Harrigan (Las Vegas, Nev.), Lovieanne Jung (Riverside, Calif.), Kelly Kretschman (Indian Harbour Beach, Fla.), Jessica Mendoza Camarillo, Calif.), Tairia Mims Flowers (Fullerton, Calif.), Stacey Nuveman (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Leah O’Brien-Amico (Chino Hills, Calif.), Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas), Jenny Topping (Whittier, Calif.) and Natasha Watley (Santa Margarita, Calif.).

The fourth swimmer to be selected for the annual award, Phelps joins John Naber (1976), Matt Biondi (1986, 1988) and Pablo Morales (1992) as USOC SportsMan of the Year recipients. Patterson is the second gymnast to win the SportsWoman of the Year honor, which went to Kim Zmeskal in 1991. The 2004 award is the first time a USA Softball squad has been honored as Team of the Year.

Gymnast Paul Hamm (Waukesha, Wis.), cyclist Lance Armstrong (Austin, Texas), track and field athlete Justin Gatlin (Raleigh, N.C.) and taekwondo’s Steven Lopez (Sugar Land, Texas) followed Phelps in the SportsMan of the Year voting.

Two swimmers – Olympian Natalie Coughlin (Concord, Calif.) and Paralympian Erin Popovich (Silverbow, Mont.) – tied for the runner-up spot in the SportsWoman of the Year voting. Other top finishers were fencer Mariel Zaguinis (Beaverton, Ore.) and softball veteran Lisa Fernandez (Long Beach, Calif.).

Joining the softball squad as top vote-getters in the Team of the Year category were the U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team of Shannon Boxx (Redondo Beach, Calif.), Brandi Chastain (San Jose, Calif.), Joy Fawcett (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Julie Foudy (Mission Viejo, Calif.), Mia Hamm (Chapel Hill, N.C.), Angela Hucles (Virginia Beach, Va.), Kristine Lilly (Wilton, Conn.), Kristin Luckenbill (Paoli, Pa.), Kate Markgraf (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), Heather Mitts (Cincinnati, Ohio), Heather O’Reilly (East Brunswick, N.J.), Cindy Parlow (Memphis, Tenn.), Christie Rampone (Point Pleasant, N.J.), Cat Reddick (Birmingham, Ala.), Briana Scurry (Dayton, Minn.), Lindsay Tarpley (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Aly Wagner (San Jose, Calif.) and Abby Wambach (Rochester, N.Y.); the U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team of Sue Bird (Syosset, N.Y.), Swin Cash (McKeesport, Pa.), Tamika Catchings (Duncanville, Texas), Yolanda Griffith (Chicago, Ill.), Shannon Johnson (Hartsville, S.C.), Lisa Leslie (Inglewood, Calif.), Ruth Riley (Macy, Ind.), Katie Smith (Logan, Ohio), Dawn Staley (Philadelphia, Pa.), Sheryl Swoopes (Brownfield, Texas), Diana Taurasi (Chino, Calif.) and Tina Thompson (Los Angeles, Calif.); the Beach Volleyball duo of Misty May (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Kerri Walsh (Saratoga, Calif.); and Rowing’s Olympic Men’s Eight with Pete Cipollone (Ardmore, Pa.), Bryan Volpenhein (Cincinnati, Ohio), Beau Hoopman (Plymouth, Wis.), Dan Beery (Oaktown, Pa.), Matt Deakin (San Francisco, Calif.), Joseph Hansen (Bakersfield, Calif.), Chris Ahrens (Milwaukee, Wis.), Wyatt Allen (Portland, Maine) and Jason Read (Ringoes, N.J.).

The USOC SportsMan and SportsWoman of the Year awards have been presented annually since 1974 to the top overall male and female athlete from within the USOC member organizations. The team award was added in 1996. Winners are selected from the individual female and male Athlete of the Year and Team of the Year nominations of the National Governing Bodies for the Olympic, Pan American and Affiliated Organizations within the U.S. Olympic Movement.

Both Phelps and Patterson are Visa Gold Medal Athletes. Phelps was featured in Visa’s 2004 Olympic Games advertising campaign, and the public could even sign up for a Michael Phelps Visa card. Patterson was also sponsored by worldwide Olympic partner McDonald’s and featured on its packaging throughout the summer of 2004.

All-time USOC SportsMan, SportsWoman and Team of theYear honorees include:

SportsMan of the Year

1974 – Jim Bolding, Athletics
1975 – Clinton Jackson, Boxing
1976 – John Naber, Swimming
1977 – Eric Heiden, Speedskating
1978 – Bruce Davidson, Equestrian
1979 – Eric Heiden, Speedskating
1980 – Eric Heiden, Speedskating
1981 – Scott Hamilton, Figure Skating
1982 – Greg Louganis, Diving
1983 – Rick McKinney, Archery
1984 – Edwin Moses, Athletics
1985 – Willie Banks, Athletics
1986 – Matt Biondi, Swimming
1987 – Greg Louganis, Diving
1988 – Matt Biondi, Swimming
1989 – Roger Kingdom, Athletics
1990 – John Smith, Wrestling
1991 – Carl Lewis, Athletics
1992 – Pablo Morales, Swimming
1993 – Michael Johnson, Athletics
1994 – Dan Jansen, Speedskating
1995 – Michael Johnson, Athletics
1996 – Michael Johnson Athletics
1997 – Pete Sampras, Tennis
1998 – Jonny Moseley, Skiing
1999 – Lance Armstrong, Cycling
2000 – Rulon Gardner, Wrestling
2001 – Lance Armstrong, Cycling
2002 – Lance Armstrong, Cycling
2003 – Lance Armstrong, Cycling
2004 – Michael Phelps, Swimming

SportsWoman of the Year

1974 – Shirley Babashoff, Swimming
1975 – Kathy Heddy, Swimming
1976 – Sheila Young, Speedskating
1977 – Linda Fratianne, Figure Skating
1978 -- Tracy Caulkins, Swimming
1979 – Cynthia "Sippy" Woodhead, Swimming
1980 – Beth Heiden, Speedskating
1981 – Sheila Young Ochowicz, Cycling/Speedskating
1982 – Melanie Smith, Equestrian
1983 – Tamara McKinney, Skiing
1984 – Tracy Caulkins, Swimming
1985 – Mary Decker Slaney, Athletics
1986 – Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Athletics
1987 – Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Athletics
1988 – Florence Griffith Joyner, Athletics
1989 – Janet Evans, Swimming
1990 – Lynn Jennings, Athletics
1991 – Kim Zmeskal, Gymnastics
1992 – Bonnie Blair, Speedskating
1993 – Gail Devers, Athletics
1994 – Bonnie Blair, Speedskating
1995 – Picabo Street, Skiing
1996 – Amy Van Dyken, Swimming
1997 – Tara Lipinski, Figure Skating
1998 – Picabo Street, Skiing
1999 – Jenny Thompson, Swimming
2000 – Marion Jones, Athletics
2001 – Jennifer Capriati, Tennis
2002 – Sarah Hughes, Figure Skating
2003 – Michelle Kwan, Figure Skating
2004 – Carly Patterson, Gymnastics

Team of the Year

1996 – Women’s National/Olympic Basketball Team
1997 – Women’s National Soccer Team
1998 – Women’s Olympic Ice Hockey Team
1999 – Women’s National Soccer Team
2000 – USA Baseball Olympic Team
2001 – U.S. Postal Service Cycling Team
2002 – Women’s Bobsled Team
2003 – Women’s Gymnastics Team
2004 – USA Softball Olympic Team