United States Olympic Committee announce contenders for 2014-15 Team USA Awards

Simone Biles is one of five athletes considered for the women's Olympic award ©Getty Images

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) are inviting fans to vote for their favourite athletes and teams, having announced the list of nominees for the 2014 to 2015 Team USA Awards.

Each of the nominees had previously been shortlisted as part of USOC’s monthly awards, including gymnast Simone Biles, who became the first woman to win 10 career world titles at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Glasgow last month.

Biles is one of five contenders for the Female Olympic Athlete of the Year award but faces strong competition from tennis star Serena Williams after she earned three Grand Slam titles in 2015.

Swimmer Katie Ledecky is also in contention having claimed five gold medals at the International Swimming Federation (FINA) World Aquatics Championships.

Having defended her world title after completing her season unbeaten, Gwen Jorgensen is also included on the list, and the triathlon star is joined by Adeline Gray, who won her third world title in the 75 kilogram division at the World Wrestling Championships.

Wrestlers are also represented on the men’s list with Jordan Burroughs having been nominated after securing his third gold in the men’s freestyle 74kg event at the Championships as he builds towards defending his Olympic title.

Shooter Vincent Hancock also secured a third world title in 2015 after winning skeet gold, as well as becoming the first to post a perfect world-record score of 157 straight targets.

Meanwhile, Ashton Eaton improved his decathlon world record to 9,045 points in order to claim gold at the 2015 IAAF World Championships.

The five contenders for the men’s title are completed by winter sports stars Ted Ligety, who skied to his third straight giant slalom world title, and Auston Matthews, after he top scored at the International Ice Hockey Federation under-18 World Championship to help the United States win gold.

Women’s bobsleigh world champions Elana Meyers Taylor and Cherrelle Garrett face competition from the United States’ Women’s World Cup winning football team and the four-time women’s water polo world champions for the Olympic team award.

Image title — Wrestling world champion Jordan Burroughs is one of the nominees for the men's Olympic award ©Getty Images

Wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden secured her third straight marathon grand slam to be in contention for the Female Paralympic Athlete of the Year award but faces competition from Hailey Danisewicz, who won gold medals at three World Paratriathlon events, as well as Becca Meyers after she claimed double gold at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships.

Oksana Masters, a double world champion in Nordic Skiing and world title winner in cycling, is joined by double cycling gold medallist and World Cup winner Jamie Whitmore on the list.

Double gold medallist at the Para-cycling Track World Championships Joe Berenyi, high jump world champion Roderick Townsend and Declan Farmer, top scorer at the Ice Sledge Hockey World Championship are in contention for the men’s Paralympic award.

The trio are joined by snowboard world champion Mike Shea and Andy Soule, who won five medals at the Nordic Skiing World Championships.

Men’s team archery World Championship gold medallists Jeff Fabry, Chuck Lear and Jerry Shields face the challenge of the men’s Ice Sledge Hockey team and women’s national wheelchair basketball squad for the Paralympic team title.

The award winners will be announced at a ceremony on December 10 at the University of Pennsylvania’s Houston Hall in Philadelphia, with fans able to vote for their favourite by clicking here.