COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Swimming, the national governing body for the sport of swimming in the United States, and the USA Swimming Foundation, the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming, celebrated its 23rd annual Golden Goggle Awards ceremony. The event, which honors the performances of the United States at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine earlier this year, bestowed seven awards, including Female and Male Athletes of the Year presented by Omega and the Relay of the Year presented by Toyota.
The Golden Goggle Awards are USA Swimming’s annual celebration honoring athletes, coaches, and alumni for their impact on the sport of swimming throughout the year. All proceeds directly benefit the USA Swimming Foundation’s mission of Saving Lives, Building Champions, and Impacting Communities.
Virginia head coach Todd DeSorbo was named the Coach of the Year, his third time winning the honor. UVA alumna Kate Douglass was voted the Female Swimmer of the Year. Douglass and Gretchen Walsh also earned the Relay of the Year.
2026 USA Swimming Golden Goggle Award Winners:
• Female Athlete of the Year, presented by Omega: Kate Douglass
• Male Athlete of the Year, presented by Omega: Van Mathias
• Coach of the Year, presented by Omega: Todd DeSorbo
• Fran Crippen Open Water Athlete of the Year: Becca Mann
• Relay of the Year presented by Toyota: Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay – Will Modglin, Van Mathias, Gretchen Walsh, and Kate Douglass