Henry Cejudo finishes second behind Michael Phelps in USOC Athlete of the Month balloting
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by USA Wrestling
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Henry Cejudo's gold-medal victory at the 2008 Olympic Games continues to land him in elite company.
Cejudo finished second behind swimmer Michael Phelps in the U.S. Olympic Committee's Athlete of the Month balloting for August. Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at the Olympics in Beijing, China, was honored as the top male athlete for August. U.S. basketball player Dwyane Wade, a member of the Miami Heat, finished third in the voting.
Olympics all-around gymnastics champion Nastia Liukin was honored as the top female athlete for August. The gold-medal winning U.S. men's volleyball team was honored as USOC Team of the Month.
Cejudo won a gold medal at 55 kg/121 lbs. in men's freestyle wrestling at the 2008 Olympic Games on Aug. 19 in Beijing, China. At 21 years old, he became the youngest U.S. wrestler to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
Cejudo put together an inspiring performance on the mats in Beijing, winning four matches against the world's best wrestlers. After his 2-2, 3-0 gold-medal victory over Tomohiro Matsunaga of Japan, his heartwarming celebration was a burst of emotion and joy which included a victory lap around the entire wrestling stage carrying the American flag in the China Agricultural University Gymnasium.
Cejudo's first match was an upset of 2006 World champion Radoslav Velikov of Bulgaria, 0-1, 3-2, 4-3. In the quarterfinals, Cejudo turned on the offense to defeat Besarion Gochashvili of Georgia, 1-3, 3-2, 3-0. In another intense battle, Cejudo won his semifinal bout over Namig Sevdimov of Azerbaijan, 3-5, 3-2, 4-3. Cejudo scored the winning point against Sevdimov with a clutch takedown with only 24 seconds left in the match.
Cejudo is a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. He joined the program as a high school junior, and has remained as a resident athlete for four years.
USOC ATHLETE OF THE MONTH VOTING
Men
1. Michael Phelps, Swimming
2. Henry Cejudo, Wrestling
3. Dwyane Wade, Basketball
Women
1. Nastia Liukin, Gymnastics
2. Natalie Coughlin, Swimming
3. Mariel Zagunis, Fencing
Team
1. U.S. Men's Olympic Team, Volleyball
2. U.S. Women's Olympic Team, Basketball
3. Men's 400 Meter Freestyle Relay, Swimming
Cejudo finished second behind swimmer Michael Phelps in the U.S. Olympic Committee's Athlete of the Month balloting for August. Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at the Olympics in Beijing, China, was honored as the top male athlete for August. U.S. basketball player Dwyane Wade, a member of the Miami Heat, finished third in the voting.
Olympics all-around gymnastics champion Nastia Liukin was honored as the top female athlete for August. The gold-medal winning U.S. men's volleyball team was honored as USOC Team of the Month.
Cejudo won a gold medal at 55 kg/121 lbs. in men's freestyle wrestling at the 2008 Olympic Games on Aug. 19 in Beijing, China. At 21 years old, he became the youngest U.S. wrestler to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
Cejudo put together an inspiring performance on the mats in Beijing, winning four matches against the world's best wrestlers. After his 2-2, 3-0 gold-medal victory over Tomohiro Matsunaga of Japan, his heartwarming celebration was a burst of emotion and joy which included a victory lap around the entire wrestling stage carrying the American flag in the China Agricultural University Gymnasium.
Cejudo's first match was an upset of 2006 World champion Radoslav Velikov of Bulgaria, 0-1, 3-2, 4-3. In the quarterfinals, Cejudo turned on the offense to defeat Besarion Gochashvili of Georgia, 1-3, 3-2, 3-0. In another intense battle, Cejudo won his semifinal bout over Namig Sevdimov of Azerbaijan, 3-5, 3-2, 4-3. Cejudo scored the winning point against Sevdimov with a clutch takedown with only 24 seconds left in the match.
Cejudo is a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. He joined the program as a high school junior, and has remained as a resident athlete for four years.
USOC ATHLETE OF THE MONTH VOTING
Men
1. Michael Phelps, Swimming
2. Henry Cejudo, Wrestling
3. Dwyane Wade, Basketball
Women
1. Nastia Liukin, Gymnastics
2. Natalie Coughlin, Swimming
3. Mariel Zagunis, Fencing
Team
1. U.S. Men's Olympic Team, Volleyball
2. U.S. Women's Olympic Team, Basketball
3. Men's 400 Meter Freestyle Relay, Swimming
