Outstanding performances from Simone Biles and Danell Leyva at the 2014 FIG World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, held Oct. 3-12 in Nanning, China have resulted in nominations for the United States Olympic Committee’s “October Athlete of the Month.”

 

The USOC hosted a poll where fans could cast their vote for their favorite athletes. Online voting will only count for 10 percent of the overall vote, but it’ll be hard for the selection panel not to notice the gymnastics "sweep" in all categories.

 

Simone Biles was the clear fan favorite, leading the female athletes with 48 percent.The two-time, defending World All-Around Champion’s achievement will be forever immortalized in sporting history as she is the first U.S. athlete to win five medals in a single world championship. Not only that, Biles is only the second American to win consecutive world championship titles.

 

Female Athlete Nominees

Janessa Beaman, Shooting - 4%

Simone Biles, Gymnastics - 48%

Katie Eberling, Bobsled - 2%

Gracie Gold, Figure Skating - 4%

Erin Hamlin, Luge - 2%

Erika Lang, Water Skiing - 0%

Khatuna Lorig, Archery - 25%

Tatyana McFadden, Paralympic Track and Field - 5%

Julie Richards, Equestrian - 3% 

Mikaela Shiffrin, Alpine Skiing - 3%

Gevvie Stone, Rowing - 0%

Serena Williams, Tennis - 3%

 

 

Danell Leyva also proved himself worthy, finishing with 41 percent of the popular vote. In his first major international competition since the 2012 Olympics in London, Danell Leyva won silver on parallel bars and contributed 3 solid routines to the men’s team bronze medal.

 

Male Athlete Nominees 

 

Jason Brown, Figure Skating - 5% 

Andrew Campbell, Jr., Rowing - 1%

Josh George, Paralympic Track and Field - 3%

Jeff Holguin, Shooting - 3%

Greg Inahara, Team Handball -1%

Kanak Jha, Table Tennis - 2%

Jake Kaminski, Archery - 23%

Stefan Kozlov, Tennis - 1% 

Danell Leyva, Gymnastics - 41%

Toby Stanley, Diving - 15%

Zachary Test, Rugby - 1%

Aaron “Surf” Victorian, Bobsled - 3%

 

The U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team was also nominated for “USOC October Team of the Month” and dominated the polls with a whopping 63.7 percent. The team made gymnastics history at World’s by becoming the first team since Romania (1994-95, 1997, 1999 and 2001) to win back-to-back world team titles.

 

Team Nominees 

Compound Para Mixed Team, Archery - 27% 

Madison Chock and Evan Bates, Figure Skating - 4%

Ajla Glavasevic and Elana Meyers Taylor, Bobsled - 2%

U.S. Women’s Four, Rowing - 3%

U.S. Women’s World Championships Team, Gymnastics - 64% 

 

 

The people have spoken. Gymnastics reigned supreme for the month of October.