Billie Jean King, Michael Phelps Among Athletes Being Inducted Into U.S. Olympic HOF

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Lindsey Vonn, Michelle Kwan, Mia Hamm, Billie Jean King and the late Pat Summitt are among the nine individual women who will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame this summer, along with Michael Phelps and hurdling great Roger Kingdom.

Others voted onto the 2022 class on a crowded ballot were Natalie Coughlin (swimming), Muffy Davis (Para Alpine skiing and cycling), David Kiley (Para Alpine skiing, track and field and wheelchair basketball), Trischa Zorn-Hudson (Para swimming) and Gretchen Fraser (skiing).

The 1976 women’s 4x100 freestyle relay swimming team, anchored by Shirley Babashoff in its stunning upset over the East Germans, and the 2002 men’s Paralympic sled hockey team also were voted into the hall by a mix of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, media and administrators and fans.

The induction ceremony is set for June 24 at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum.

This is the first hall class since 2019; before that, there hadn’t been a class since 2012. The gaps have led to a large list of worthy candidates. Among those who did not make the cut this year are Bode Miller, Julia Mancuso, Dawn Staley and two-time Olympic gold-medal wrestler John Smith.

Led by a record-setting 28 medals and 23 golds won by Phelps, this year’s class has captured a total of 129 medals, including 86 gold.