Louganis Finally Wins Sullivan

INDIANAPOLIS — Greg Louganis, an also-ran the past five years, won the Sullivan Award as the nation’s outstanding amateur athlete Monday.

Louganis, 25, finished first in national voting by about 2,500 participants--a group that included the media, past winners, the sponsoring Amateur Athletic Union and representatives of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

“I was really surprised,” said Louganis after the presentation. “I thought for sure Mary Lou (Retton) would win.

“It’s like the Heisman Trophy,” Louganis said about the award. “I just don’t get a $7-million trophy.”

The voters had to select from a group consisting of 10 Olympic gold medalists--only the second time in the award’s 55-year history that has happened.

Louganis, of Mission Viejo, is only the second men’s diver to win the award that has gone to track and field performers 32 times in its history. Sammy Lee was the first diver honored, for his 1953 accomplishments. Three years later Patricia McCormick became the only women’s diver to receive the Sullivan, which has been given annually since 1930 in recognition of James E. Sullivan, an AAU founder. AAU regulations limit an athlete to winning only once.

Hurdler Edwin Moses, last year’s winner, presented Louganis with his award at a banquet attended by a capacity crowd of some 1,000 in the Indiana Convention Center. The finalists were selected after being nominated by their respective national governing bodies.

The elite group also included gymnast Mary Lou Retton, the 4-foot-9, 92-pounder who thrilled America by winning the all-around competition at the Olympics by receiving perfect 10s in her last two events. She was the only finalist who did not attend the banquet.

Louganis, who has decided to continue in competitive diving, was a finalist for a record-sixth consecutive year. In the past, he has seen Moses, gymnast Kurt Thomas, speed skater Eric Heiden, distance runner Mary Decker Slaney and sprinter Carl Lewis win the award.

Louganis brought impressive credentials to this year’s voters. In sweeping the diving in Los Angeles last summer, the three-time world champion accumulated 710.91 points and became the first to break the 700 barrier in winning the gold in the 10-meter platform. He also won the three-meter springboard gold medal.