Northbrook, Ill. – The U.S. Olympic Committee and Allstate Insurance Company (NYSE: ALL) today announced the list of nominees eligible for induction into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate and invited fans to start voting for those athletes and teams they feel are most deserving of a spot in the Class of 2012.
The nominee list consists of the following 18 individual Olympic athletes, five Paralympic athletes and five teams.
| Individual Nominee Finalists | Paralympic Nominee Finalists |
| Greg Barton, canoe/kayak | Jean Driscoll, track & field |
| Valerie Brisco, track & field | Sharon Hedrick, track & field |
| Gail Devers, track & field | David Larson, track & field |
| Anne Donovan, basketball | Jim Mastro, goalball, judo, track & field, wrestling |
| Lisa Fernandez, softball | Tony Volpentest, track & field |
| Gretchen Fraser, alpine skiing | |
| Cammi Granato, ice hockey | Team Nominee Finalists |
| Gary Hall, Jr., swimming | 1976 women’s swimming 4x100m freestyle relay |
| Bill Koch, cross country skiing | 1988 men’s volleyball |
| Kristine Lilly, soccer | 1996 women’s basketball |
| Dan O’Brien, track & field | 1998 women’s ice hockey |
| Darrell Pace, archery | 2004 women’s softball |
| Tracie Ruiz-Conforto, synchronized swimming | |
| Terry Schroeder, water polo | |
| John Smith, wrestling | |
| Dawn Staley, basketball | |
| **William Steinkraus, equestrian** | |
| Jenny Thompson, swimming |
“The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame celebrates a commitment to excellence and perseverance and recognizes American athletes who are role models and heroes,” said Mark LaNeve, Allstate’s chief marketing officer and senior executive vice president of agency operations. “Allstate is proud to protect the legacy of these athletes and their accomplishments while offering fans the chance to play an important role in selecting who will be eternally etched in Olympic history.”
The public is invited to vote for their preferred candidates and teams by visiting a dedicated voting portal at TeamUSA.org/halloffame. Voters will be allowed to vote once per day, per category, through April 9, 2012. Recognizing the ongoing support that fans give U.S. Olympians, Paralympians and hopefuls in their training and competition, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate was one of the first major sports halls of fame to incorporate fan voting into the selection process.
Once voting closes, the public vote totals will be added to the vote totals of Olympians, Paralympians and U.S. Olympic Family members to determine the six Olympians, one Paralympian and one team that will make up the 2012 class. The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate Class of 2012 will be announced in May and inducted on July 12 during an induction ceremony at the Harris Theater in Chicago, Ill.
“It is a privilege to introduce this incredibly deserving group of nominees for induction into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and an honor to invite the American public to vote for who they want to be a part of the class of 2012,” said Scott Blackmun, USOC chief executive officer. “With excitement building ahead of the London Games this summer, there is no better time than now to honor the legacy of the great individual and team performances, and make them a permanent part of U.S. Olympic Team history.”
The nominees for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate class were selected by a nominating committee comprised of individuals representing the following areas of the U.S. Olympic Movement: United States Olympians Association, Athletes’ Advisory Council, media members, USOC executive team, USOC Board of Directors, one at-large committee member and a Paralympic sports representative.
About the USOC
Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., the U.S. Olympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. As such, the USOC is responsible for the training, entering and funding of U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, while serving as a steward of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements throughout the country. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org.
About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate” slogan, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help nearly 16 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate. As part of Allstate’s commitment to strengthen local communities, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate employees, agency owners and the corporation provided $28 million in 2011 to thousands of nonprofit organizations and important causes across the United States.
About the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame was established in 1979 to celebrate the achievements of America’s premier athletes in the modern Olympic Games. The first U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame class was inducted in 1983 during ceremonies in Chicago and included Olympic greats such as Bob Beamon, Cassius Clay, Peggy Fleming, Al Oerter, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Mark Spitz, Jim Thorpe and the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” men’s hockey team. In 2004, after a 12-year hiatus, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame was revived through the support of the Allstate Insurance Company as the presenting sponsor. Now every Olympic year, past Olympic athletes, teams, Paralympians, coaches, veterans and special contributors gather to welcome in the newest members of the Hall of Fame.