COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee today announced the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, Class of 2022, which will be honored and inducted in a ceremony held Friday, June 24, at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs. The class of 2022 is made up of eight individuals, two teams, two legends, one coach and one special contributor.

The inductees include Natalie Coughlin (swimming), Muffy Davis (Para alpine skiing and Para-cycling), Mia Hamm (soccer), David Kiley (Para alpine skiing, Para track and field, and wheelchair basketball), Michelle Kwan (figure skating), Michael Phelps (swimming), Lindsey Vonn (alpine skiing), Trischa Zorn-Hudson (Para swimming), the 1976 Women’s 4x100 Freestyle Relay Swimming Team, the 2002 Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, Gretchen Fraser (legend: alpine skiing), Roger Kingdom (legend: track and field), Pat Summitt (coach: basketball) and Billie Jean King (special contributor). 

“It's a distinct honor to welcome the class of 2022 into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame and to celebrate their remarkable individual and team achievements as representatives of Team USA,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “Induction into the Hall of Fame adds to the tremendous legacies of these great athletes and teams, and also memorializes the contributions of those members of the “team behind the team” who dedicated themselves to helping Team USA achieve success on and off the field of play.”  

The class of 2022 has represented the United States as athletes at a combined 27 Olympic and Paralympic Games, tallying 129 medals, including 86 golds. There are also two new sports or sport disciplines added to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, with Muffy Davis as a Para-cyclist and the 2002 sled hockey team. Pat Summitt and Billie Jean King become the first female inductees in the coach and special contributor categories, respectively. 

National Governing Bodies, alumni, current athletes and additional members of the Olympic and Paralympic community were invited to nominate eligible athletes. From there, a nominating committee comprised of individuals from the Olympic and Paralympic movements narrowed it down to a set of finalists. The class of 2022 was determined by a voting process that includes Olympians and Paralympians, members of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic family, and an online vote open to fans. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame was one of the first national sports halls of fame to include fan voting as part of its selection process, and this year, more than 432,000 votes were cast across all platforms. 

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The 2002 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team made history as the first American team to win gold in the Paralympic Games. Their remarkable journey and triumph in Salt Lake City, Utah, defied all odds and set the stage for the dominant success Team USA had had since, including gold medals in the last four Paralympic Winter Games (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022).

When sled hockey made its Paralympic debut in 1994, Team USA was not one of the five countries to compete. Four years later in Nagano, Japan, the U.S. finished sixth of seven teams. Heading into Salt Lake City 2002, the U.S. had finished dead last at the previous world championship and only qualified for the Paralympics because it was the host country.

Under first-year head coach Rick Middleton (Hampton, N.H.), who redefined the team’s style of play and culture, Team USA went unbeaten in the Paralympics and outscored opponents 26-6. Ten newcomers were among the 15-player roster that shocked the world by finishing on top of the podium.

Shutting out Japan 3-0, a decisive 5-1 victory over rival and gold-medal favorite Canada, and a 2-1 triumph over defending Paralympic champion Norway gave the U.S. a burst of confidence as it navigated uncharted territory in its first three round-robin games. The U.S. followed with a 6-0 win over Sweden and a 6-1 decision against Estonia to earn a spot in the gold-medal game against Norway.

The rematch against Norway was a back-and-forth affair throughout. Trailing for the first time in the tournament, the U.S. stormed back to take the lead with captain Joe Howard (Brockton, Mass.) scoring twice in 67 seconds late in the first period. The U.S. built a 3-1 advantage just :12 into the middle frame thanks to a goal by Matt Coppens (Richton Park, Ill.), but Norway eventually evened the score, and overtime wasn’t enough to settle the contest. In front of an overflow crowd of more than 8,300 at the E Center, Team USA and Norway went to a shootout tied, 3-3. 

Each team scored twice over the first three rounds of the five-round shootout, with Howard and defenseman Chris Manns (Buffalo, N.Y) tallying for the U.S. Kip St. Germaine (East Falmouth, Mass) scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the fourth round as the United States completed an unthinkable journey to gold on home soil. Manny Guerra (Plymouth, Minn.) earned the win in goal for the U.S. with 12 saves.

U.S. defenseman Sylvester Flis (Franklin Park, Ill.) was named the Paralympic MVP and led the tournament with 18 points. His 11 goals and 18 points both established U.S. and Paralympic single-tournament marks that continue to stand today.

U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration will be in hosted by the Pittsburg, PA.

- 12\3\24 Ice level recognition PPG Paints Arena

- 12\4\24 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Omni William Penn Hotel.