2010 World women’s freestyle silver medalist Elena Pirozhkova has been nominated for the AAU James E. Sullivan award, given out each year to the best amateur athlete in the nation. Candidates are evaluated based upon leadership, character, sportsmanship and sports accomplishments. 
 
Pirozhkova won a silver medal at the 2010 World Championships in Moscow, Russia at 138 pounds. She also won the 2010 University World Championships and the 2010 Pan American Championships. Elena added U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials titles and a number of other medals at major events.
 
Three wrestlers have previously won the AAU James Sullivan Award, all who have been both World and Olympic champions: John Smith in 1990, Bruce Baumgartner in 1995 and Rulon Gardner in 2000.
 
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PIROZHKOVA'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
* Won a silver medal at the 2010 World Championships at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.on Sept. 9, the top performance among all  U.S. wrestlers in all styles this year. She won four straight bouts to make the finals, including a clutch semifinal win over Lubov Volossova of Russia. Her only loss came to two-time Olympic champ Kaori Icho of Japan in finals.
 
* Won a gold medal at the University World Championships in Italy in October, competing up at 67 kg. She was the only U.S. champion. It was her second career University World title.
 
* Won the World Team Trials in Iowa in June, beating Veronica Carlson in the finals series in two straight. It was her third straight U.S. World Team. 
 
* Won the U.S. Open national title in Ohio in April, defeating Olympic medalist Sara McMann in the finals for her second straight national title. 
 
* Won the University Nationals in Ohio in April as well.
 
* Won a gold medal at the Pan American Championships in Mexico in April, and at the Canada Cup in Canada in July. 
 
* Won silver medals at the Dave Schultz International in the USA in February and the New York AC International in the USA in November. Won a bronze medal at the Ukrainian International in February. 
 
 Also went 3-1 at the Women's World Cup, a dual event in China, in March, helping lead the team to a second place finish.