In light of Caitlyn Jenner's very public transition, she was awarded ESPN's Arthur Ashe award for the courage that was needed to make the transition due to the heavy spotlight that surrounded her. Not too long after it was announced that Jenner was receiving the award, many reacted negatively to the fact that she won the award over a veteran who lost an arm and a leg, with the veteran being the runner-up.
More can be readThe statement came one day after a photo circulated on the internet that said that Jenner had won the Arthur Ashe Award over disabled Army veteran Noah Galloway.
There was only one problem with the photo: it was blatantly incorrect.
ESPN confirmed to CNNMoney that there is no such thing as "runner up" for the Arthur Ashe Award.
The network's statement on Wednesday went into further detail on how the network chooses its recipients by saying the award is meant to honor people "whose contributions transcend sports through courageous action."
"Sometimes that courage is demonstrated over the course of a lifetime and sometimes it is demonstrated in a single act that shines a light on an important contemporary issue," the statement read. "At all times, there are many worthy candidates."
"This year, we are proud to honor Caitlyn Jenner embracing her identity and doing so in a public way to help move forward a constructive dialogue about progress and acceptance," ESPN said.
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