The list includes legendary gymnast Nastia Liukin, an Olympic gold medallist and five-time world champion, and former International Olympic Committee member Angela Ruggiero, part of the US women's ice hockey team which won Olympic gold at Nagano 1998.

Candace Cable, vice-chair of Los Angeles 2028 and an eight-time Paralympic gold medallist, and Trischa Zorn, the most decorated Paralympian of all time, are among the other finalists.

The 1996 women's basketball side which claimed gold at the Games in Atlanta, the Nagano 1998 women's ice hockey squad and the four-man bobsleigh team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver are finalists in the team category.

The public vote opened this week and will close on September 3.

The nominees will be whittled down to five Olympians, three Paralympians and one team for induction into the class of 2019.

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is set to reveal the class of 2019 on September 23 before they are inducted on November 1 at a ceremony in Colorado Springs.

"It is a privilege to introduce these deserving finalists for induction into the US Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame,” said USOPC chief executive Sarah Hirshland.

“They represent the pinnacle of athletic achievement and personal excellence, both on and off the field of play. 

"We honour them and are pleased to memorialise their legacy as America’s most inspiring athletes and teams.”