Australia’s elite ski and snowboard athletes have gathered in Melbourne to recognise the best achievements from 2017-2018 season at the Ski & Snowboard Australia Awards.

Among the winners were NSW Institute of Sport athletes and Olympic silver medallists Matt Graham and Jarryd Hughes who jointly took home the prestigious Athlete of the Year Award.

After a career-best season, NSWIS moguls skier Jakara Anthony won Junior Athlete of the Year.

NSWIS Moguls Head Coach Peter McNiel took out the Development Coach of the Year Award, whilst Steve Desovich – who coached Matt Graham to Olympic success – claimed Coach of the Year.

 

SKI AND SNOWBOARD AUSTRALIA AWARD WINNERS

SNOWSPORT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (Olympic Disciplines)
Winners: Matt Graham and Jarryd Hughes
Matt Graham: Dual Olympian and NSW Institute of Sport athlete, Graham improved on his seventh place in the men’s moguls at Sochi 2014 with a silver medal at PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games. On top of his 2018 Olympics success, Graham also consistently won on the World Cup Circuit placing third on three occasions and second once. Graham has previously won this award in 2016.
Jarryd Hughes: Dual Olympian and NSW Institute of Sport athlete, Hughes delivered an impressive performance in the Snowboard Cross final at the 2018 Winter Olympics to claim a silver medal. His inspirational medal performance also saw him lead the Australian team out in the Closing Ceremony as the flag bearer. In 2014, Hughes was awarded Boardercross Athlete of the Year.

 


JUNIOR SNOWSPORT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Winner: Jakara Anthony
In her Olympic Games debut at 19-years-old Jakara Anthony had an outstanding first outing in the Olympics arena and claimed fourth position in the women’s moguls. It was an impressive first Olympic Games for the NSWIS athlete, who has shown she is one to watch for the future. She has earlier in the year at the Deer Valley World Cup, made her first 6-skier Super Final and secured fifth place overall.

COACH OF THE YEAR (Olympic Disciplines)
Winner – Steve Desovich
Steve Desovich was instrumental in Matt Graham’s silver medal performance at PyeongChang 2018 and was key in the mogul program medalling six times in the 2018 season. This is Desovich’s eighth time he has won Coach of the Year.

DEVELOPMENT COACH OF THE YEAR
Winner: Peter McNiel
Peter is responsible for training the 2018 Junior Snowsport Athlete of the Year award winner Jakara Anthony to fourth place in women’s moguls at PyeongChang2018 as well as her fifth place in the Deer Valley World Cup event. This is the third time McNiel has won Development Coach of the Year, last winning it in 2015.

Full list of SSA Award winners available here

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