Olympic and Paralympic stars shortlisted for NSWIS awards dinner

Rio Olympic gold medal winning sailor Tom Burton, four time Paralympic gold medallist Maddison Elliott and world number two men’s moguls competitor Matt Graham have all been shortlisted for awards at the upcoming NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) awards dinner.

The evening will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday November 17, and is a chance for the NSWIS to show recognition to their finest athletes, coaches and sport programs.

In addition to the annual awards, recently retired Olympic gold medal winning diver Matthew Mitcham will be inducted into the ‘NSWIS Most Outstanding’. The award is presented on retirement to athletes that have made a unique personal contribution to their chosen sport, and have achieved outstanding international success.

The top gongs of the night will be the ‘Male Athlete of the Year’ and ‘Female Athlete of the Year’ awards, which see a star studded list of athletes, including Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists in contention.

Nominated for the men’s award is Burton, who sailed to Olympic gold on debut in Rio, employing a daring tactic to defeat Croatian rival Tonci Stipanovic, who had led coming into the final regatta. Wheelchair rugby hero Ryley Batt has also been shortlisted after leading the Australian Steelers to Paralympic gold just weeks ago. Batt was the undoubted MVP, producing a herculean effort of 27 goals in the gold medal game against the USA.

Also nominated in that category is James Turner the para-football player turned track star who won the Institute’s only Paralympic track and field gold. Olympic silver medal winning rower Cameron Girdlestone and winter sports ace Graham are also in the running.

On the women’s side of the ledger will be strong competition for ‘Female Athlete of the Year’. Paralympic swimming gold medallists Maddison Elliott and Ellie Cole were both shortlisted after netting a combined 11 medals, including five gold in Rio.

Joining the swimming duo is sailor Lisa Darmanin who produced the regatta of her life at the Rio Olympics alongside cousin Jason Waterhouse to win silver. Rio bronze medallist and perennial world cup and world championship podium finisher in canoe slalom Jessica Fox, and leading Australian netball defender Sharni Layton have also been nominated.

There are also a number of athletes whose performances have seen them nominated in multiple categories, including Elliott who is in with a chance of also claiming ‘Regional Athlete of the Year’ and ‘Junior Athlete of the Year’.

Meanwhile Graham joins Elliott as the only other athlete to be shortlisted in three categories and will also be vying for the ‘Regional Athlete of the Year’ award as well as an award for ‘Personal Excellence’.

Among the finalists for ‘Regional Athlete of the Year’ is Liesl Tesch, who alongside Daniel Fitzgibbon became the first Paralympic sailors to successfully defend a gold medal in the SKUD18 class. Batt and Turner make up the five athletes in the running for the award.

In the ‘Junior Athlete of the Year’ category Elliott has been shortlisted alongside fellow Paralympic swimmer Tiffany Thomas-Kane, who showed steely resolve to bounce back from disqualification in her first event at the Rio Paralympics to win one gold and three bronze. Olympic hockey debutants Blake Govers and Grace Stewart, as well as cyclist Cameron Scott have also been nominated in the category.

Shortlisted for the ‘Ian Thorpe OAM Outstanding Achievement’ award is a list of athletes who grabbed the headlines for their strength and tenacity throughout 2016.

Among them is track cyclist Ashlee Ankudinoff who was part of the women’s pursuit team who overcome a training crash to finish fifth in Rio. Ankudinoff raced into the final with an injured AC joint in her shoulder, bruised sternum and ribs.

Olympic bronze medal winning swimmer Matthew Abood, who qualified for his first Olympics following near misses in both 2008 and 2012, has also been shortlisted for the award. Canoe sprint hero Murray Stewart was also nominated after overcoming a bout of glandular fever to finish fourth in the men’s K1 1000m in Rio.

An award recognising ‘Academic Excellence’ will also be handed out, highlighted by Olympic athletics competitors Anneliese Rubie and Jenny Blundell, whose nominations will go up against men’s hockey up-and-comer Paul Counsell.

There will also be awards to recognise the Program of the Year and Coach of the Year.

The 2016 NSWIS Awards Dinner will be held on Thursday November 17 at the Sydney Cricket Ground and will be hosted by Alan Jones AO.

A full list of categories and finalists is below: