Athletes of the Year nominees revealed

It is with great excitement that Athletics Australia can today confirm the illustrious list of nominees for our sport’s most prestigious honours, to be presented at the Athletics in Australia Celebration on Sunday 2 April.

Culminating with the announcement of the green and gold contingents bound for the London 2017 World Para-Athletics Championships and IAAF World Championships, athletics’ night of nights will bring together the track and field community to celebrate the many successes of the past year including the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Cole Nitro Athletics Melbourne.

The Athletics in Australia Celebration will also feature the confirmation of a new Athletics Australia Life Governor, as well as the induction of new members to the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame to be announced shortly.

For more information on the Athletics in Australia Celebration, or to purchase tickets, please click here.

Nominee lists for the awards outlined below have been determined through collaboration by the Special Awards Committee and the Athletics Australia Member Associations. An independent panel comprising noted members of the athletics community will now vote to confirm the winners.

Female Athlete of the Year:

Alana Boyd (Qld, pole vault), Madeline Hills (NSW, distance), Genevieve LaCaze (Qld, distance), Kathryn Mitchell (Vic, javelin), Ella Nelson (NSW, sprints), Dani Samuels (NSW, discus throw), Brooke Stratton (Vic, long jump), Jess Trengove (SA, marathon), Eloise Wellings (NSW, distance)

Male Athlete of the Year:

Dane Bird-Smith (Qld, race walk), Henry Frayne (Qld, long jump), Ryan Gregson (NSW, distance), Fabrice Lapierre (NSW, long jump), Kurtis Marschall (SA, pole vault), Hamish Peacock (Tas, javelin), Jared Tallent (SA, race walk)

Female Para-Athlete of the Year:

Angela Ballard (NSW, wheelchair racing), Carlee Beattie (Qld, long jump), Madison de Rozario (WA, wheelchair racing), Taylor Doyle (NSW, long jump), Isis Holt (Vic, sprints), Claire Keefer (Qld, shot put), Ella Pardy (WA, sprints)

Male Para-Athlete of the Year:

Jaryd Clifford (Vic, distance), Brayden Davidson (SA, long jump), Kurt Fearnley (NSW, wheelchair racing), Todd Hodgetts (Tas, shot put), Deon Kenzie (Tas, distance), Evan O’Hanlon (ACT, sprints), Chad Perris (WA, sprints), Scott Reardon (ACT, sprints), Michael Roeger (SA, distance), James Turner (NSW, distance)

Female Junior Athlete of the Year:

Alex Hulley (NSW, hammer throw), Keely Small (ACT, distance), Jessica Thornton (NSW, 400m), Kirsty Williams (Qld, discus throw), Alana Yukich (WA, hurdles)

Male Junior Athlete of the Year:

John Dodds (Qld, high jump), Jack Hale (Tas, sprints), Tyler Jones (NSW, race walk), Kurtis Marschall (SA, pole vault), Matthew Ramsden (WA, distance), Darcy Roper (Qld, long jump), Ned Weatherly (Vic, hammer throw)

Able-Bodied Coach of the Year:

Nic Bideau (Vic), Ray Boyd (Qld), Adam Didyk (SA), Michael Dooley (NSW), Peter Fitzgerald (Vic), Uwe Hohn (Vic), Evan Peacock (Tas), Kym Simons (SA), David Smith (Qld), Russell Stratton (Vic), Claire Tallent (SA)

Para-Athletics Coach of the Year:

Iryna Dvoskina (ACT), Mike Gunson (Tas), Sebastian Kuzminski (WA), Lynn Larsen (SA), Brett Robinson (NSW), Nick Wall (Vic)

Junior Coach of the Year:

Peter Benifer (Vic), Val Chesterton (ACT), Breanne Clement (NSW), Karyne di Marco (NSW), Demetri Dionisopoulos (Vic), Shane Ellis (WA), Wayne Mason (Tas), Kym Simons (SA)

Official of the Year:

Rob Blackadder (NSW), Peter Boden (ACT), Kristen Crocker (NSW), Andrea Hallett (Vic), Ronda Jenkins (Vic), Gary McBroom (Vic), Janet Nixon (NSW), Helen Roberts (Qld), Brian Roe (Tas), Khan Sharp (Vic), Sandra Speers (Tas), June Streeter (WA), Wim Vaessen (Tas), Peter Westwood (Vic), Tony Williams (Vic)