Tokyo stars celebrated at 2022 Athletics Australia Awards

Tokyo medallists Madison de Rozario, Nicola McDermott, Vanessa Low, Ash Moloney and Jaryd Clifford have claimed the top gongs at the 2022 Athletics Australia Awards in Sydney last night.

Hosted by Olympian and Commonwealth Games champion Tamsyn Lewis Manou, the 2022 Athletics Australia Awards celebrated one of the sport’s most successful years on record, with history making performances in Tokyo recognised throughout the ceremony.

After claiming two gold medals and one bronze in Tokyo, Madison de Rozario won the Bruce McAvaney Award for Performance of the Year for her triumphant win of the women’s T53/54 marathon. The 27-year-old won gold by the smallest of margins to cement her place in Paralympic folklore, and became the first Australian female to win the women’s wheelchair marathon at the pinnacle level.

For his performance this weekend at the 2022 Chemist Warehouse Australian Track & Field Championships this week, Cedric Dubler won the Betty Cuthbert Award for Best Single Performance at the meet. After a striking start to the decathlon, Dubler had the win in his pocket scoring 4,478 points on day one of his competition. Across the final five events, Dubler kept the lead, and in the final event, the 1500m, the two-time Olympian dug deep to not only qualify for the World Athletics Championships but did so with a personal best performance of 8,393 to match. 

Nicola McDermott won the Marjorie Jackson Award for Female Able Bodied Athlete of the Year for her silver medal winning performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games, where she cleared 2.02m in the women’s high jump to break the Australian record for the second time within six months. Alongside McDermott was double Paralympic gold medalist Vanessa Low who for the second year running, won the Amy Winters Award for Female Para Athlete of the Year, after leaping to glory with a world record of 5.61 in the Women’s Long Jump T61 in Tokyo. 

Two history making athletes were honoured in the men’s categories, as Ash Moloney won the John Landy Award for Male Able Bodied Athlete of the Year for becoming the first Australian Olympian to win a medal in the decathlon at just 21. Bringing home three medals from the Tokyo Paralympics as well as breaking multiple world records during his 2021 campaign was Jaryd Clifford, who took home the Russell Short Award for Male Para Athlete of the Year.

Rising stars of Australian athletics Ellie Beer and Jude Thomas were crowned Female and Male Junior Athletes of the Year. At just 18-years-old, Beer became an Olympian competing in the women’s 4x400m relay alongside senior athletes Anneliese Rubie-Renshaw, Bendere Oboya and Kendra Hubbard. Thomas too has climbed up the ranks of the sport, breaking the Australian Under 20 3000m record set by middle distance great Ryan Gregson set 12 years before hand.

Honoured during the evening were the four newest inductees into the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame; Olympic champion Steve Hooker, two-time Olympian Joanna Stone, as well as Australia’s first female track and field athlete to make an Olympic final, Doris Carter OBE and Olympic bronze medallist Hector Hogan who have been inducted posthumously.

13 athletes were also applauded at the Athletics Australia Awards following their selection to the Australian Team for the World Athletics Championships in Oregon this year. Ten athletes, including Dubler, McDermott, Peter Bol (800m), Catriona Bisset (800m), Liz Clay (110m Hurdles), Nina Kennedy (Pole Vault), Kurtis Marschall (Pole Vault), Oliver Hoare (1500m), Jessica Hull (5000m), Matt Denny (Discus), join Jack Rayner (10,000m), Jemima Montag (20km Race Walk) and Declan Tingay (20km Race Walk) tomake up the automatic selections to the team.

The ten newest selectees, plus Montag (10,000m walk) and Kyle Swan (10,000m walk) also received automatic nomination to Commonwealth Games Australia for selection next month.

Athletics Australia CEO Peter Bromley said the awards were a perfect way to underline an outstanding year and Games campaign as Australia makes a resurgence in the sport both domestically and abroad.

“The historic achievements of our Olympic and Paralympic teams in Tokyo will inspire generations of athletes in Australia and really highlight that we are in a new era for our sport,” Bromley said.

“We’ve recognised some tremendous talent tonight – athletes, coaches and administrators – who have shown dedication and commitment to their craft.

“I’d like to congratulate every person honoured tonight, and I’m incredibly excited to see what lies ahead for us in the year ahead which includes multiple Championships including the World Athletics Championships in Oregon and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.”

2022 Athletics Australia Award winners:

Bruce McAvaney Award for Performance of the Year –
Madison de Rozario 
Betty Cuthbert Award for Best Single Performance at the 2022 Australian Track & Field Championships –
Cedric Dubler 
Marjorie Jackson Award for Female Able Bodied Athlete of the Year -  Nicola McDermott 
Amy Winters Award for Female Para Athlete of the Year –
Vanessa Low 
John Landy Award for Male Able Bodied Athlete of the Year -
Ash Moloney 
Russell Short Award for Male Para Athlete of the Year – Jaryd Clifford 
Female Junior Athlete of the Year – Ellie Beer 
Male Junior Athlete of the Year – Jude Thomas 
Coach of the Year (Able bodied athletes) – Matt Horsnell
Coach of the Year (Para athletes) – Philo Saunders
Coach of the Year (Junior athletes) – Susan Andrews
Official of the Year – Janet Nixon
Chemist Warehouse Community Hero – Jacob Daniels

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 4/3/2022