Athletes and coaches prepare for 2009 AIS Awards

Ken Wallace paddling in canoe in K1 event at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Australian Instiitute of Sport kayaker Ken Wallace is preparing for the second leg of the Australian Canoe/Kayak Sprint Grand Prix series.

AIS swimmer Brenton Rickard set a new world record of 58.58 seconds in 100-metre breaststroke in 2009

10 Nov 2009

Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) athletes, coaches and support staff are counting down the days until the 2009 AIS Awards winners are announced at a gala dinner on Thursday 12 November at the AIS Arena.

Minister for Sport, the Hon. Kate Ellis MP announced the major award finalists late last month, which include Australian Olympic stars triathlete Emma Moffatt, swimmer Brenton Rickard and sprint canoeist Ken Wallace who are all vying for the top honour of the AIS Athlete of the Year award.

‘The AIS is all about achieving excellence and each of this year’s finalists exemplified this with their performances in the past year,’ Ms Ellis said.

‘The AIS continues to be a world leader working with sports to develop talent and the sporting calibre on show in 2009 is building on this high standard.’

Moffatt was crowned ITU World Champion after winning five gold medals in this year’s world championship series.

Rickard broke the world record to win gold in the 100-metre breaststroke at the 2009 FINA World Swimming Championships.

Wallace won silver in the K1 1000-metre event at the 2009 ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup in Hungary — his first World Cup medal in this event.

Wallace could become the fourth person to win back-to-back Athlete of the Year titles, following in the footsteps of athlete Kerry Saxby-Junna (1986–89) and swimmers Michael Klim (1998 and 1999) and Petria Thomas (2001 and 2002). Gymnast Philippe Rizzo also won the award in 2001 and 2006.

The AIS Junior Athlete of the Year award finalists are track and road cyclist Jack Bobridge, basketballer Liz Cambage, slalom canoeist Jessica Fox, winter athlete Nathan Johnstone, tennis player Olivia Rogowska and netballer Amy Steel.

‘There is an amazing new generation of sporting talent coming through the ranks, pointing to great things to come for Australia on the adult stage,’ Ms Ellis said.

‘I congratulate these athletes and coaches on their success and wish them well as they gear up for the New Delhi Commonwealth Games next year and London in 2012.’