Best sport profile – written

This award recognises the best example of responsible and well-researched written profiling of an individual athlete, team or coach (can be print or online items).

2021 Winner

Konrad Marshall, Good Weekend ‘Patty Mills: All the right moves’

For many people, the Boomers’ bronze medal was the moment of the Tokyo Olympics. The Australian Men’s Basketball team had never stood on the dais, despite fielding talented sides for decades.

Patty Mills’s performance at the games was transcendent, and the stories that emerged of his efforts to create a culture within the team became legendary – but perhaps less understood was the depth of his connection to his Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and how that inspires everything he does.

Konrad Marshall’s profile, opens in a new tab goes deeply into that connection, through parents and ancestors, to tell a strengths-based story of resilience and hope and love.

Finalists

David Mark, ABC Online 'Tony Daly: I was walking into an ambush'

It took former rugby union international Tony Daly 40 years to tell anybody he had been allegedly sexually assaulted, opens in a new tab by a catholic brother at his prestigious boarding school and another three years before he spoke to a journalist. David Mark’s online feature provided Tony a platform to share his story in his own words.

In the confronting and personal account, Daly describes being groomed by a catholic brother and how that event had deeply affected his life. While throwing himself into sport helped him deal with the trauma, after his career he fell into drug and alcohol addiction and almost went to jail.

The compassionate and professional piece highlighted Daly's dignity and courage for speaking out.

Phil Lutton, The Sydney Morning Herald ‘The letters that saved Cate Campbell’

Swimmer Cate Campbell felt she had failed at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and she struggled to cope with her own disappointment and some of the public reaction.

Despite tuning out from social media, she did open some hand-written letters that arrived at her house, two of which changed her life and set her on the path to Tokyo. They were from sisters Elin and Nele Schulz, aged 10 and 13 at the time, and their compassionate words would be the catalyst for Campbell to power towards a fourth Games.

Reporter Phil Lutton found the sisters and arranged for them to meet the swimmer, opens in a new tab at North Sydney Pool so she could thank them in person.

Will Swanton, The Weekend Australian ‘The Truth About Tim Tszyu’

As the new face of Australian boxing, Tim Tszyu’s, opens in a new tab career has been dominated by rumours about his seemingly absent father and boxing legend Kostya, who now lives in Russia. Will Swanton’s behind-the-scenes access and revealing interview delves into the truth of their relationship, and how Tim’s grandfather, Boris, the father of Kostya, has become his real father figure.

There's observations, analysis, commentary and opinion on Tim but the writing gives a rare and vivid insight into the extraordinary bond between trainer and athlete, grandfather and grandson.