This award for journalistic excellence recognises a story, or series of stories, on a single issue in sport. It seeks to promote responsible, well-researched and analytical coverage of issues affecting sport.
Julien Linden blew the lid on one of the biggest stories leading into the Paris Olympic Games, when he broke a worldwide exclusive revealing 23 Chinese swimmers were secretly let off despite testing positive to a banned performance-enhancing drug before the Tokyo Games in 2021. As a result, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) came under intense criticism for not challenging China’s explanation that the positive tests were caused by accidental ‘contamination’. German broadcaster ARD and The New York Times both followed with major investigations and the controversy became one of the biggest flashpoints of the entire Games, as well as dominating discussion in and around the Olympic pool.
Rampant illicit drug use in the AFL - facilitated by a secret ‘off-the-books’ testing regime which had been operating for more than a decade - was exposed in a powerful series of reports by the Herald Sun’s Michael Warner, triggering a Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) investigation and the dismantling of the league’s controversial three strikes policy. Warner revealed Melbourne star Joel Smith had been charged with cocaine trafficking, before the father of Harley Balic, who died of a drug overdose in 2022, broke his silence to reveal he blamed the AFL for the tragedy. Federal MP Andrew Wilkie detailed the revelations in parliament, leading to a damning SIA report calling for an immediate overhaul of the AFL drugs policy.
Netball expert Brittany Carter was able to draw on a decade of experience covering the sport when drama engulfed the Queensland Firebirds in 2024. The Brisbane-based Super Netball team parted ways with coach Bec Bulley midway through their season, was accused of failing to protect indigenous player Donnell Wallam from receiving a racist letter and criticised for cultural issues inside the club. Carter’s trusted relationship with athletes and sources within the sport allowed exclusive insights into the strained relationships behind the scenes and a created a series of compelling stories on the unfolding events.
Swimming found itself amid fresh controversy on the eve of the Paris Olympics with blockbuster reports showing 11 of the 23 swimmers engulfed in the TMZ doping scandal would be racing at the Games. It was global news but few in the western media had been able to put the allegations to the swimmers and Chinese team until Seven News Chief Reporter Chris Reason tracked down the secret training camp in northern France. He not only talked with Chinese team officials but also secured the first pictures and on-camera comments from Denis Cotterell, the Australian coach working with the Chinese squad. Reason also put the issue directly to Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei in Paris, with her articulate and defensive comments aired worldwide.