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). Entries may focus on a number of issues, including unique training regimes, personal obstacles and triumphs or inspirational features.

Winner

Kirby Short, Cricket Australia ‘It comes in waves, the fall and rise of Josie Dooley’ The details surrounding the devastating medical episode cricketer Josie Dooley endured in Hawaii earlier this year had been a closely guarded secret by her family. Conscious of their daughter’s precarious situation and the need for her energy to be focused on the long and difficult recovery from a rare neurological disorder, the Dooley family eventually entrusted Josie’s former teammate and close friend, Kirby Short, to tell the story. In this piece, opens in a new tab Short provides a compelling recount rich with detail and displays a remarkable thoroughness and a natural aptitude in her first published written profile.

Finalists

Emma Kemp, Sydney Morning Herald ‘Cassiel Rousseau is going for Olympic gold (well, sort of)’ Australian diver Cassiel Rousseau has been described as the quintessential onion: he has layers, and they are still peeling off several years after the childhood acrobat took up the sport. The person beneath the mullet and tattoos is explored by Emma Kemp, opens in a new tab who reveals Rousseau, an introvert who enjoys performing and once made the grand final of Australia’s Got Talent, is afraid of heights despite being a world champion on the 10-metre diving platform. The unexpected twists continue as Kemp, who spoke to Rousseau in the lead up to the Paris Olympics, discovers he doesn’t care very much about winning.

Jordan Baker, Sydney Morning Herald ‘I’m sorry, I think I might have just ruined our lives’ While the likes of Jessica Fox and Arisa Trew were rightfully widely celebrated for their podium-topping efforts at the Paris Olympics, one of the biggest stars to emerge from Team Australia was Anna Meares. Smart, experienced, empathetic and confident, Meares proved to be one of the best chef de missions Australia has had. Jordan Baker’s profile piece, opens in a new tab delves into Meares' own Olympic journey, her decision to take on the role of chef de mission, and the immense challenge of balancing her responsibilities with a young family while pursuing what she describes as her 'dream job'.

Will Swanton, The Australian ‘Lex’ Will Swanton’s unconventional profile on Paralympic champion Alexa Leary, opens in a new tab unfolds in the birthplace of many great yarns – the pub. This isn’t a typical bar-side tall tale, however, as Swanton gets the full story of Leary’s journey from a near-fatal cycling accident that left her with a significant brain injury to gold medalist. The raw account comes from Leary’s dad, Russ, who reveals all in the immediate hours after his daughter claimed victory in the pool. Russ profiles ‘Lex’ in a way no-one else can in a piece which makes you see the darling of Australia’s Paralympics team, and the Paralympics themselves, in a new light.