Dual 2018 World Champions Jessica Fox and Curtis McGrath OAM headline a stellar line-up of athletes, coaches and volunteers, who have been announced as finalists for the Paddle Australia 2018 Annual Awards.
The Annuals Awards recognise and honour the achievements of Paddle Australia’s athletes, coaches and volunteers across 14 categories. The winners will be announced at the Paddle Australia Awards dinner at Stamford Plaza Sydney Airport on Saturday, 3 November 2018 with Seven News Sydney’s sports presenter, journalist and reporter Jim Wilson to MC the night.
Paddle Australia’s greatest individual slalom paddler of all time Jessica Fox (NSW) once again is a hot contender for the Paddler of the Year – Olympic award after her best season yet and writing paddling history after winning double gold at the 2018 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships and taking out the overall World Cup win in both the women’s K1 and C1.
Olympian Alyce Burnett (QLD) joins Fox amongst the Paddler Of the Year finalists after a successful domestic and international season that included her first Senior World Championships final in the Olympic class women’s K1, several national titles and a World Cup bronze medal in the women’s K4.
Paddle Australia’s up and coming sprint talent and 2018 U23 World Champion Thomas Green (QLD) completes the Paddler of the Year finalist list. At only 19-years of age Tom not only won the U23 World title together with partner Joel McKitterick (QLD) in the K2 1000 but also made his first Senior Team, the K1 500 final at the 2018 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships and finished a close fourth in the Olympic class men’s K4 500. Green and McKitterick are also finalists for the Team of the Year Award.
Paralympic Champion and the most successful male paracanoeist Curtis McGrath (QLD) added World Championship titles seven and eight to his long list of accolades this year and is named as a finalist for the Paracanoeist of the Year Award. Fellow Paralympian and World Championships silver medallist Amanda Reynolds (VIC) as well as Paralympians Susan Seipel (QLD) and Dylan Littlehales (NSW) are also nominated as finalists.
Australia’s paddlers also made waves on the international circuit of the non-olympic events this year with a high-calibre line-up of paddlers recognised in the Paddler Of The Year – Non Olympic finalists.
Ocean Racing World Champion Cory Hill (WA/QLD) is part of a group of three finalists that also includes marathon paddler Rebecca Mann (VIC) as well as wildwater paddler Rob McIntyre (NSW). Mann finished sixth in the U23 women’s K1 at the 2018 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Portugal, while McIntyre finished fifth at the 2018 ICF Wildwater World Championships in Switzerland – the best result an Australian wildwater paddler has achieved in recent years.
Youth Olympic Games representative Jenaya Massie (QLD) is nominated as a finalist in the Junior Paddler of the Year – Olympic category together with fellow Asia Pacific Sprint Championships and Olympic Hopes Team mate Fletcher Armstrong (NSW). Slalom paddler Alexandria Choate (WA) completes the Olympic class Junior line-up, after finishing fifth in the Junior women’s C1 at the 2018 ICF Canoe Slalom Junior and U23 World Championships.
Paddle Australia’s future is looking bright with a number of high-performing Junior paddlers also recognised In the Junior of the Year – Non-Olympic award category, including Australian Marathon Canoe Team paddler Brianna Jones (VIC), Ocean Racing paddler Oscar Jones (NSW) and Ocean Racing paddler Georgia Sinclair (NSW) making the finalists cut.
That paddling is a sport for all ages is underlined by a strong contingent of Masters Paddlers nominated as finalists for the Masters Paddler of the Year. Canoe sprint and marathon paddler Laura Lee (NSW), marathon paddler Cathy Venning (SA) and ocean racer Jim Walker (NSW) all posted exceptional results both domestically and internationally.
Three coaches join the list of awards finalists with National Canoe Slalom Coach Myriam Fox (NSW), Western Australian canoe slalom coach Zlatan Ibrahimbegovic and Paracanoe Coach Guy Power (QLD) nominated as finalists for the Coach of the Year Award.
“Our Annual Awards recognise the exceptional achievements and all the work and efforts of our athletes, coaches and volunteers over the past year and it a great opportunity to look back at an outstanding year for paddling in Australia and around the world,” Phil Jones, Paddle Australia CEO, said.
“Our congratulations go to all those who are nominated for the awards. It is their efforts that define the strength of our organisation and we are looking forward to celebrating this year’s incredible achievements on and off the water on Saturday night.”
Paddle Australia’s night of recognition will also feature the Instructor and Guide of the Year, Technical Official of the Year, Special Services to Canoeing, the Award of Merit as well as the President’s Award.
See a full list of finalists for the Paddle Australia 2018 Annual Awards here:
PADDLER OF THE YEAR – OLYMPIC DISCIPLINE OR CATEGORY
− Alyce Burnett (QLD, Sunshine Coast Paddle Sports Club)
− Jessica Fox (NSW, Penrith Valley Canoeing)
− Thomas Green (QLD, Currumbin Creek)
PADDLER OF THE YEAR – NON-OLYMPIC DISCIPLINE OR CATEGORY
− Cory Hill (WA/QLD, Indian Ocean Paddlers)
− Rebecca Mann (VIC, Bendigo Canoe Club)
− Robert McIntyre (NSW, Avoca Kayak Club)
JUNIOR PADDLER OF THE YEAR – OLYMPIC DISCIPLINE OR CATEGORY
− Fletcher Armstrong (NSW, Avoca Kayak Club)
− Alexandria Choate (WA, Swan Canoe Club)
− Jenaya Massie (QLD, Sunshine Coast / Kawana Waters Canoe Club)
JUNIOR PADDLER OF THE YEAR – NON-OLYMPIC DISCIPLINE OR CATEGORY
− Brianna Jones (VIC, Ivanhoe Northcote Canoe Club)
− Oscar Jones (NSW, Salty Paddlers)
− Georgia Sinclair (NSW, Cronulla Sutherland Kayak Club)
PARACANOEIST OF THE YEAR
− Dylan Littlehales (NSW, Avoca Kayak Club)
− Curtis McGrath (QLD, Varsity Lakes)
− Amanda Reynolds (VIC, Victorian Sprint Paddlers Inc.)
− Susan Seipel (QLD, Brisbane Canoeing)
MASTER PADDLER OF THE YEAR
TEAM OF THE YEAR
− 2018 Junior Women’s Marathon K2 team with Brianna Jones and Hannah Scott (VIC, Ivanhoe Northcote Canoe Club)
− 2018 U23 Men’s Canoe Sprint K2 1000m with Thomas Green and Joel McKitterick (QLD, Currumbin Creek)
− 2018 Senior Men’s Wildwater Sprint team with Kaylen Bassett (VIC, Melbourne Canoe Club), Alex McIntyre and Robert McIntyre (NSW, Avoca Kayak Club)
COACH OF THE YEAR
− Myriam Fox (NSW)
− Zlatan Ibrahimbegovic (WA)
− Guy Power (WA)
TECHNICAL OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR
− Russell Bassett (VIC, Melbourne Canoe Club)
− John Young (VIC, Ivanhoe Northcote Canoe Club)
INSTRUCTOR AND GUIDE OF THE YEAR
− Tracy Gibson (NSW, Jervis Bay Kayak)
− Garry Goodey (NSW/QLD)
− Scott Willams (NSW, River Canoe Club)
Other awards that will also be awarded on the night include:
− Award of Merit
− Services to Paddling
− People’s Choice Award
− President’s Award
Follow #paddleausawards #paddleausawards18 for updates from the night.
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