Evans Earns Recognition for Leadership
WAIS athlete Blair Evans was awarded the Australian Unity Club Leadership Award at the Australian Swimming night of nights in Melbourne.
In a successful year for Evans, that included a second national championship last March and a maiden Commonwealth Games gold medal, she was selected for the Australian Unity Club Leadership Award in recognition of her tireless effort to contribute to her local swimming club.
Five-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Alicia Coutts capped off a remarkable year by winning the prestigious 2010 Telstra Swimmer of the Year Award, while Geoff Huegill’s swimming renaissance was solidified after he won three major awards.
The 22-year-old Coutts, who won gold in the 200m IM, 100m butterfly, 100m freestyle and 4x100m medley and freestyle relays at the Commonwealth Games, was a clear winner of the major award based on her outstanding individual performances in Delhi last month.
An Olympic finalist in the 200m IM in Beijing, Coutts missed out on selection on the Australian team last year due to illness, and her outstanding performances in 2010 showed that hard work, determination and talent are all that is needed to re-group from such a set-back.
A key contributor to Australia’s 22 gold medals and 54 overall in Delhi, Coutts will continue to train at the AIS under her coach John Fowlie, who was named Coach of the Year, in the lead up to next year’s World Championships in Shanghai and ultimately success in London 2012.
For Huegill, who won the Swimmers’ Swimmer award, Speedo Golden Moment and Telstra People’s Choice award voted for by more than 8,000 fans, the accolades highlighted a remarkable return to the pool which over the last 18 months has seen the 31-year-old achieve his goal of representing Australia at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and winning gold in the process.
His gold medal in the 100m butterfly in Delhi, in a career best time, had to compete with other highlights such as Leisel Jones’ 10th Commonwealth Games gold medal overall, Meagen Nay’s 200m backstroke gold and Matthew Cowdrey’s world record in the 50m freestyle.
In other awards presented on the night World Championship bronze medallist Melissa Gorman was named the Open Water Swimmer of the Year, six-time IPC gold medallist Peter Leek the Multi Class Swimmer of the Year, and Leisel Jones the Short Course Swimmer of the Year.
The award for the Discovery of the Year went to Gold Coast teenager Katie Goldman for her performance in winning silver and bronze at the Pan Pacific Championships in the 400 and 800m freestyle.
– Swimming Australia