The Western Australian Institute of Sport’s emerging generation of talent announced itself in style in 2015, with the WAIS Junior Athlete of the Year Award attracting arguably the most competitive list of candidates in the award’s history.
The title of Junior Athlete of the Year is the first of the major awards presented at the WAIS Annual Dinner, which will be held at HBF Stadium this weekend.
Last year’s winner, track cyclist Sam Welsford has gone on to represent Australia at senior world cup level, with his 2015 successor, set to be announced from a brightly talented group of five athletes, whom have all adorned the green and gold for their country at age-level in the past 12 months.
Swimmers Tamsin Cook and Damian Fyfe are joined in nomination by junior world record breaker Nina Kennedy, sailing champion Conor Nicholas and cycling junior world title holder Alex Rendell. Their key achievements for 2015 are listed below:
Tamsin Cook (Swimming)
A triple medal-winning campaign at the Junior Swimming World Championships in Singapore has identified Tamsin Cook as future star of Australian swimming. Cook led an Australian women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team to a gold medal and championship record, before she added individual gold, once again in championship record time, in the 400m free. Cook rounded out a highly successful meet with silver in the 200m fly as Australia topped the medal tally.
Damian Fyfe (Swimming)
Swimmer Damian Fyfe made his Junior World Championship debut at the 2015 titles in Singapore, earning a silver medal as a member of the Australian men’s 4x200m freestyle relay. Fyfe also recorded a personal best time in finishing fourth in the 200m free.
Nina Kennedy (Athletics)
At 17 years of age, Nina Kennedy in February, set a junior world record in the women’s pole vault after clearing 4.59m at the WA Athletics Stadium at the Perth Track Classic. In doing so, Kennedy cleared a world championship A-qualifying height and secured her place in the Australian Flame team to compete at the senior World Championships in Beijing.
Conor Nicholas (Sailing)
Competing at the Youth World Championships in Canada, Conor Nicholas produced the performance of his fledgling career to post a world championship win in the men’s laser radial class. Nicholas’ campaign included six top three finishes across a highly consistent week of sailing.
Alex Rendell (Cycling)
Track cyclist Alex Rendell extended a proud history of WAIS athletes winning junior world championship titles, when he was a member of the Australian men’s team pursuit squad that claimed gold at the 2015 titles in Kazakhstan. It was Australia’s sixth straight win in the event at Junior World Championship level.
The 2015 WAIS Annual Dinner will also announce:
- The WAIS Personal Excellence Award
- WAIS Program of the Year
- WAIS Coach of the Year
- WAIS Athlete of the Year
The evening will also include the 2015 round of Western Australian Hall of Champions inductions, with an elevation to legend status of one existing member.
