AIS: BMX world champion Caroline Buchanan and rowing world champion Kim Crow have been crowned joint winners of the 2013 athlete of the year award at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra.
AIS: BMX world champion Caroline Buchanan and rowing world champion Kim Crow have been crowned joint winners of the 2013 athlete of the year award at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra.
Buchanan and Crow were chosen from a very strong list of finalists that included Matthew Cowdrey (swimming), Cate Campbell (swimming), Evan O’Hanlon (athletics) and Alex “Chumpy” Pullin (snowboard).
Buchanan had an outstanding year in 2013 claiming two world championships, the BMX world title in New Zealand and the UCI Four Cross World Championship in Austria.
Crow created history by becoming the first Australian to win a gold medal in the women’s single scull at the 2013 World Rowing Championships in South Korea.
That win came just 14 months after her first single scull race and is another successful milestone for the former 400 metre hurdler.
AIS Director Matt Favier congratulated Buchanan and Crow on their outstanding years and winning the award.
“Given the calibre of the finalists and the successful year they have all had in 2013 it was again a very difficult task to pull out a winner,” Favier said.
“In the end we couldn’t split the performances of Caroline and Kim.
“It demonstrates the strength of our sporting women in Australia and the contribution they are making to Australia’s Winning Edge.”
In line with Australia’s Winning Edge 2012-2022 strategy for high performance sport, the award categories have been expanded in 2013.
Eligible athletes include either those who were on an AIS scholarship at the time of their sporting achievement or were eligible for Direct Athlete Support.
Previous winners of the award include walker Kerry Saxby-Junna (1986-89), swimmers Michael Klim (1998 and 1999) and Petria Thomas (2001 and 2002), gymnast Philippe Rizzo (2001 and 2006), aerial skier Lydia Lassila (2010), track cyclist Anna Meares (2007 and 2011) and joint winners swimmer Alicia Coutts and sailor Tom Slingsby (2012).
2013 AIS Awards
Athlete of the year: Caroline Buchanan (BMX) and Kim Crow (Rowing)
Junior Athlete of the Year: Dante Exum (Basketball)
Team of the Year: Mathew Belcher and Will Ryan (Sailing)
Coach of the Year: Simon Cusack (Swimming)
Performance of the Year: Alex Pullin (Snowboard)
Leadership Award: Geoff Lipshut (Olympic Winter Institute)
AIS
