Hooker and McLellan take top honours

Olympic pole vault champion Steve Hooker and 100m hurdles silver medallist Sally McLellan have been crowned 2008/09 Athletes of the Year at the Athletics Australia gala awards function held in Brisbane this afternoon.

The pair join an impressive list of past winners including Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, Catherine Freeman, Tim Forsyth, Craig Mottram and Jana Rawlinson.

Hooker and McLellan were both presented with a $10,000 cheque which will greatly assist their preparations for the world championships to be staged in Berlin in August.

Hooker had all of Australia in raptures in Beijing when he became the first Australian man in sixty years to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event.

Although the historic gold medal sits firmly at the top of Hooker’s achievements list, it wasn’t the only highlight for the high-flying Western Australian in 2008 and 2009.

Hooker was also named International Athlete of the Year in recognition of his stellar campaigns in the United States, Beijing and Europe. His 2009 efforts have been well-documented – five victories from five competitions, the second-highest jump of all time in Boston (6.06m) and twelve 6.16m attempts at Sergey Bubka’s long standing world record.

McLellan won Australia’s first ever Olympic medal in the 100m hurdles, her elation shared with Canadian bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep and refreshing post-race interview even more memorable. Prior to Beijing, the 22-year-old twice broke her Australian record against quality opposition in Europe, her 12.53 in Monaco the highlight.

McLellan and Tristan Thomas were named Athlete of the Australian season.

McLellan won a trifecta of 100m/100m hurdle doubles at the three headlining domestic meets in 2009 - Sydney Track Classic, World Athletics Tour Melbourne and the 87th Australian Championships. Notching up her fourth double national title this weekend, McLellan ran her second fastest time ever on Australian soil in her pet 100m hurdles.

Thomas had a sensational summer, producing eleven personal bests over the 100m, 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles and 800m. The 22-year-old remains unbeaten over the 400m hurdles in 2009, lowering his lifetime best to 48.86 in Sydney - the second fastest time ever by an Australian - and defeating Olympic bronze medallist Bershawn Jackson in the process.

Nine additional awards were also presented this afternoon.

Dual Olympic medallist Jared Tallent was named Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year. On his Olympic debut, Tallent became the first Australian male since 1906 to win two medals at the Games - silver in the 50km and bronze in the 20km walk. A team bronze medal in the 20km race at the World Race Walk Cup and his US$30,000 victory at the IAAF Race Walking Challenge capped off an amazing year for the 23-year-old.

Tallent’s coach, Brent Vallance was also recognised, taking out Coach of the Year – senior athlete. Based at the Australian Institute of Sport, Vallance also trains fellow Olympic walkers Adam Rutter, Clare Tallent and Kellie Wapshott.

Rising talent Jess Rothwell who finished fourth in the 10km walk at the 2008 World Junior Championships was awarded Asics Junior Athlete of the Year. The 19-year-old has been added to the Australian team for Berlin, placing second at the recent Australian 20km Championships against quality opposition.

Eighteen-year-old Ryan Gregson, who smashed two national under 20 records this summer for the 1500m and 3000m and finished fifth in the 1500m at the world juniors in Poland, was awarded Steve Moneghetti Emerging Athlete of the Year. Gregson’s coach, Ian Hatfield, won the Coach of the Year - junior athlete category.

Nineteen-year-old Angeline Blackburn took out Indigenous Athlete of the Year.  The Jump Start to London squad member made her first national 400m final in 2008 and went on to finish seventh in her first international competition at the World Junior Championships in Poland, before anchoring the girl’s 4 x 400m relay to a bronze medal.

Beijing Paralympic gold medallists Lisa McIntosh (T37 – 100, 200m), Heath Francis (T46 - 100m, 200m, 400m) and Evan O’Hanlon (T38 - 100m, 200m, 4x100m) claimed the AWD Athlete of the Year honours,

Rob Blackadder from New South Wales, who has been officiating at a national level since 1995, and was Technical Manager at the Pacific School Games, the Sydney Track Classic and the recent National championship, was named Volunteer of the Year.

Domestic and international performances covering the period between April 30, 2008 and March 21, 2009 were taken into consideration by the panel of judges.