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Swimming Australia Announces Annual Awards -- December 12, 2006
BRISBANE, Australia, December 12. YESTERDAY, Leisel Jones, Swimming World Magazine's World Swimmer of the Year, capped a sensational 2006 when she nabbed the Telstra Swimmer of the Year at a star-studded awards ceremony at Brisbane's Convention and Exhibition Center.
Jones won the award from an all-star cast of nominations, which included fellow individual world record holders Libby Lenton and Jessicah Schipper and triple Commonwealth Games gold medalist Sophie Edington.
The 21-year-old became only the fourth female in 15 years to win the award, joining fellow greats Hayley Lewis (1991), Susie O'Neill (1995, 1996) and Jodie Henry (2004).
Her record-breaking feats also saw her claim the Speedo Short Course Swimmer of the Year award, share the Swimming Australia Golden Moment prize and earn selection on the initial official Telstra Australian All Star Swim Team.
On top of her awards from the pool, Jones created history by becoming the initial female swimmer to win the Telstra People's Choice Award, an award voted by the Australian public who selected Jones as their favorite swimmer for 2006.
The who's who of the swimming world also watched on as Olympic hero Ian Thorpe was honored on his stellar career as a moving video tribute brought those in attendance to their feet.
Thorpe, Giaan Rooney and Brett Hawke were among those Australian team members to be recognized for their services to the Telstra Dolphins.
Other major award winners included Jones' world record breaking medley relay teammates from the Commonwealth Games, Sophie Edington, Jessicah Schipper and Libby Lenton, for the Golden Moment, her coach Stephan Widmer (Telstra Coach of the Year), rising star Stephanie Rice (Australian Sports Commission Discovery of the Year) and newly crowned Open Water World champion Josh Santacaterina (Telstra Open Water Swimmer of the Year).
Lenton was also a multiple winner - taking home the much sought after Telstra Swimmers Swimmer award and Paralympic star Matt Cowdrey won his third consecutive Telstra Swimmer with a Disability honor.
Jones shared the Telstra Golden Moment Award with her teammates Lenton, Schipper and Edington in the Australian women's 400 medley relay team, which slashed more than a second off the world record on the last night of swimming at the Commonwealth Games.
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