Photo & Story by Stephen J. Thomas<\/p>\n
SYDNEY, Australia, November 22. IT came as no surprise to anyone that Grant Hackett, the Australian team captain, was named the 2005 Australian Swimmer of the Year at a formal function in Sydney. Hackett won a golden treble in the 400\/800\/1500 freestyle, including a world record in the 800, together with silver in the 200 freestyle and a bronze in the 800 freestyle relay at the World Championships in Montreal this year. <\/p>\n
It is the second time the 25-year-old Queenslander has won the award having shared the title with five-time winner Ian Thorpe in 2003. Hackett took out five awards in total, having also picked up the Swimmers' Swimmer of the Year (voted by his Aussie team members) and the Swimmer of the Year (People\u2019s Choice) and both men\u2019s Middle Distance and Long Distance Freestyle Swimmer of the Year awards. <\/p>\n
Hackett won the Swimmer of the Year from a trio of female stars, Leisel Jones, Libby Lenton and Jessicah Schipper.<\/p>\n
Hackett, who has had successful shoulder surgery for a chronic injury last week and was still carrying his right arm in a sling, nearly fell climbing the steps on one of his frequent trips to the stage but was still able to pass a joke that at least he hadn\u2019t broken his ankle as well. He will miss the qualification meet for next year\u2019s Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Games in late January but felt that the shoulder was feeling good and he hoped to be back in training before the end of this year.<\/p>\n
While Hackett was the big winner of the night, Libby Lenton also took home three awards, Short Course Swimmer of the Year, Female Sprint Freestyle Swimmer of the Year and Middle Distance Swimmer of the Year. Lenton also had had an outstanding year which included gold in the 50 freestyle in Montreal, both the 400 medley and freestyle relays, and silver in the 800 relay which included a Commonwealth record in her relay leadoff. The 20-year-old also broke three world records in short course this year: the 100 freestyle twice in August and the 200 freestyle just this past weekend at the FINA World Cup meet.<\/p>\n
Breaststroker Leisel Jones took the \u201cGolden Moment\u201d of the Year award for her winning the women\u2019s 100 breaststroke in Montreal. Jones finally got the monkey off her back after a series of silver medal efforts at major meets over the past five years. Jones also broke the world record in the 200 breaststroke as well as her contribution in the 400 medley relay gold medal performance. Not surprisingly, Jones also took the female Breaststroke Swimmer of the Year.<\/p>\n
Coach of the Year was jointly awarded to Denis Cotterell (Hackett) and Stefan Widmer (Lenton and Jones).<\/p>\n
AWARD WINNERS<\/b><\/p>\n
Services to Swimming Australia 2005<\/b>
\nRegan Harrison
\nSiobhan Paton
\nAlicia Aberley
\nGrant Cleland
\nTrent Steed
\nBrooke Stockham
\nRoger Smith AM<\/p>\n
Roger Smith Technical Official of the Year<\/b>
\nKaren MacLeod \u2013 Queensland<\/p>\n
Telstra SWD Scholarship Winners<\/b>
\nBen Austin
\nDaniel Bell
\nSarah Bowen
\nSam Bramham
\nLichelle Clarke
\nMatthew Cowdrey
\nDamien Narbeshuber
\nSarah Rose
\nPrue Watt
\nRod Welsh
\nTamleh Wilson<\/p>\n
Australian Sports Commission Male Discovery of the Year<\/b>
\nLeith Brodie<\/p>\n
Australian Sports Commission Female Discovery of the Year<\/b>
\nJade Edmistone<\/p>\n
Swimming Australia Male Individual Medley Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nAdam Lucas<\/p>\n
Swimming Australia Female Individual Medley Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nLara Carroll<\/p>\n
Age Group Coach of the Year<\/b>
\nDenis Cotterell<\/p>\n
SWD Coach of the Year<\/b>
\nPeter Bishop<\/p>\n
Open Water Coach of the Year<\/b>
\nMichael Bohl<\/p>\n
Coach of the Year<\/b>
\nDenis Cotterell and Stefan Widmer<\/p>\n
Female Short Course Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nLibby Lenton<\/p>\n
Male Short Course Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nJim Piper<\/p>\n
Swimming Australia Female Open Water Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nTrudee Hutchinson<\/p>\n
Swimming Australia Male Open Water Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nBrendan Capell<\/p>\n
Swimming Australia Female Breaststroke Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nLeisel Jones<\/p>\n
Swimming Australia Male Breaststroke Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nBrenton Rickard<\/p>\n
Female Sprint Freestyle Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nLibby Lenton<\/p>\n
Male Sprint Freestyle Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nMichael Klim<\/p>\n
Female Middle Distance Freestyle Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nLibby Lenton<\/p>\n
Male Middle Distance Freestyle Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nGrant Hackett<\/p>\n
Female Backstroke Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nGiaan Rooney<\/p>\n
Male Backstroke Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nMatt Welsh<\/p>\n
Female Distance Freestyle Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nHaylee Reddaway<\/p>\n
Male Distance Freestyle Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nGrant Hackett<\/p>\n
Swimming Australia Female Butterfly Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nJessicah Schipper<\/p>\n
Swimming Australia Male Butterfly Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nTravis Nederpelt<\/p>\n
Female Youth Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nBronte Barratt<\/p>\n
Male Youth Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nAndrew Lauterstein<\/p>\n
Swimming Australia Golden Moment of the Year 2005<\/b>
\nLeisel Jones \u2013 100m Breaststroke 2005 FINA World Championships<\/p>\n
Swimmer of the Year (People\u2019s Choice)<\/b>
\nGrant Hackett<\/p>\n
Swimmer of the Year with a Disability<\/b>
\nMatthew Cowdrey<\/p>\n
Swimmers\u2019 Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nGrant Hackett<\/p>\n
Swimmer of the Year<\/b>
\nGrant Hackett<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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