![\"Ian](\"\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/media\/thorpe.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSYDNEY, October 27: It was the start one magnificent career and the end of another at the Telstra Swimmer of the Year Awards in Sydney tonight with Beijing golden girl Stephanie Rice became the sixth female winner of the coveted Telstra Swimmer of the Year Award at a glittering function at Darling Harbour and the end of another with the surprise retirement of the world's greatest distance swimmer Grant Hackett.<\/p>\n
Rice, 20, joins Hayley Lewis, Susie O'Neill, Jodie Henry, Leisel Jones and Libby Trickett on a prestigious list of "who's who" to have won the coveted award, presented in front of over 500 people at the Sydney Convention Centre.<\/p>\n
But moments after Rice had received the 19th Australian Swimmer of the Year Award, the man who has led the Telstra Dolphins since the 2005 FINA World Championships and the winner of two Olympic gold medals in 2000 and 2004 told the packed Convention Centre board room that Beijing's 1500m freestyle had been his last.<\/p>\n
"I've made the decision to retire from the sport I started as a five-year-old\u2026.it's been a wonderful ride but the time is right to move on to the next stage of my life," said Hackett, who received a standing ovation.<\/p>\n
"I want to thank my family, friends, my coaches and everyone who has helped me achieve my goals, especially the Australian team. It has been a privilege to lead you for the last four years and something I will cherish forever."<\/p>\n
It added another major dimension to swimming's "night of nights" as the swimming community came together to honor the performances of a team which thrilled the Australian public through 2008.<\/p>\n
Rice's win tips the Swimmer of the Year Award scales in favor of the girls since the award's inception in 1991 with five men, Glen Housman, Kieren Perkins, Michael Klim, Ian Thorpe and Hackett carving their names on the trophy.<\/p>\n
Rice, the dual world record holder in both the 200 and 400m individual medleys edged out 2006 winner Jones and 2007 winner Trickett to take the top gong.<\/p>\n
"It's been quite an amazing year for me\u2026.the Trials were just a whirlwind\u2026then the Olympics and everything that went with it\u2026.to win those two individual gold medals and then share that incredible moment with the girls in the relay was beyond my wildest dreams," said Rice.<\/p>\n
"I would just think to take this opportunity to thank my coach Michael Bohl, my family and friends, my sponsors and supporters, you have all been wonderful, I could not have done it with out you and it is such an honour to be named the Telstra Swimmer of the Year."<\/p>\n
Bohl, head coach at Brisbane's St Peter's Western, was named the Telstra Coach of the Year.<\/p>\n
Rice and team mates Bronte Barratt, Kylie Palmer and Linda MacKenzie also received the Swimming Australia "Golden Moment of the Year" for their amazing world record breaking gold medal in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay in Beijing.<\/p>\n
Among the other major award winners on Swimming's night of nights were:
\n– Swimming team captain Grant Hackett who won the much sought after Swimmers Swimmer of the Year \u2013 voted on by members of the Telstra Dolphins Australian team.<\/p>\n
– Libby Trickett, who was named the Telstra People's Choice Award winner, narrowly over Rice, after over 14,000 votes were received from the Australian public.<\/p>\n
– Paralympian of the Year Matthew Cowdrey who won the Telstra Swimmer of the Year with a Disability for the third year running and also the Australian Unity Club Leadership Award for his work with the Norwood Club in South Australia.<\/p>\n
– Cate Campbell, who was awarded the Australian Sports Commission Discovery of the Year \u2013 the award Rice won back in 2006.<\/p>\n
– Felicity Galvez, who won the Speedo Short Course Swimmer of the Year for her gold medal, world record breaking efforts at this year's FINA World Short Course Championships in Manchester while:<\/p>\n
– Matt Welsh, Linda MacKenzie, Brooke Hanson, Justin Norris, Adam Lucas and Michelle Engelsman all received Speedo's Service to the Australian Swimming Team Awards.<\/p>\n
2008 Telstra Swimmer of the Year Awards<\/b><\/p>\n
Speedo Services to the Australian Swimming Team
\nBrooke Hanson
\nJustin Norris
\nMatt Welsh
\nMichelle Engelsman
\nAdam Lucas
\nLinda Mackenzie <\/p>\n
Roger Smith Technical Official of the Year
\nIan Arblaster<\/p>\n
Australian Sports Commission Discovery Swimmer of the Year
\nCate Campbell<\/p>\n
Telstra Swimmer with a Disability Coach of the Year
\nPeter Bishop<\/p>\n
Age Group Coach of the Year
\nDenis Cotterell<\/p>\n
Open Water Coach of the Year
\nTracey Menzies<\/p>\n
Telstra Coach of the Year
\nMichael Bohl<\/p>\n
Telstra International All Star Team
\nEamon Sullivan
\nPatrick Murphy
\nGrant Hackett
\nHayden Stoeckel
\nBrenton Rickard
\nMatt Targett
\nAndrew Lauterstein
\nNick D'Arcy
\nLeith Brodie
\nTravis Nederpelt
\nKy Hurst
\nLisbeth Trickett
\nBronte Barratt
\nStephanie Rice
\nKylie Palmer
\nSophie Edington
\nEmily Seebohm
\nMeagen Nay
\nTarnee White
\nLeisel Jones
\nMarieke Guehrer
\nJessicah Schipper
\nMelissa Gorman
\nKate Brookes-Peterson
\nBrendan Capell
\nMatthew Cowdrey
\nPeter Leek
\nRick Pendleton
\nKatrina Porter
\nEllie Cole
\nSarah Bowen<\/p>\n
Australian Unity Club of the Year
\nMonash University Swim Club<\/p>\n
Australian Unity Club Leadership Award
\nMatthew Cowdrey<\/p>\n
Swimming Australia Golden Moment of the Year
\nWomen's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay – Beijing<\/p>\n
Speedo Short Course Swimmer of the Year
\nFelicity Galvez<\/p>\n
Open Water Swimmer of the Year
\nKy Hurst<\/p>\n
Telstra Swimmer of the Year with a Disability
\nMatthew Cowdrey<\/p>\n
Telstra People's Choice Award
\nLisbeth Trickett<\/p>\n
Telstra Swimmers' Swimmer of the Year
\nGrant Hackett<\/p>\n
Telstra Swimmer of the Year
\nStephanie Rice<\/p>\n
PREVIOUS TELSTRA SWIMMER OF THE YEAR WINNERS<\/p>\n
1990 Glen Housman QLD
\n1991 Hayley Lewis QLD
\n1992 Kieren Perkins QLD
\n1993 Kieren Perkins QLD
\n1994 Kieren Perkins QLD
\n1995 Susan O'Neill QLD
\n1996 Susan O'Neill QLD
\n1997 Michael Klim VIC
\n1998 Michael Klim VIC
\n1999 Ian Thorpe NSW
\n2000 Ian Thorpe NSW
\n2001 Ian Thorpe NSW
\n2002 Ian Thorpe NSW
\n2003 Ian Thorpe\/Grant Hackett NSW\/QLD
\n2004 Jodie Henry QLD
\n2005 Grant Hackett QLD
\n2006 Leisel Jones QLD
\n2007 Libby Lenton QLD
\n2008 Stephanie Rice QLD<\/p>\n
Special thanks to Swimming Australia for contributing this report.<\/i><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"Grant](\"\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/media\/hackett.jpg\")
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