Winter sports dominate awards season

Australia’s winter athletes have dominated the AIS Sport Performance Awards in 2017, picking up three prestigious awards overnight in Sydney.

Dual Olympian Scotty James took out the ‘Male Athlete of the Year’, 2018 Paralympic Team Captain Mitch Gourley taking home the ‘Paralympic Performance of the Year’ with the Australian Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard Team named ‘Team of the Year’.

For James it caps off another strong year of results as his momentum builds towards the 2018 Paralympic Games in PyeongChang.  In 2017 he successfully defended his World Title, took out the X-Games in Aspen, won the Olympic Test event in PyeongChang as well winning the World Cup Halfpipe title.

Winter sports have taken top honours at the recent AIS Sport Performance Awards (ASPAs) as well as at the recent NSWIS Awards and VIS Awards of Excellence. And not just on the high performance stage has Winter sports been recognised, with SSA winning the ASC Excellence in Participation Award last month for the Snowracer initiative.

Gourley was a formidable force on the Para Alpine circuit throughout the year, taking gold at the Super combined Slalom at the Para World Champs as well as picking up seven medals throughout the World Cup series.

Australia’s stand out performances on the international stage throughout 2017, saw the Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard team named ‘Team of the Year’, with an impressive 35 World Cup medals. This included five from the World Championships with gold to Britt Cox and Scotty James, silver to Danielle Scott and bronze to David Morris and Alex Pullin, putting Australia fifth on the medal tally behind powerhouses Canada, Sweden and China.

The results have positioned the Aussies well with just under two months until the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and just on three months until the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.

The performances throughout the year have been recognised by many across the Australian sports community with Britt Cox, Tess Coady, Steve Desovich and Jerry Grossi taking home awards at the NSW Institute of Sport Awards – click here.

Mitch Gourley’s great results were also recognised at the Victorian Institute of Sport Awards where he picked up another Awards of Excellence – click here.

But it is not just at the elite level where snowsports have shined, with Ski & Snowboard Australia taking home the prestigious Australian Sports Commission (ASC) inaugural Excellence in Participation for the Snowracer initiative –  click here.