News03 Dec 2007


World champions Rawlinson and Deakes named Australian Athletes of the Year

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Jana Rawlinson of Australia wins the 400m Hurdles Final (© Getty Images)

Reigning World champions Jana Rawlinson and Nathan Deakes were crowned 2007 Telstra Athletes of the Year at Athletics Australia’s gala awards function at the Sofitel Melbourne on Sunday (2) night.

It’s the second time Deakes has been recognised, having taken out the coveted award in 2005, while Rawlinson made it a trio of wins following triumphs in 2003 and 2004.

Both athletes were presented with a AUS$10,000 cheque courtesy of Telstra which will greatly assist with their preparations ahead of the Olympic Games in Beijing next year.

Rising sprint Hurdles star Sally McLellan, Steeplechase athlete Donna MacFarlane and distance runner Benita Johnson were also in the running for the Female Athlete of the Year title.

Deakes took out the distinction ahead of fellow walker Luke Adams, last year’s winner Craig Mottram and pole vaulter Steve Hooker.

Domestic and international performances covering the period between 1 April 2006 and 29 October 2007 were taken into consideration by the panel of judges.

Rawlinson’s award capped a superb campaign that formally commenced in May, just six months after the birth of her son Cornelis.

She won six times from seven starts in the 400m Hurdles in the lead-up to the World Championships in Osaka, a number of those races against world-class opposition.

The 25-year-old’s wonderful vein of form continued at the Worlds, where she produced a clean sweep of her heat, semi-final and final to claim her second World crown, this time over Olympic champion and World record holder Yuliya Pechonkina of Russia. Rawlinson's win came in the second fastest time of her career, second only to that which won her maiden World title in 2003.

In accepting the award, she paid special ackowledgment to her husband and coach Chris and mother Jackie.

Deakes, who battled injuries for part of 2007, knew no boundaries when claiming the 50km Race Walk World record his home-town of Geelong in December 2006 and complemented his place at the pinnacle of his sport with a glorious win in Osaka.

The Australian Institute of Sport scholar and his wife Antoinette made significant sacrifices on the road to the World Championships, spending months of the year in their Italian base – and only returned to the country on Thursday.

It was all worth it for husband and wife after a sometimes frustrating history for Deakes in the longer event that including disqualification at the World Championships in Edmonton in 2001 and the Athens Olympic Games of 2004.

The dual Commonwealth Games 50km Race Walk gold medallist’s emotional final lap in Nagai Stadium was stirring for those at the venue, just as it was for those enjoying the telecast from their lounge rooms in Australia.

Athletics Australia

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