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Latest News |
| (30-10-09) |
| Emma Moffatt receives QAS Award for Sporting Excellence
It has been a year full of stellar performances from Triathlete Emma Moffatt, capping off the year on home turf with a win at the final of the ITU World Championship Series and winning the 2009 Dextro Energy ITU World Championship. Today the winning trend has continued for this popular Gold Coast athlete. At the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) Awards Evening, Emma's outstanding achievements throughout the year were recognised when she was announced as the recipient of the 2009 QAS Peter Lacey Award for Sport Excellence. The Minister for Sport, Mr Phil Reeves MP presented the award to Emma at the annual QAS Awards Evening and commended Emma on her accomplishments in 2009. "The Peter Lacey award acknowledges the QAS athlete who has achieved the greatest international success during the year while also serving as an ambassador for sport," Minister Reeves said. "This year, Emma has cemented her position as one of the world's leading triathletes, by winning the 2009 Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series." "Emma won the first race of the World Championship series in Austria, then went on to win the gold in the USA followed by silver in Korea," the Minister continued. As the leading point scorer going into the grand final of the series on the Gold Coast, Emma extended her lead by winning the final race to the delight of the home crowd at Southport. Emma stepped up to the challenge, thriving on the pressure that surrounded her performance on the Gold Coast before taking to the course at the Broadwater, testament to her training and preparation prior to competing in the final race of the series," said Mr Reeves. In a closely fought contest, Emma Moffatt was announced the winner of the QAS Peter Lacey Award for Sporting Excellence ahead of fellow QAS athletes including Jessica Schipper, Sally McLellan, Ken Wallace, Mitchell Watt, Madonna Blyth, Christian Sprenger, Michael Hepburn and Blake Cochrane. Emma now joins the esteemed company of previous winners Vicki Wilson, Geoff Huegill, Grant Hackett, Susie O'Neill, Kieren Perkins, Kerrie Meares, Geoff Trappett, Jodie Henry, Leisel Jones, Emma Snowsill, Libby Trickett and Stephanie Rice in winning this prestigious award named in honour of an Australian surf lifesaving icon. "Before his passing in 1997, Peter Lacey won 14 World Championship medals and was one of the inaugural Board members of the QAS." "A legend in the sport of surf lifesaving, this award ensures that Peter's name and legacy lives on and remains associated with the highest level of sport in Queensland." The Awards Evening also included the presentations of the QAS 'Coach of the Year' and QAS 'Sport Program of the Year' Awards. Mr Michael Bohl was announced as the winner of the QAS Coach of the Year for his outstanding work with triple gold medallist Stephanie Rice, as well as his other squad members Meagen Nay, Kenrick Monk and Nicholas Sprenger. The Sport Program of the Year was awarded to the QAS Women's Water Polo Program accepted by Head Coach Aleks Osadchuk. The Award recognises the program that had the most athletes representing on state and national teams while also consistently utilising the facilities at the Academy - the award includes a $20,000 budget incentive going to the further development of the program. The QAS Awards Evening signalled the end of yet another successful year for the QAS with athletes breaking several world records in the pool and on the cycling track, while collecting 19 World Championship medals. |