Coutts Crowned Aussie Swimmer Of 2012
Nov 24, 2012 - Craig Lord
Alicia Coutts was today named the 2012 EnergyAustralia Swimmer of the Year at a gala dinner in Melbourne at the end of a stellar year in which she picked up five Olympic medals at London 2012.
As a repeat winner of the top award, Coutts joins the likes of Thorpe, Perkins, O'Neill, Hackett and Klim in the club of swimmers who have take the crown in more than one season. Her coach, AIS-based John Fowlie was named coach of the year.
The 25-year-old Coutts, who last earned the top honour as a triple Commonwealth champion in 2010, won the award over fellow Olympic relay gold medallists Cate Campbell, Brittany Elmslie and Melanie Schlanger.
Beyond that gold medal in the relay on the first night of action, Coutts also claimed a silver medal in the 200m medley, bronze medallist in the 100m butterfly, and was a member of the Aussie 4x200m freestyle and 4x100m medley quartets that took silver at London 2012. Her tally, while shy of the best golden counts of Shane Gould (1972) and Ian Thorpe (2000) equals the best haul by an Aussie swimmer at an Olympic Games.
Her golden 4x100m free teammates, Campbell, Elmslie and Schlanger were awarded the Speedo Golden Moment of the Year with Couuts, while men’s breaststroke silver medallist Christian Sprenger won the Swisse People’s Choice Award.
Queenslander Melissa Gorman took out the Open Water Swimmer of the year, finishing 11th at her second Olympic Games, while fellow distance swimmer Trent Grimsey was acknowledged for his achievements in setting a new world record for the English Channel crossing, as well as being crowned the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix Champion for 2012.
In other awards, 18-year-old Brittany Elmslie won the Australian Sports Commission Discovery of the Year, Blair Evans won the Singapore Airlines Short Course Swimmer of the Year and the Age Group Coach of the Year went to Craig Jackson from Melbourne Vicentre.
A full list of 2012 Award winners Down Under: