Matt Graham has taken out the 2016 Ski and Snowboard Australia Athlete of the Year award after an outstanding season, which saw him finish second overall in this season’s Moguls World Cup.
In a season of many highlights for Graham, his greatest came at Deer Valley, Utah where he won his first World Cup Gold medal at the biggest event of the year.
Graham took the top award from Aerials athlete Danielle Scott, who had a superb season to also finish second overall in the World Cup, and Snowboard Cross athlete Belle Brockhoff, who won her first Gold medal at the final World Cup event of the season, and finished ranked third overall.
Alpine Skier Mitch Gourley was named Para-Snowsport Athlete of the Year after an outstanding season that saw him achieve nine World Cup podium finishes and third on the World Cup standings overall.
The Snowboard Cross team took out the Outstanding Achievement award after a season that saw them take home three World Cup Gold medals, as well as three silver and one bronze.
Three different Australian Snowboard Cross athletes won at World Cup and X-Games, and Aussie athletes took home gold in the Men’s and Women’s event at the same World Cup event for the first time.
2002 Olympic Gold medallist Alisa Camplin presented the Junior Athlete of the Year award to Snowboard Halfpipe athlete Emily Arthur.
In a sign of the developing talent in Australia, Arthur took the award ahead of a number of fellow athletes who were part of the Australian Winter Youth Olympics team that achieved the best results in the teams history, winning a total of four individual medals and one team medal.
Arthur won Silver in the Halfpipe at the Winter Youth Olympic Games.
With under two years to the next Olympic Winter Games, Australia is well placed to match the multi-medal performances of previous campaigns.
Other award recipients named at the gala function in Melbourne were:
· Rising Star – Madison Hoffman (Alpine)
· Coach of the Year – Ben Wordsworth & Harald Benselin (Snowboard Cross)
· Development Coach of the Year – Christoph Maier (Alpine)
· Snowsports School of the Year – Jindabyne Central School
· Outstanding Achievement of the Year for Small Schools – Wenona
