World champion paddler Jessica Fox and mother Myriam Fox-Jerulsalmi, also her coach, have been named as finalists in this year's AIS Sport Performance Awards.
The mother and daughter duo have been judged as finalists for Female Athlete of the Year and Coach of the Year respectively in the AIS Sport Performance Awards (#ASPAs), the annual celebration of Australian high performance sport. All winners will be announced at a black-tie function at The Star, Sydney, on Thursday 13 December 2018.
Jessica Fox created history in her sport this year, the 24-year-old becoming the most decorated female slalom paddler of all time. She set the tone for a successful 2018 by winning a record six straight World Cup races in only 21 days in June and remaining unbeaten in the C1 category.
The Olympic silver and bronze medallist then wrapped up the most successful canoe slalom season in history by winning double gold in the women's K1 and C1 at the 2018 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships.
Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi, a former world champion paddler and Olympic bronze medallist with France, coaches Australia's women's canoe slalom program, which also includes younger daughter Noemie. In total, Fox-Jerulsalmi 's athletes finished the 2018 International season with a record haul of 10 gold medals, one silver and a bronze across under 23 and senior competitions.
Finalists for Female Athlete of the Year are:
• Madison de Rozario (Athletics): The popular wheelchair athlete claimed two gold medals at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, in the Women's T54 1500m and marathon. She became the first Australian female wheelchair racer to win the London Marathon, and in May equalled the T53/54 1500m wheelchair world record.
• Stephanie Morton (Track Cycling): Morton claimed three gold medals on the track at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, in the Sprint; Keirin and Team Team Sprint (with Kaarle McCulloch). Morton also claimed silver at the 2018 Track World Championships.
• Stephanie Gilmore (Surfing): Gilmore is on the way to becoming the most dominant women's surfer in history. She won the first of her six world titles in 2007 and is well positioned for a record-equalling seventh, ranked number one on the World Surf League Championship Tour. Surfing makes its Olympic debut in 2020.
• Jessica Fox (Canoe Slalom)
Finalists for Coach of the Year are:
• Steve Glasson (Bowls): Glasson has played a pivotal role in orchestrating the success of the Australian Jackaroos at all international competitions over the last eight years, culminating in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games with five gold and two silver medals from ten disciplines.
• Tim Decker (Track Cycling): Decker guided the Australian men's 4000m Team Pursuit to a gold medal and world record at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. It was the first time Australia had held the world record since 2004 and it was the first time a team had gone under the 3 minute 50 seconds barrier.
• Ian Wright (Rowing): Wright has overseen the roll out of the Australian men's rowing program in Canberra and in 2018 Australia's male crews won three golds and four silver medals. For these achievements, Wright was named Rowing Australia Coach of the Year.
• Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi (Canoe Slalom)
Finalists are being announced this week in all other categories for the AIS Sport Performance Awards (#ASPAs), including: male athlete; emerging athlete; Para-performance; leader; team and; high performance program.
The AIS, in partnership with ABC Grandstand, has also launched a public vote to determine the ABC Sport Personality of the Year and Best Sporting Moment of the past 12 months.
ABC Grandstand is the media partner for the AIS Sport Performance Awards and Australians can vote at aisawards.abc.net.au from now until 5pm AEDT on 9 December, 2018.
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