36 36 AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17 OVERVIEW AND HIGHLIGHTS World Champions One of the measures of Australia’s performance on the international stage is the number of world champions Australia has across a range of benchmark events.1 Australia’s Winning Edge sets a target of more than 20 world champions annually. Between July 2016 and June 2017, Australia had 10 able bodied athletes or teams and five Paralympic athletes or teams crowned as world champions.2 A further 16 able bodied athletes and teams and 19 Paralympic athletes who won world championships in 2015–16 continue to be the reigning world champion where their sports have not held benchmark events during the reporting period. The number of sports that did not hold benchmark events during the reporting period was high due to the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Table 3: 2016–17 World champions at benchmark events Sport Athlete Event Lawn Bowls Carla Krizanic, Natasha Scott, Rebecca Van Asch World championships — Women’s Triples Lawn Bowls Kelsey Cotterell, Natasha Scott, Rebecca Van Asch and Carla Krizanic World championships — Women’s Four Lawn Bowls Karen Murphy World championships — Women’s Singles Lawn Bowls Aaron Wilson and Brett Wilkie World championships — Men’s Pairs Canoe Slalom Jessica Fox World championships — Women’s C1 Canoe Slalom Jessica Fox, Alison Borrows, Rosalyn Lawrence World championships — Women’s C1 Team Canoe Sprint Lachlan Tame, Ken Wallace World championships — Men’s K2 500 Canoe Sprint Ken Wallace World championships — Men’s K1 5000 Cricket The Australian Women’s Team ODI World Cup — Women Cricket The Australian Men’s Team ODI World Cup — Men Cycling BMX Caroline Buchanan World championships — Time Trial 1. Benchmark events include the world championship event or equivalent for: all Olympic and Paralympic disciplines; non Olympic disciplines in Foundation sports; and peak events for other able bodied Australia’s Winning Edge sports. 2. Where an athlete is crowned world champion in multiple events or disciplines the athlete is only counted once for the purpose of the Australia’s Winning Edge target.