40 40 AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17 OVERVIEW AND HIGHLIGHTS AIS Sport Performance Awards The ASC held the third annual AIS Sport Performance Awards (ASPAs) on 14 December 2016, recognising and celebrating the outstanding achievements of Australian athletes, teams, coaches and administrators. Awards were presented across ten categories, including two people’s choice awards decided by public vote, for performances achieved during the 2016 calendar year. In addition to the 10 category awards, Gary West (cycling), best known for his role as coach of champion cyclist Anna Meares, was inducted into the AIS ‘Best of Best’. Female Athlete of the Year Kim Brennan — rowing Kim has been one of rowing’s most consistent international performers in recent years and her crowning moment was winning gold in the women’s single sculls at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The 31-year-old’s victory was the first time Australia had won an Olympic women’s sculling gold medal and Australia’s second-ever female Olympic rowing gold medal. Kim is a true leader, sitting on the rowing team’s leadership group, Rowing Australia Athletes’ Commission and the Australian Olympic Council’s Athletes’ Commission. Male Athlete of the Year Kyle Chalmers — swimming Australian swimming unearthed a superstar in 2016 when 18-year-old Kyle broke a 48-year drought to win gold in the blue riband 100-metre freestyle at the Rio Olympics. His performance won him Swimming Australia’s Golden Moment of the Year Award and the Olympic program Swimmer of the Year award. On the way to that victory he broke the world junior record in the heat, semi-final and final. He then backed up to help Australia to bronze in the 4 x 100-metre freestyle and 4 x 100-metre medley relays. Kyle’s maturity and modesty throughout the Olympics defied his young age. Team of the Year Australian women’s team — rugby sevens In 2016 the Australian women’s rugby sevens team won the first gold medal for the new Olympic sport defeating New Zealand at the Rio Games. The gold medal capped a year of dominance, with the team also winning its first world championship. The team won the first three tournaments of the 12-team series, along with a third and a second placing to win by a margin of 16 points. The team is highly regarded for its conduct on and off the field with the players being outstanding ambassadors for rugby and women’s sport.