Olympic gold medallist Kyle Chalmers wins SASI male athlete of the year

Kyle Chalmers trophy cabinet is growing rapidly after the Rio champion last night collected the 2016 South Australian Sports Instititue’s Male Athlete of the Year award at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

PORT Lincoln teenager Kyle Chalmers trophy cabinet is brimming after the Olympic champion last night collected the 2016 South Australian Instititue of Sport’s Male Athlete of the Year award at a gala event at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Chalmers, 18, earlier this week collected The Advertiser’s Sports Star of the Year award to go with his Swimming Australia swimmer of the year and Olympic swimming moment of the year.

It has been a hectic schedule of meeting wellwishers for Chalmers, who was also made a fuss over in his home town of Lincoln and at his old school Immanuel College and has managed to sneak in a quick European holiday.

Olympic Gold medallist Kyle Chalmers prepares for Australian short course championships.

SASI director Wes Battams spoke for the room when he summed up Chalmers’ eye-catching achievements.

“(His) rise to Olympic gold in the men’s 100m freestyle was one of the performances of the (Rio) Games,” Battams said. “Coupled with a further two bronze medals in the relays, Australia and the world awaits the future chapters to be written by this young excitement machine.”

The Female Athlete of the Year was awarded to Rio Olympics flag-bearer Anna Meares, who this year closed the book on Australia’s most successful track cycling career.

Meares, 33, retired with gold medals from the London and Athens games, silver in Beijing and bronze in Athens, London and Rio.

“She has been a source of inspiration and consummate professionalism,” Battams said. “Her appointment as Rio Olympic Team flag bearer coupled with her medal-winning performance in Rio concluded a tryley remarkable career.”

2016 WINNERS

Male Athlete of the Year

Kyle Chalmers (swimming)

Female Athlete of the Year

Anna Meares (cycling)

Athlete of the Year with a Disability

Brayden Davidson

Junior Male Athlete of the Year

Kurtis Marschall (athletics)

Junior Female Athlete of the Year

Chloe Moran (cycling)

Coach of the Year

Peter Bishop (swimming)

Amy Gillett-Safe Memorial Award

Jared Tallent (athletics)

Originally published as Olympic gold medallist Kyle Chalmers wins SASI male athlete of the year