Rohan Dennis wins The Advertiser Channel 7 Sport Star of the Year for a second time
Cycling world champion Rohan Dennis has capped a remarkable year by being named the 2018 The Advertiser Channel 7 Sport Star of the Year — the second time he has won the award.
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Rohan Dennis has been knocked off his bike more times than he can remember but every time it just added fuel to a burning desire to become world champion.
There was the national championships in 2014 when he was on track for gold only to be picked up and dumped on the side of the road by a whirlwind.
Then there was the Rio Olympics in 2016 when he looked headed for the podium only to snap one of his handlebars and come off.
Or the world championships in 2017 when he was second fastest through the two main checkpoints before rain started to fall and the wet road brought him undone.
But this year, finally, the SA cyclist stayed upright and everything came together for him to win the individual road time trial world championship for the first time.
Standing on top of the podium was a long time coming for Dennis who had finished 8th, 6th, 6th, 5th and 12th in the past five years.
To be the best the 28-year-old had to beat the best and he dethroned the reigning world champion Tom Dumoulin over 52.5km in Austria in September.
He crushed the field, beating Dumoulin by 1min 21secs and four-time world champion Tony Martin by 2mins 25secs, and in doing so became only the second Australian ever to claim the gold medal along with Michael Rogers.
The rainbow jersey was the highlight of Dennis’ European road season, in which he also won time trials in the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana, which was recognised by winning The Advertiser Channel 7 Sport Star of the Year for the second time on Friday night.
He also took out the top gong in 2015 when he wore the yellow jersey at the Tour de France.
Dennis was voted the winner by a panel of six judges from The Advertiser and Channel 7, narrowly beating fellow cyclist Matthew Glaetzer who won the sprint world title and two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, and pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall who also won gold on the Gold Coast in April.
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy was a finalist for winning The Everest for the second year in a row on Redzel but his Melbourne Cup triumph fell outside of the October 31 criteria cut-off.
“It’s a dream come true obviously being world champion, I’ve been chasing this since I was a junior, I’ve never won it in any age group so to win it as a senior is pretty special,” Dennis said in September.
“I can’t explain it, it’s an amazing feeling,” Dennis said.
“I was being coached from the car by Brad McGee and he gave me confidence at the top of the climb that I was a minute up on Dumoulin and just kept me calm.
“I was considering a bit of a victory salute but I wanted to make sure of it.
“There are a lot of people I have to thank for this and the first one is my wife (Melissa) who’s back home and I’m sure she’s pretty happy at the moment.”
TEAM OF THE YEAR — NORTH ADELAIDE SANFL
North Adelaide’s SANFL premiership was the ultimate football fairytale that at times seemed too good to be true.
But when delirious Roosters fans woke up the next Morning, it was very real indeed.
Rising from wooden spooner the previous year to premier in 2018, the Roosters defied the critics, injury and controversy to beat Norwood by 19 points in front of 40,355 people at Adelaide Oval.
The win broke a 27-year premiership drought at Prospect as the club’s first league premiership since 1991, and in a double celebration the Roosters also won the reserves flag by defeating the Redlegs in the grand final.
Coached by former Port Adelaide hard man Josh Carr, North Adelaide won just four games in 2017 and finished last on the ladder.
This year they finished fifth and went on a barnstorming run through the finals series, beating South Adelaide, Sturt and the Eagles in the preliminary final — which was marred by a 19th man controversy — when they were found to have fielded 19 men on the field at the start of the last quarter.
After being cleared to play in the grand final, the Roosters then had to find a way to win without vice captain Alex Spina who was injured in the preliminary final.
But they never looked like losing. They started strongly by kicking 5.0 to Norwood’s 3.7 in the first quarter and were never headed, running out impressive winners 19.10 (124) to 15.15 (105).
On Friday night North Adelaide was named team of the year at The Advertiser Channel 7 Sport Star of the Year Awards.
ELITE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY- JED ALTSCHWAGER
Jed Altschwager’s life changed in a split second on July 27, 2015, but he soon found a silver lining and a road that could lead him to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
Altschwager was operating an excavator in his job as a construction supervisor when his left leg was crushed and later amputated just below the knee.
As soon as he started rehabilitation he was looking for opportunities and got into CrossFit before being lured into rowing.
He showed promise and was invited to a national training camp in Canberra before competing in the Head of the Yarra in Melbourne.
The 32-year-old now trains 40 hours a week in the gym and on the water and in September represented Australia at the world championships in Bulgaria where he won a silver medal in the men’s pairs with James Talbot.
Altschwager was honoured on Friday night by winning the elite athlete with a disability award at The Advertiser Channel 7 Sport Star of the Year Award.
TANYA DENVER AWARD — CHIRS REMKES
Chris Remkes was the toast of Australian gymnastics in April when he delivered the country’s first men’s Commonwealth Games vault gold in 24 years.
Remkes became the first Australian gold medallist in the event since Bret Hudson in 1994 which capped a remarkable journey from a Filipino orphanage.
The 22-year-old spent the first two years of his life in the orphanage at Bacolod before being adopted by Australian couple Mark and Dora Remkes.
Remkes, a ball of muscle who stands just 147cm and weighs 47kg, was the most inspiring story of the games and said he hoped he would provide inspiration for others that anything is possible.
On Friday night Remkes was honoured at The Advertiser Channel 7 Sport Star of the Year Awards by winning the Tanya Denver Award for Endeavour and Sportsmanship.
“I’ll look back on my journey and think from where I started to where I am now, but it obviously doesn’t stop here because I want to compete at the Olympics and I will definitely aim towards Tokyo,” Remkes said.
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD - JANE CLAXON
Hockeyroo Jane Claxton has emerged as SA’s most popular athlete by winning The Advertiser Channel 7 People’s Choice Award on Friday night.
Claxton polled 36 per cent of votes to win the award which capped a stellar international season.
The 26-year-old was named the prestigious Hockeyroos’ player of the year at the Hockey Australia gala awards on the Gold Coast in October in a reward for her consistency.
She was part of the national team’s world league semi’s campaign and Oceania Cup success when she scored in the 2-0 win over New Zealand in the final.
In total, Claxton played in 26 of the Hockeyroos’ 27 international matches and also stepped up as vice captain this year.
JUNIOR SPORT STAR OF THE YEAR — KAYLA CROWTHER
Kayla Crowther is one of the rising stars of South Australian racing’s riding ranks.
The Goolwa based apprentice enjoyed a breakout year riding 78 winners during the 2017-18 season to finish third on the SA Rider’s Premiership behind only accomplished senior riders Jamie Kah and Todd Pannell.
Along with 78 winners she rode 126 additional placings from 517 rides at 15 per cent runners to winners while riding 13 Stakes races amassing nearly $1.4m in prizemoney.
She also finished runner up behind Kah in the SA Provincial Premiership & she won the SA Country Premiership outright.
Crowther is one of the busiest jockeys in the business having already had 200 rides this season.
She landed his first city double in June while her brilliant 2017-18 season was rewarded winning the Caitlin Forrest South Australian Provincial and Country Apprentice of the Year Award.
Her boss David Jolly has described Crowther as a natural talent that is only matched by a relentless work ethic.
Crowther also rode four winners on a single day for the first time recently and she is once again leading the SA Country Premiership in season 2018-19.
THE ADVERTISER CHANNEL 7 SPORT STAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Sport Star of the Year: Rohan Dennis — cycling
Team of the Year: North Adelaide — Australian football
Elite Athlete with a Disability: Jed Altschwager — rowing
Junior Sport Star of the Year: Kayla Crowther — horse racing
Tanya Denver Award: Chris Remkes — gymnastics
People’s Choice Award: Jane Claxton — hockey
Originally published as Rohan Dennis wins The Advertiser Channel 7 Sport Star of the Year for a second time
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