Ariarne Titmus takes title as Tassie athlete of the year after stunning Olympic swims
After becoming the first Tasmanian to win an individual Olympic gold medal, it was no surprise to hear Ariarne Titmus’s name read out as the 2021 Tasmanian athlete of the year.
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SHE’S become the golden girl of Australian sport so it was little surprise to see Ariarne Titmus crowned Tasmania’s best athlete for 2021.
The dual Tokyo Olympic gold medallist was awarded her second Tasmanian Athlete of the Year award on Thursday night ahead of a star-studded field including hockey duo Eddie Ockenden and Josh Beltz, Deon Kenzie (athletics), Stewart McSweyn (athletics) and Richie Porte (cycling).
Titmus, 21, had an outstanding year, highlighted by taking down US swimming star Katie Ledecky in the 400m freestyle in the dual of the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first Tasmanian to win an individual Olympic gold medal.
“I am a proud Tasmanian and I still believe Launceston is my home town,” Titmus said from her Brisbane base.
“I felt the support of the state immensely when I was at the Olympics.
“It hit me hard how much you guys backed me at the Games and I’ll be forever grateful for that.”
She backed that up with another gold in the 200m freestyle and added a silver in the 800m freestyle and a bronze in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
It was a night for Olympians, with another four added to the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame.
Tim Deavin had a seven-year international career with the Kookaburras and attended two Olympic Games – London in 2012 and Rio in 2016 – earning a bronze medal in London.
Matthew Goss, a former world champion cyclist, enjoyed a 12-year international cycling career including gold at the Track World Cup in Denmark in the Team Pursuit, claiming 17 major wins throughout his career and raced for Australia at the 2012 London Olympics in the men’s road race.
Kerry Hore is an Olympic bronze medallist and was the first Australian female rower to represent Australia at four Olympics – Athens, Beijing, London and Rio while Sid Taberlay was the first mountain biker to be inducted into the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame and is a five-time national champion, world championship medallist, and Oceania medallist.
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