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We’re down to the final two categories in The Roar’s Sports Awards 2016, and because we’re all about the opinion of sports fans here, it’s up to you to decide who’s going to win.
Yesterday’s Sports Media Personality of the Year was the fourth award for you to decide, and now we’re on to the two biggest awards, starting with Sportswoman of the Year.
2016 saw plenty of our female athletes outshine the men, both at the Olympics and in other competitions. But, as incredible as all of these individual performances over the course of the year were, there can only be one winner.
Haven’t voted for the other awards? Have your say now!
» Breakout Sports Star of the Year
» Media Personality of the Year
» Team of the Year
» Sports Personality of the Year
We’ve narrowed the choice down to a shortlist of seven, but the rest is up to you.
Here are the nominated athletes.
Rowing
Going into the Rio Olympics unbeaten in the women’s single sculls since 2014, Brennan defied the weight of expectation and the choppy waters of Lagoa Stadium with a faultless performance to claim the gold medal. She was also named Australia’s flag bearer for the closing ceremony in Rio.
Basketball
The Opals might have failed to live up to their pre-Olympic expectations, but that was no fault of Cambage’s. The dominant centre led the competition for points per game (23.5) and was second in rebounds per game (10.3), all the while shooting better than 57 per cent from the floor. Of particular note was an exceptional 37-point outing which single-handedly dragged the Opals past Japan during the group stage.
Swimming
Campbell will unfairly be remembered for flopping during the Rio Olympics, but 2016 was still an impressive year for the Queenslander. The oldest Campbell sister not only anchored Australia’s brilliant women’s 4x100m freestyle team during their gold medal-winning final, but also broke the 100m freestyle world record which had been set during the ‘supersuit’ era.
Rugby Sevens
Already a nominee for our Breakout Sports Star of the Year, Caslick was simply amazing in 2016. She finishes the year as a world champion, an Olympic champion and the reigning women’s sevens player of the year, all at just 21 years old.
Cricket
Oh what the Australian men’s cricket team would do for an all-rounder of Perry’s class. In 14 ODIs this year, Perry scored 732 runs at 81.33 (including nine half-centuries in 13 innings) and grabbed 20 wickets at 24.4. She captained the Sydney Sixers to the final of the Women’s Big Bash and also occasionally plays football rather well – although her Matildas career has taken a back seat for the time being.
Shooting
Skinner wasn’t exactly labelled as one of Australia’s Olympians to watch prior to Rio, but all that changed when she claimed gold in the women’s trap. Despite missing her first and fourth targets, Skinner was still too good for New Zealand’s Natalie Rooney, taking home a gold medal which kept Australia atop the medal tally early on Day 2 in Rio.
Surfing
Wright became a world champion for the first time in 2016, clinching the crown in October. The win capped off a difficult year for Wright, whose brother Owen had to recover from a brain injury sustained while competing as well as the passing of an uncle, to whom she had promised a world title win. As it happens, she secured the title at the Roxy Pro in France, the last event her uncle had seen her perform in.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.