Olympic gold medallist Tom Burton and silver medallist Lisa Darmanin have been named male and female sailors of the year respectively at the 2016 Australian Sailing Awards in Sydney over the weekend.

 

In sailing’s night of nights, the top performers were recognised, including a unique decision to award the ‘Sailor of the Year with a Disability’ to the entire Paralympic sailing team. The six-strong team have been regarded as Australia’s best ever, and returned from Rio with medals in all three classes contested.

 

For Burton, who is also a finalist for the NSWIS ‘Male Athlete of the Year’; the accolade comes following his emphatic gold medal performance at the Rio Olympics. The Sydneysider used wily tactics and technical nous to execute the race of his life in the final Laser class regatta in Rio, and said he is still amazed at how the day came together.

 

“I’ve definitely watched it a few times,” Burton told Sailing Australia of his Rio 2016 medal race.

 

“Most of the race I was in bronze medal position. I look back and think – how did that happen?!”

 

“Now that I have had time to think about the whole race, there were so many parts that needed to link together to make the result happen.

 

“No one has gone back-to-back gold in the Laser so that’s the goal. I’ve got my eye on Tokyo.”

Meanwhile Darmanin, a finalist for NSWIS ‘Female Athlete of the Year’, received her award after an outstanding performance at the Rio Olympics that saw her joined by cousin Jason Waterhouse to collect silver in the hotly contested, and new for Rio, Nacra 17 mixed class. Like Burton, she said she was still coming to terms with her achievement, while having an eye on the future.

 

“The last four years have been amazing and Rio was incredible”, said Darmanin.

 

“It’s been two months since I got home and I haven’t stopped talking about sailing to everyone. I am still reliving it over and over.

 

“I think we will be back in Tokyo 2020 aiming to win gold.”

In the feel-good award of the night, the Australian Paralympic Sailing Team, including NSWIS athletes and Rio gold medallists Liesl Tesch, Daniel Fitzgibbon and Jon Harris were jointly recognised with their Australian teammates for the ‘Sailor of the Year with a Disability’ award.

 

Tesch, nominated for NSWIS ‘Regional Athlete of the Year’ and Fitzgibbon stole a slice of history in Rio when they became the first Paralympic sailors to successfully defend a gold medal, won in the SKUD 18 class in both London and Rio.

The awards continued for Tesch later in the evening when she received the ‘President’s Award’, given at the sole discretion of Australian Sailing President Matt Allen.

 

The award recognised the achievements of Tesch as a two-time Paralypic gold medal winning sailor, but also highlighted her long sporting career that includes five Paralympics as a Wheelchair Basketball player that netted three Paralympic medals.

 

Tesch was also acknowledged for the work she does as a high school teacher, including creating sporting opportunities for people with a disability. Her work with ‘Sport Matters’, an organisation she co-founded in 2011 with long-time friend Jackie Lauff was also recognised.

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