Three Australian Olympians were awarded the 2018 Female and Male Blues of the Year honours at the annual Sydney University Sport Blues Dinner held in MacLaurin Hall on Friday night.
Skier Madii Himbury and sailor Jaime Ryan shared the Female Blue of the Year award, while mogul skier James Matheson was named Male Blue of the Year.
Himbury, a Bachelor of Applied Science (Exercise and Sports Science) student, was selected in the Australian moguls team to compete at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang, South Korea.
She ranked 15th in her first moguls qualifying run and 10thin the second run to qualify for the final where she finished 20th with a score of 68.19.
Her path to moguls skiing came from a competitive gymnastic background. And her love for health and sport led her to pursue a dual career as a professional athlete and allied health practitioner.
She was the second woman in Australia to perform a backflip with a full twist on snow. “I battled with two ACL reconstructions when I was 16 and 18 where I considered quitting the sport,” she said. “But I stuck out the long years of rehabilitation and made it back as a better and stronger athlete.
“After qualifying for my first World Cup tour in 2016-17, I was setting myself up for a good chance at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Competing not only against the entire world but to be in the top four Australians put a lot of pressure on the international season. My best result of 10th at Calgary World Cup qualified me to be a part of the Australian Olympic team. After I retire from skiing, I am looking at furthering my studies with a degree in paramedicine.
“James Matheson is also a freestyle mogul skier and we have been teammates and friends since 2008. It was a great experience to share our first Winter Olympics together.”
Jaime Ryan made her Olympic debut at the Rio de Janeiro Games alongside Carrie Smith in the women’s 470 class.
The two were fierce competitors in the 420 class in previous years before teaming up in the 470 class in 2015.
Sailing in tough conditions in Rio, they finished 17th in race one and eighth in their second race for an overall result of 15th. The top 10 went through to the medal race.
“We tried really hard to make it just the same as any other regatta, not to build it up to put too much pressure on ourselves,” Jaime said. “But at the same time obviously it was what we’d been dreaming of for so long and what we worked so hard for.”
She said the support of the Sydney University Sport’s Elite Athlete program had enabled her to continue her studies while pursuing her Olympic ambitions in sailing in the four years leading into the Games.
“The EA program also gave me the great opportunity to meet other student athletes facing the same challenges that I did, and build networks with athletes from different disciplines,” she said. “Sport and study can each be stressful in their own right, so extra support in juggling the combination of both is hugely beneficial.”
Jaime’s brother Will won a silver medal in the men’s 470 class at Rio.
James Matheson, a Bachelor of Commerce student, began freestyle skiing in 2004 and emerged onto the international moguls scene in 2010 when he qualified for the Europa Cup as a 15-year-old.
The following year he was crowned the under-19 Australian moguls champion and in the 2017-18 World Cup season he recorded a personal best result at the first Thaiwoo World Cup, placing seventh and one place off qualifying for his first Super Final.
James was the second best placed Australian male mogul skier at PyeongChang, advancing from the second qualification run into the first final. But he was two places shy of moving through to the second final, recording a best score of 73.96 in Final 1 to finish 14th overall.
Another member of SUSF’s Elite Athlete Program, James was a long way from MacLaurin Hall on Friday night. He was in Ruka, Finland, with the Australian ski team preparing for the first World Cup competition of the 2018-19 season.
But he did send a message that was read out on the night: “To be awarded Male Blue of the Year is an absolute honour. Looking at the previous names is a testament to that and I don’t believe mine will be up there with them. Being in an individual sport, you sometimes miss out on the supportive ‘team’ feel that so many other sports have. SUSF has shown me what being part of a team is like. Whether it’s offering world- class gym facilities and trainers, or haggling with university lecturers on why you need special consideration, SUSF has been there throughout. The University’s support paid off for me personally when I qualified for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. To represent Australia in the Olympic Games final was a dream come true. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your prestigious club.”
Former Olympian Elka Whalan handled the MC duties for the evening, with the Welcome Toast being delivered by James Flynn, President of SUSF and a Reflection of SUSF’s Year being provided by Rob Smithies, Executive Director of SUSF. Pro-Chancellor and Fellow of the Senate Kate McLymont presented the Blue and Gold awards, while Adam Spencer conducted the Panel Interview with Victoria Guzman (Women’s soccer), Robert Taylor (men’s rugby coach) and Tom Young (Australian Rules Football).
The 2018 Blues recipients were:
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Darcy |
Baron-Hay |
AFL M |
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David |
Bartholot |
Boat |
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Richard |
Basckin |
Karate |
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Craig |
Bird |
AFL M |
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Georgia |
Boric |
Soccer |
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Morgan |
Brooking |
Boat |
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Rohan |
Browning |
Athletics |
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Joe |
Burgess |
Athletics |
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Nicholas |
Champion de Crespigny |
Rugby |
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Tim |
Clements |
Rugby |
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Henry |
Clunies-Ross |
Rugby |
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Alex |
Cobb |
Baseball |
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Jillian |
Colebourn |
Snowsports |
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Emma |
Cook |
Rowing (retrospective 2008) |
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Stevie |
Donougher |
Athletics |
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Stuart |
Dunbar |
Rugby |
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Nikoletta |
Flannery |
Soccer |
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Jaime |
Ford |
Boat |
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Noemie |
Fox |
Canoe/Kayak |
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Michaela |
Franz |
Boat |
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Lara |
Hamilton |
Athletics |
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Oskar |
Hansen |
Sailing |
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Luisa |
Healy |
Athletics |
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Madii |
Himbury |
Snowsports |
Female Blue of the Year |
Clare |
Hunt |
Soccer |
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Harry |
Johnson-Holmes |
Rugby |
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James |
Kane |
Rugby |
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Hayden |
Kerr |
Cricket |
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Sarah |
Marvin |
Athletics |
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James |
Matheson |
Snowsports |
Male Blue of the Year |
Simon |
McTavish |
Canoe/Kayak |
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William |
O’Shannessy |
Boat |
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Guy |
Porter |
Rugby |
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Jaime |
Ryan |
Sailing |
Female Blue of the Year |
Jack |
Sherratt |
Rugby |
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Theo |
Strang |
Rugby |
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Enid |
Sung |
Gymnastics |
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Christopher |
Talakai |
Rugby |
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Elizabeth |
Treloar |
Boat |
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James |
Walker |
Karate |
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Devlin |
Walsh |
Boat |
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Clare |
Wheeler |
Soccer |
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Brad |
Wilkin |
Rugby |
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Gold:
Luke |
Campton |
Rugby |
James |
Dorney |
Rugby |
Ray |
Hudd |
Rugby |
Wade |
Shippard |
Baseball |
Chas |
Wilkinson |
AFL |
Evan |
Hoskins |
Rugby |