Tokyo 2020 Olympian Steph Gilmore has won the NSW athlete of the year honour for the third time at the NSW Champions of Sport ceremony gala dinner last night.
This year Steph became the most dominant female surfer ever by winning her eighth world title, overtaking fellow Australian Layne Beachley.
The Kingscliff surfer previously won the world title in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2018 - in addition to winning NSW athlete of the year in 2010 and 2014.
Beijing 2022 snowboard halfpipe Olympian Valentino Guseli was voted the young athlete of the year. At 16 years of age Valentino was Australia's youngest representative at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, where he finished sixth in the snowboard halfpipe final.
During the 2021-22 World Cup season he won a silver and a bronze medal on his way to finishing the year ranked fourth overall on the slopestyle standings.
Coach of world champion high jumper Eleanor Patterson, Alex Stewart, was voted coach of the year.
The awards ceremony also saw Olympians Brad Dalton (Basketball) and Joanne ‘Joey’ Peters (Football) inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions.
