Chalmers with his gold medal in Rio.
OLYMPIC champions Kyle Chalmers and Mack Horton split the honours at Swimming Australia’s annual Gala Dinner in Brisbane.
Chalmers was named the Olympic swimmer of the year and also won the Golden Moment award for his historic victory in the sport’s blue riband event, the 100m freestyle in Rio.
The 18-year-old became the first Australian since Michael Wenden in Mexico in 1968 and just the fourth to win 100m freestyle gold.
Chalmers with Australia’s women’s Olympic gold relay team. Picture: Liam Kidston.Source:News Corp Australia
Horton received the Swimmer’s Swimmer award, voted by his teammates for his victory in the 400m freestyle.
Horton won the admiration of his teammates for his bold stance against drug use in the sport and his ability to back-up his views with victory on the opening night of the Games.
He joins Ian Thorpe (2004), Brad Cooper (1972) and the late great Murray Rose (1956, 1960) to win the Olympic 400m freestyle gold.
Thorpe — the star of the 2000 and 2004 Olympic swim teams and the Olympic Swimming Athlete of the Century Dawn Fraser were both in the room.
Golden girl Maddison Elliott was crowned the Paralympic Program Swimmer of the Year.
Elliott walked away from Rio a triple-gold medallist, two of them in individual events, the third in the all-conquering freestyle relay; a dual silver medallist and with two world records to her name.
Her swim in the women’s 50m freestyle S8 bettered her own world record by almost half a second when she stopped the clock in 29.73 — her first time under 30 seconds.
The Newcastle girl’s two other gold medals came in the 100m freestyle and as a member of the 4x100m freestyle relay who also set a world record.
Michael Bohl from St Peters Western was again named coach of the year.
Originally published as Olympic heroes share spoils
