Dolphins Sweep SASI Awards

The achievements of a pod of South Australian Dolphins have been celebrated in style as swimming stole the show at last night’s South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) annual Awards.

Athletes Kyle Chalmers, Madi Wilson and Meg Harris, coach Peter Bishop and leading Performance Analyst Tim Rawlins were amongst the winners at the Adelaide Convention Centre, as the ceremony honoured both the best in South Australian Sport and SASI’s 40^th anniversary.

Swimming Australia High Performance Director, Tamara Sheppard, congratulated the winners saying the awards were recognition of the elite standards and work ethic of the broader SASI squad.

“It’s been a remarkable year for our team to compete consistently at such a high level across two international campaigns and we are incredibly proud, not only of their performances, but of the deserved recognition they receive through awards like these,” Sheppard said.

“The standard of success that has become so synonymous with the Dolphins begins in the daily training environment and we congratulate SASI for the significant contribution they make, through athletes, coaches and support staff, to our Australian teams.”

Chalmers, currently in Indianapolis competing in the final leg of FINA’s World Cup circuit, was crowned SASI Male Athlete of the Year following a powerful year in the pool including a Gold medal and World Record in the mixed 4x100m Freestyle relay at the FINA World Championships, and a further three Gold medals at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games highlighted by his victory in the individual men’s 100m Freestyle final.

A member of the Dolphins new athlete leadership group, Wilson was presented the Amy Gillett-Safe Award, recognising an athlete’s commitment to sport through passion and persistence. Her performances throughout 2022, including six Gold medals and two World Records across the FINA World Championships and Commonwealth Games, have been complemented by her strong advocacy for her fellow athletes and contributions back to the next generation of swimming stars.

Harris claimed the Swimming Program Athlete of the Year in recognition of her own outstanding performances across both international meets in 2022, both as a key member of the women’s 4x100m Freestyle relay team and winning her first individual medal at an international meet at the FINA World Championships.

Head Coach of the SASI Swimming program and a member the Dolphins coaching team for both the World Championships and Commonwealth Games in 2022, Bishop was crowned SASI Coach of the Year with his athletes including Chalmers, Wilson, Harris, Matt Temple and Zac Incerti all excelling on the international stage.

Himself a member of the Dolphins support staff for both international campaigns, Rawlins critical work in supporting the coaches and athletes as a performance analyst saw him receive the SASI Service to Sport Award for his commitment to the SASI values of teamwork, excellence, courage and energy.