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Olli Hoare wins Bruce McAvaney Award for performance of year

Olli Hoare joined an exclusive club of Australian men's 1500m Commonwealth gold medallists in Birmingham.

Olli Hoare joined an exclusive club of Australian men's 1500m Commonwealth gold medallists in Birmingham. Photo: AAP

Olli Hoare’s historic 1500m triumph at the 2022 Commonwealth Games has earned him the Bruce McAvaney Award for the best performance of the year in Australian track and field.

The 26-year-old Hoare emerged triumphant in Birmingham against a high-class field including world champions Timothy Cheruiyot from Kenya and Scotland’s Jake Wightman.

He joined the legendary Herb Elliott as the only Australian men to win a Commonwealth 1500m title.

“When I look back on that performance, it’s still so surreal to me,” Hoare said.

“To have achieved gold and to be part of the legacy in the 1500m in Australia means a lot and I’ve been looking back on it fondly.

“To be able to say I ran a Commonwealth Games championship and won gold like Herb Elliott did, and then with Bruce (McAvaney) commentating it is amazing.

“I can’t stress enough how lucky I feel to have done it for Australia.”

Hoare also claimed the John Landy Award for men’s able-bodied athlete of the year.

Back-to-back javelin world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber won the Marjorie Jackson award as women’s able-bodied athlete of the year.

Award winners

Bruce McAvaney Award for performance of the year – Olli Hoare

Marjorie Jackson Award for female able-bodied athlete of the year – Kelsey-Lee Barber

John Landy Award for male able-bodied athlete of the year – Olli Hoare

Russell Short Award for para athlete of the year – Evan O’Hanlon

Female junior athlete of the year – Tiana Boras

Male junior athlete of the year – Calab Law

Coach of the year (open) – Paul Burgess

Coach of the year (junior) – Andrew Iselin

Official of the year – Tony Williams

-AAP

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