Jai Hindley has taken home The West Australian RAC WA Sports Star Award for 2020, with an astonishing second place in the famed Italian Grand Tour, the 2020 Giro d’Italia sealing his place among the winners of Western Australia’s most prestigious sports award.
Along with the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espagna, the Giro is one of the prestigious three-week-long Grand Tours in one of sports most gruelling tests of endurance.
Making Hindley’s performance all the more remarkable, it was only the 24-year-olds third Grand Tour start, riding support for team-mate Wilco Kelderman, in the midst of a pandemic.
The Hyundai Junior Sports Star Award saw Cooper Connolly become cricket’s first winner of the junior category, after reeled of a quick-fire 64 from 53 deliveries against the West Indies at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa.
Connolly capped off the year with Player of the Tournament and Player of the Final honours as WA took out the Australian Under-17 Championships in October, where he led the side with 264 runs at 66 and 14 wickets.
On other news at the RAC SportWest Awards, Trevor Gleeson claimed his second KPMG Coach of the Year, holding off strong challenges from Trent Cooper, Lisa Keightley and Stacey Marinkovich.
The WA Women’s Cricket team was named Channel Seven Perth Team of the Year, having risen from 7th the previous year to win their first Women’s National Cricket League title since the 1986/87 season.
Grant Edgar (cricket), Vicki Chadwick (netball) and Lorraine Page (softball) have given more than 150 years in combined service, and were honoured with the Roobix Service to Sport Award and the May Campbell Medal.
Following is the list of finalists in all categories, with winners in bold:
The West Australian RAC Sports Star: Bryce Cotton (basketball), Ashton Agar (cricket), Jai Hindley (cycling), Nikita Hains (diving), Minjee Lee (golf), William Pike (thoroughbred horse racing).
Hyundai Junior Sports Star: Cooper Connolly (cricket), Hana Lowry (football), Adam White (triathlon).
Channel Seven Perth Team of the Year: Fremantle Dockers AFLW, Perth Wildcats, WA Women’s Cricket team, West Coast Fever.
KPMG Coach of the Year: Trent Cooper, Trevor Gleeson, Lisa Keightley, Stacey Marinkovich.
Community TAB Official of the Year: Michelle McMurdo (gymnastics), Tammy Standley (hockey), Dion Panossian (karate).
Roobix Service to Sport – May Campbell Medal: Grant Edgar (cricket), Vicki Chadwick (netball), Lorraine Page (softball).
RAC Insurance Beyond Sport – John Gilmour Medal: Bassendean Junior Cricket Club, Dianella White Eagles, Red Devils – Southern Districts Netball.
RAC Insurance Community Club of the Year: Wembley Districts Junior Cricket Club, Balga Soccer Club, High Flyers Trampoline and Gymnastics Academy.
Healthway Healthy Club Award: Ocean Ridge Junior Football Club, Woodridge Horse and Pony Club, Harlies Hockey Club.
