Tai takes British Swimming Athlete of the Year title
Alice Tai saw off her competition to claim the overall British Swimming Athlete of the Year crown, receiving a standing ovation from a full house in Leicester. After winning the Para-Swimming Athlete of the Year award, Tai was up against the winners of all of the other Athlete of the Year awards for overall title, which was a who’s who of aquatics stars in the UK.
Prior to Alice visiting the stage to pick up her first award of the evening, Adam Peaty was awarded Swimming Athlete of the Year after his trio of World titles this summer. Jack Laugher was named Diver of the Year, having picked up two medals himself in Gwangju. Kate Shortman continues to go from strength to strength and deservedly collected the Artistic Swimmer of the Year award. With Lily Turner and Charlie Brogan were crowned Female and Male Water Polo Athletes of the Year respectively.
With 2019 a brilliant year for British Swimming across all disciplines, it was always going to be a hard fought battle, but an independent panel of experts named Alice Tai the victor.
Clearly very emotional as she spoke to Hazel Irvine on stage for a second time, Alice said:
"Shocked is definitely a good way to describe it. Adam Peaty is just such an incredible athlete, as is everyone else who was nominated and won their categories, and honestly for him going sub 57 is insane, so to have received the overall Athlete of the Year this evening is an absolute honour."
Talking about her seven world titles, Alice added:
"I don’t think it’ll ever fully sink in! Sometimes I think it has and then I’ll have some sort of media opportunity and I’ll have to pose with all my medals - as I’m putting them all on and people are commenting on it I’m like, wow, this is crazy!"
Looking ahead to 2020, the Ealing swimmer said:
"My head is in a great place going into Tokyo - I’m enjoying training and I’m just enjoying every aspect of my life pretty much, so I’m really looking forward to it and everything in between. We’ve got Europeans as well and obviously the World Series are back, so just doing as much racing as I possibly can and seeing where I can go with it towards Tokyo."
A remarkable London 2019 World Para Swimming Championships saw Tai take the top prize. There was also recognition for Glasgow’s rising star Louis Lawlor, who was named Para-Swimming Emerging Athlete of the Year after winning bronze. Whilst Jacquie Marshall won Para-Swimming Coach of the Year, her trio of medal winning athletes Ellie Robinson, Maisie Summers-Newton and Zara Mullooly collecting it on her behalf.
2019 British Swimming Award Winners
- Alice Tai, Overall British Swimming Athlete of the Year 2019
- Jack Laugher, Diving Athlete of the Year 2019 Sponsored by GLL
- Alice Tai, Para-Swimming Athlete of the Year 2019 Sponsored by Everyone Active
- Adam Peaty, Swimming Athlete of the Year 2019 Sponsored by Tenerife Top Training
- Kate Shortman, Artistic Swimming Athlete of the Year 2019
- Lily Turner, Water Polo Female Athlete of the Year 2019
- Charlie Brogan, Water Polo Male Athlete of the Year 2019
- Adam Smallwood, Diving Coach of the Year 2019 Sponsored by Traveleads
- Jacquie Marshall, Para- Swimming Coach of the Year 2019
- Melanie Marshall, Swimming Coach of the Year 2019 Sponsored by SOS
- Paola Basso, Artistic Swimming Coach of the Year 2019
- Phil Powell, Water Polo Coach of the Year 2019
- Anthony Harding, Diving Emerging Athlete of the Year 2019
- Louis Lawlor, Para-Swimming Emerging Athlete of the Year 2019 Sponsored by UP&GO
- Kayla Van der Merwe, Swimming Emerging Athlete of the Year 2019 Sponsored by SOS
More information about para swimming and opportunities to get involved are available on British Swimming website.
Photo credit: British Swimming
