Finalists field of dreams

TASMANIA’S stunning sporting year has been underpinned by the quality of finalists for the 2017 Tasmanian Athlete of the Year.

The six nominees are all top quality, with the final decision to be tough for the judges.

Amy Cure continues to be a consistent performer on track cycling’s world stage and this year she rode into the history books, becoming the first person to win medals in six different world track events. It takes her medal haul to 11, making her the second most successful woman at world championships, behind Anna Meares.

Rower Sarah Hawe had a breakout year, starting with three wins at the Australian national championships. She went on to become a world champion in the coxless four and won two gold medals in the same event at the second and third world rowing cup.

Paralympian Deon Kenzie added the T38 1500m world championship gold medal and broke his own world record by more than three seconds. He backed that up with a world championship silver and Australian record in the T38 800m.

Tour de France favourite Richie Porte suffered a horrendous crash that ended his tour and his season, but the Tasma- nian star already had his first Tour Down Under win, as well as victories in Europe at the Tour de Romandie and Criterium de Dauphine.

Ariarne Titmus announced herself as the next big thing of Australian swimming at the national titles in April when she broke her personal best time in the 800m freestyle by 14 seconds and won the 400m freestyle, also in a personal best (by five seconds). Titmus made her Australian Dolphins Swim Team debut at the world championships in July and finished fourth in the world for the 400m freestyle.

Rebecca Van Asch became the first Tasmanian to win an Australian Indoor Bowls Championship in the 30-year history of the event. She is now a three-time world champion.

The Tasmanian Athlete of the Year will be announced on November 29.