STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 7.50 PM WEDNESDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2016
Sailor Matthew Bugg is the 2016 Tasmanian Athlete of the Year.
Matt has had an outstanding year, consistently posting outstanding results on the world stage. Matt is a great sportsman and a wonderful role model.
The highlight was a silver medal at the Rio Paralympics in September, with only a disqualification in one race costing him the gold.
This year he also won a silver medal at the ISAF World Cup, a bronze at the Delta Lloyd 2.4 multi World Championships, and a bronze medal at the IFDS World Championships.
He joins a prestigious list of winners including Richie Porte (cycling) in 2013, Eddie Ockenden (hockey) in 2014, and Amy Cure (cycling) last year.
The Tasmanian Athlete of the Year is chosen by a panel of judges from Communities, Sport and Recreation, the TIS and Tasmanian sports journalists.
The other finalists for 2016 were Amy Cure (cycling), Deon Kenzie (athletics), Matthew Phillips (enduro motocross) and Richie Porte (cycling).