Derry’s Aileen Reid has been voted Vodafone Athlete of the Year at the annual Triathlon Ireland Awards Dinner held in Dublin last night.
Recognised as one of Ireland’s leading international sports stars, Reid was presented with the prestigious award after a season which saw her claim silver at the World Triathlon Series Grand Final in what was the greatest individual performance ever by an Irish triathlete.
She was presented with the award at the awards dinner held in the Aviva Stadium where almost 300 elite and age group athletes, family and friends gathered for the annual medals ceremony for the sport.
Special guest at the event was double Paralympic gold medallist Mark Rohan as over 100 medals and awards were handed out to participants across the wide range of Triathlon Ireland events and age groups in 2013.
The highlight of the night, however, was undoubtedly the announcement of Reid (31), a member of the North West Triathlon Club, as Athlete of the Year. The award is voted on by members of Triathlon Ireland.
The Derry woman’s stunning performance in London at the World Triathlon Series Grand Final banished the memory of her fall on the same course in the London Olympics a year earlier, putting in powerful performances in both the swim and bike before excelling in the run which took her to a silver medal, behind Britain’s new powerhouse Non Stanford, and ahead of Australia’s Emma Moffat – 2010 and 2009 World Triathlon Championships and Olympic bronze medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics – in third.
Reid, by virtue of this and other sterling performances over the course of the year, finished the 2013 season ranked seventh in the World.
Speaking at the event, Vodafone Ireland Chief Executive Anne O’Leary said, Reid “fully deserved” the award.
She said: “We all stood in admiration of Aileen’s stunning performance in London. To show the courage to go back to the same course where her Olympic hopes were dashed last year and secure silver in the World Triathlon Series Grand Final was amazing. In that regard, Triathlon Ireland members have chosen very well for the Vodafone Athlete of the Year Award.”
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