Three of Australia’s most Celebrated Female Triathletes Acknowledged with Highest Honour
Three of Australia’s most celebrated female triathletes Jackie Fairweather (nee Gallagher), Loretta Harrop and Emma Carney have received Triathlon Australia’s highest honour with their induction into the governing body’s Hall Of Fame.
The triumphant trio, along with Michellie Jones dominated the sport through the 1990s and mid 2000s in one of the real golden eras of the sport.
They join three of triathlon’s legends; Greg Welch, Miles Stewart and Sydney 2000 Olympic silver medallist Michellie Jones in a select group of Australia’s all-time greats in the Triathlon Australia Hall of Fame.
They will be officially inducted at the 2012 Triathlon Australia Celebration of Champions Awards Dinner on April 15 in Sydney.
Along with 1992 and 1993 World Champion Michellie Jones, the new inductees won six of the eight ITU World Championships between 1992 and 1999 and filled a host of podium finishes and World Cup victories along the way.
Emma Carney won the first of those world titles in 1994 and her second in 1997, followed by Jackie Fairweather with her gold in 1996 and Loretta Harrop who added Australia’s sixth gold in 1999 and a prized Olympic silver in 2004.
Jackie won her ITU World crown after winning silver in 1995 and silver again behind fellow inductee Emma in Cleveland in 1997 and to Loretta in 1999.
The former Australian athletics star became a household name as Jackie Gallagher and said she couldn’t wait to catch up with both Loretta and Emma at the awards dinner.
“It is a huge honour to be inducted alongside Emma and Loretta. I have great memories of racing them both “two of my greatest rivals,” recalled Fairweather.
“It was such a challenge to try to work out how to beat them! I still have the greatest respect for them both, but these days the relationships are a bit more relaxed and friendly! I can’t wait to catch up at the awards dinner and share memories and laughs.”
Loretta joined Michellie Jones and Nicole Hackett on the start line for triathlon’s Olympic debut in Sydney in 2000 finishing fifth before returning to claim Australia’s second Olympic sliver in Athens in 2004.
She had been crowned overall ITU World Cup champion in 1999 and in her Olympic year in 2004 also won silver in the World Championships in Madeira.
Loretta said she was thrilled to receive the phone call informing her of the induction.
“It is such an honour to be included – these are all the names I aspired to when I started triathlon and now I am a part of them – this is a big thrill.”
Emma Carney had an extraordinary career, chalking up an amazing 12 consecutive World Cup victories between June 1995 and April 1997 in a reign that made her one of the most feared triathletes in the world.
She was the world ranked number one woman for three years in succession in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and all in all chalked up 19 World Cup victories.
Emma only got serious about triathlon 18 months before winning her first ITU World title in Wellington in 1994 to launch a spectacular career.
Her performances through 1995 and 1997 will go down in triathlon history as one of the great individual performances in the sport.
But viral infections saw her struggle to match that form through 1995 but she dug deep to win silver in the World Championships in 1996 behind fellow inductee Jackie Fairweather before reversing the result in 1997.
Emma was regarded as one of the most punishing trainers in the sport who won her last World Cup in Ishigaki in 1998 before taking bronze in the 1999 World Championship.
CELEBRATION OF CHAMPIONS DINNER “April 15, 2012
Triathlon Australia invites the triathlon and sport community to come along to celebrate the induction of our three newest Hall of Famers at the Celebration of Champions Dinner on 15th April to be held at Doltone House, Jones Bay Wharf, in Pyrmont.
The dinner will be held on the day after the 2012 Dextro Energy ITU Triathlon World Championship Series race in Sydney on Saturday, April 14 featuring the cream of Australia’s Triathlon troops “Emma Snowsill, Emma Moffatt, Emma Jackson, Erin Densham, Felicity Abram, Ashleigh Gentle, Brad Kahlefeldt, Brendan Sexton, Chris McCormack, Dan Wilson, Aaron Royle and Drew Box.
The dinner will also feature Australia’s reigning World Champions; Craig Alexander (2011 Ironman World Champion and 2011 70.3 World Champion) and Melissa Rollison (2011 70.3 World Champion).
In addition the night will feature the Elite Athlete Awards, recognition of the Australian Age Group Champions, and a charity auction of Australian signed race suits.
DINNER TICKETS: Tickets are on sale from for $115pp and include canapés, a 3 course meal and all drinks. Click here for details
