|
News
 HALL OF FAME TO HONOUR SPORTING CHAMPIONS
CHAMPION triathlete, Miles Stewart, and 'Invincible' cricketer, Sam Loxton, will be honoured as Gold Coast sporting greats at the Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame on Thursday 10th November.
Stewart will be formally inducted into the Hall as a homegrown sporting star, while Loxton will be installed as a Sporting Legend in the late afternoon ceremony.
As one of the most successful triathletes our nation has ever seen, Stewart will be the 34th athlete to be inducted in to the Hall over the past six years.
He'll join the company of motorcycling champion, Mick Doohan, cricketer Craig McDermott, rugby league legend, Mick Veivers and surf lifesavers Karla Gilbert and Trevor Hendy.
Renowned for his consistency and deadly finishing sprint, Stewart's professional career spanned nearly two decades during which he became the youngest triathlete ever to be World Champion.
He added two world records to his name, continues to hold the fastest triathlon time in the world and was consecutively selected in 16 Australian teams.
After retiring in 2005, Stewart now dedicates his time to helping raise the level of junior talent in Australia, giving back to the sport that enthralled his life for 19 years.
Sam Loxton will be the second Australian sporting icon to be honoured on the Wall of Sporting Legends, where his plaque will sit alongside that of rugby league legend, Peter Gallagher.
Loxton enjoyed an outstanding cricket career spanning 12 tests and 140 first-class matches from 1946 to 1958.
As a right-hand batsman and fast-medium right-arm bowler he made his test debut for Australia at age 26 as part of Bradman's legendary team - The Invincibles.
Arguably the best all-round sportsman of his era, Loxton also played 41-games with VFL team St Kilda from 1942-1946.
After playing his last test match during the 1950-51 Ashes series in Sydney, Loxton went on to serve as a Liberal Member of Parliament for a quarter of a century and was an Australian Test selector between 1970 and 1981, before retiring on the Gold Coast.
Here he umpired local Gold Coast competition during the 1990's and remains a mentor to literally hundreds of up and coming young players.
The Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame was officially opened by motorcycling champion, Mick Doohan, in January 1999 and is open for viewing Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm.
Visitors can stroll through four rooms of sporting memorabilia, viewing official sporting uniforms dating back to the 1930's and Queensland's only official 'Olympic Room' - a shrine to Gold Coast Olympic achievement which also houses the Gold Coast's Sydney 2000 Olympic Games community cauldron and relay torch.
The Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame is situated on Mick Veivers Way, Owen Park, 201 Queen Street, Southport or can be visited online at www.goldcoastsport.com.au.
ENDS.
For further information please contact:
Angela McGregor
HicksonMedia
(07) 5591 2556
|
|
)