Sport for Women

Annette Edmondson - Australia's Top Sportswoman of all time?

Here at Sport for Women, we aim to find out once and for all, who are Australia's Top 100 Sportswomen of all time?

We receieved this great nomination for Annette Edmondson from Prue Gorman and rather than edit it down, we thought we'd share it all with you.

Annette (Nettie) Edmondson is a young track cyclist who shows an incredible unwavering determination to achieve her goals.

Nettie competed at the 2012 Olympics in London, winning the bronze medal in the women’s omnium. This was an even more incredible achievement given that Nettie originally excelled as a sprinter, winning a gold medal at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in 2007 and setting an Australian U19 Record in the 500m time trial in 2008.

In both 2008 and 2009, Nettie was named ‘Champion of Champions’ at the Australian Track Titles, and she took part in Junior World Championships in South Africa and Russia, winning silver and bronze medals. She achieved near-total dominance at the Oceania Track Championships in both years with a total of five gold medals.

After much soul searching and a short time out of cycling in 2010, with the support of her SASI coach Tim Decker, Nettie made a successful transition from sprint to endurance cycling.

Her amazing dedication to putting in the necessary long hours both on the road and in the gym saw her named the elite Champion of Champions at the January 2012 Australian Track Titles for her gold medals in the individual pursuit and points race, and silver in the scratch. Her win in the individual pursuit, where she recorded the fastest time ever ridden on Australian soil, was named the 'Ride of the Series'.

Nettie went on to win two silver medals in the Team Pursuit and Omnium at her first senior Track World Championships in Melbourne in April 2012. Along with Melissa Hoskins and Josephine Tomic, Nettie claimed the world record in the team pursuit semi-final before having it broken by the British.

Her selection in the Australian Olympic track team (alongside her younger brother Alex) fulfilled her long held childhood dream and the promise she had always shown to her coaches and her family in her early years.

Outside of the velodrome, Nettie has competed in a number of road races and claimed second in the U23 division and third overall at the 2012 Road National Championships.

In June 2012, Nettie claimed her first road victory in Europe over 117.9 kilometres in the Tour of Ronostrand in the Nethlerlands.

Off the track she is generous with her time mentoring younger athletes, and has spent time volunteering in Australia and overseas. Nettie was awarded the 2008 Amy Gillett Award which recognizes a rider showing exceptional character, a fighting spirit, fair play or teamwork.