Matilda Clare Hunt, Paralympian Vanessa Low and Indigenous Netballer Donnell Wallam have featured as powerhouse athletes as the 2024 Women in Sport Photo Action Award (WISPAA) winners were announced.
Women Sport Australia are delighted to announce the Professional, Amateur and Emerging winners of WISPAA for another year.
Martin Keep is the winner in the Professional category proudly presented by ISPT, with an incredible shot of Clare Hunt hitting a header in the Matilda’s friendly match against France at MARVEL Stadium in 2023.
Amateur photographer Olivier Rachon has gone back-to-back this year, with a winning shot of Vanessa Low taking part in the long jump event at the Maurie Plant meet in February 2024.
And up-and-coming photographer Maya Thomson has joined elite ranks winning the Emerging category with her inspiring capture of Donnell Wallam during the opening round of the Suncorp Super Netball competition.
15 finalists in each category were selected from hundreds of images entered, with further critiquing required from the judges to whittle down to the winners.
Chief Photographer of the AFL, Michael Willson, was full of praise for the Professional category victor, Martin Keep, describing it as “a winner at first sight.”
“This image aligns perfectly with everything the WISPAA’s are about – a photographic celebration of the strength, athleticism and skill of our female athletes,” he said.
“The timing of the shot is impeccable, catching the decompression of the ball, emphasising the incredible skill required to execute a header. The expressions on the faces of the athletes draws you into the intensity of the moment, while the composition is bold and clean, balanced perfectly with all three athletes central in the frame.”
Olivier Rachon is no stranger to being in the finals of WISPAA, and has secured another win in the Amatuer category with his capture of Low. Rachon had two photos reach the final round of judging in 2024.
WISPAA has unearthed another photographer in the Emerging category, with Maya Thomson taking out the top prize. Her shot of Wallam impressed News Corp Australia Sports Journalist Emma Greenwood.
“This image succinctly captures one of the greatest rivalries in world netball at the moment. The skill and strength needed by Wallam to outmanoeuvre a player regarded by many as the best defender in world netball is immense and this picture freezes the moment the contest is won,” said Greenwood.
“A split second captured in time, there is great skill not only by the athletes framed in the picture but the photographer as well, whose ability to translate a contest occurring in a split second metres above the court from a bullet-like inbound pass is impeccable.”
CODE Sports supported the People’s Choice voting again in 2024, and the popularity of this continues to grow.
The Professional winner was Dannion Hards with a mid-wave capture of Iron Woman Claudia Slaven in full flight during Surf Lifesaving Australian Titles. This image took 41% of the total vote for the win.
Bradley Redfern took the most popular shot of Olympic hope Jess Fox, in one her pre-Paris events in Penrith, NSW. This skillful shot won 38% of the community vote. .
The winners were announced at the WISPAA Awards and Exhibition Event held at Flex by ISPT Collider in Sydney, Australia.
