Anna Meares has taken the top gong in the annual Australian Institute of Sport awards with the triple track world champion crowned Athlete of the Year in a ceremony in Canberra overnight.
"To have an athlete of the stature of Anna winning this award highlights the importance of the AIS and all our institutes and academies working with national sporting organisations to develop our elite talent," sports minister Mark Arbib said.
"This is a credit to the AIS cycling program for their drive and commitment working in partnership with Cycling Australia to enable athletes to succeed in reaching their goals."
Meares was one of a number of cyclists awarded, with Luke Durbridge taking out junior athlete of the year for his under 23 world championship, and Kaarle McCulloch joining Meares for best team performance.
The awards come just a week after Meares was also officially inducted into the Australian Institute of Sport's hall of fame. The 28-year-old becomes only the third cyclist to become a part of the "Best of the Best" list, after previous inductees Shane Kelly and Stuart O'Grady.