Gold medallists Jana Rawlinson and Nathan Deakes, who spearheaded Australia's campaign at August's world track and field championships, won the Athletes of the Year awards on Sunday night.

Just eight months after the birth of her first son Cornelis, Rawlinson won the 400m hurdles world title for the second time in August.

The 25-year-old also had a successful campaign in Europe and is the raging favourite to win a first Olympic title in Beijing next year.

Deakes, 30, set the current 50km walk world record of three hours 35 minutes and 47 seconds in his home town of Geelong last December.

He then overcame several injury concerns in the lead-up before dominating the 50km race in Osaka to claim his first world title.

It was the first time in 39 years that Australia had won more than one track and field gold medal at a single Olympics or world championships, although the successes of Rawlinson and Deakes only partially obscured an otherwise largely disappointing display by the Australian squad.

It was the third time Rawlinson had claimed the Australian female Athlete of the Year award title, while Deakes had previously won the men's award in 2005.

The awards were presented at an Athletics Australia function in Melbourne.

Deakes' coach Craig Hilliard won the Coach of the Year award.

Hilliard's stable also includes Luke Adams, who was seventh in the 20km walk at the world championships, and world junior long jump champion Robbie Crowther.

Pole vaulter Steve Hooker was voted Athletes' Athlete of the Year.

The voting period for the awards went from April 1, 2006 to October 29, 2007 and Hooker finished last year atop the world rankings.

Rising pole vault star Vicky Parnov won the junior award and Kurt Fearnley and Amanda Fraser were voted the AWD male and female Athletes of the Year.

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