2009 Westpac Halberg Awards Finalists Announced

2009 Westpac Halberg Awards Finalists Announced

Auckland, 02 January 2010 - Outstanding performances by New Zealand sportsmen and women at world championship level last year have been reflected in the finalists selected for the 2009 Westpac Halberg Awards.

Rowing dominates the list with five finalists - senior and lightweight single scull world champions Mahe Drysdale and Duncan Grant, the pair of Eric Murray and Hamish Bond and the lightweight double scull crew of Storm Uru and Peter Taylor plus Richard Tonks, who coached two of the world champions. Cycling, with women’s world individual pursuit champion Alison Shanks, world BMX Olympic Class champion Sarah Walker and head coach Tim Carswell, has three finalists while athletics, with world shot put champion Valerie Vili and coach Kirsten Hellier, has two.

Other World Champions to be recognised by the Halberg Awards Voting Academy were swimmer Sophie Pascoe and the women’s 420 sailing crew of Alexandra Maloney and Bianca Barbarich-Bacher. The heroic efforts of the All Whites in beating Bahrain to be one of the last teams to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals in South Africa have been rewarded with Team and Coach (Ricki Herbert) selections.

There are 13 finalists named in the three categories from which the supreme Halberg Award winner will be chosen - Sportsman (5), Sportswoman (4), Sports Team (4).

Voting for the Westpac Halberg Awards is carried out by a Voting Academy comprising 29 media representatives, coaches and athletes who have excelled at the highest level. The highly-competitive Westpac Sportsman of the Year category was clearly difficult for the academy to narrow down to the regulation four finalists, with five finalists put forward. They include the rowing single scull world senior and lightweight world champions Drysdale and Grant, Black Caps captain and outstanding all-rounder Daniel Vettori, All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, who was named the IRB ‘Player of the Year’ and Indy racing League driver Scott Dixon, who this year became the most successful driver in the IRL.

Four finalists have been confirmed in the Westpac Emerging Talent category, limited to individuals yet to achieve international success at elite senior level, which carries a $15,000 scholarship from Westpac. They are Sam Webster (cycling), Aaron Cruden (rugby), Robbie Manson (rowing) and Sam Meech (sailing).

The awards organised each year by the Halberg Trust, salute outstanding achievement by New Zealanders in sport at home and overseas over the 12-month calendar period. All category winners and the Halberg Award recipient, widely regarded as the ultimate accolade for sporting excellence by a New Zealander, will be announced at a glittering black tie dinner at the SKY CITY Convention Centre in Auckland on Thursday, February 04, 2010.

In the Westpac ‘Sportswoman of the Year’ category Valerie Vili, who went through the year unbeaten, is joined by three other world champions; the cycling pair of Alison Shanks (individual pursuit) and Sarah Walker (BMX Olympic Class) plus Sophie Pascoe, winner of four gold medals - all in world record time - at the 2009 Paralympic Swimming Championships.

The All Whites are joined in the Westpac ‘Sports Team of the Year’ category by rowing world champions Storm Uru and Peter Taylor (lightweight double scull), Eric Murray and Hamish Bond (senior pair), and the sailing 420 women’s world champions, Alexandra Maloney and Bianca Barbarich-Bacher.

The SPARC Coach of the Year finalists are Richard Tonks, mentor of Drysdale, Murray and Bond, Tim Carswell, head coach of the cycling team at the 2009 World Track Championships, All Whites boss Ricki Herbert and Kirsten Hellier, coach of Valerie Vili.

The Voting Academy for the Westpac Halberg Awards, which had 68 nominations to consider, includes:
Philippa Baker Hogan, Richard Becht, Hamish Carter, Ron Cheatley, Mathew Cooper, Graeme Crosby, Andy Dalton, Howard Dobson, Daniel Gilhooly, Steve Gurney, Andy Hay, Rachael Henderson, Debbie Hockley, Jayne Kiely, Dave Leggat, Danyon Loader, Jonathan Millmow, Peter Montgomery, Ron Palenski, Farah Palmer, Ramesh Patel, Mark Richardson, Anna Rowberry, Mark Sorensen, Mike Stanley, Howie Tamati, Dick Tayler, Brendan Telfer and Kevin Tutty.

The Finalists for the 2009 Westpac Halberg Awards are:

Westpac New Zealand ‘Sportsman of the Year’
Scott Dixon (motor sport), Mahe Drysdale (rowing), Duncan Grant (rowing), Richie McCaw (rugby) and Daniel Vettori (cricket).

Westpac New Zealand ‘Sportswoman of the Year’
Sophie Pascoe (swimming), Alison Shanks (cycling), Valerie Vili (athletics) and Sarah Walker (BMX cycling).

Westpac New Zealand ‘Sports Team of the Year’
All Whites (football), men’s senior pair (rowing), men’s lightweight double scull (rowing), women’s 420 (sailing)

The supreme trophy, the Halberg Award, will be chosen from one of the above. The 2008 Halberg Award went to world shot put champion Valerie Vili.

2009 WESTPAC HALBERG AWARDS CATEGORY FINALISTS


Westpac New Zealand ‘Sportsman of the Year’

Scott Dixon (Motor Sport): Had 8 podium finishes including 5 wins in the 2009 IRL and his victory at Ohio took his total IRL wins to 20, making him the most successful driver in the competition’s history.
Mahe Drysdale (Rowing): Won his 4th world single scull crown and voted male ‘Rower of the Year’ for 2009 by FISA, world rowing’s governing body. Unbeaten in all competition during 2009.
Duncan Grant (Rowing): Winner of lightweight single scull at 2009 World Rowing Championships - his 3rd straight world championship single scull title. Also won World Cup regattas at Lucerne and Munich.
Richie McCaw (Rugby): Produced a series of outstanding performances late in the season which took the All Blacks to a clean sweep of Test victories in Europe. Was named IRB ‘Player of the Year’ for 2009.
Daniel Vettori (Cricket): Capped a remarkable year finishing 2009 ranked the No.1 all-rounder in One Day Internationals and the No.2 in Test cricket. Scored 3 Test centuries with a batting average of 59.95.

Westpac New Zealand ‘Sportswoman of the Year’

Sophie Pascoe (Swimming): Won 4 gold medals - all in world record time - at 2009 World Paralympic Swimming Championships. Also voted Canterbury ‘Sportswoman and Sports Person’ of the year.
Alison Shanks (Cycling): Beat Beijing Olympic silver medallist to win women’s individual pursuit gold medal at 2009 World Track Cycling Championships. Member of NZ pursuit team which won silver medal.
Valerie Vili (Athletics): Retained her shot put title at 2009 World Track & Field Championships. Unbeaten for year in major competition and one of five finalists for the IAAF ‘Female Athlete of the Year’ award.
Sarah Walker (Cycling): Won two titles, the BMX Olympic Class as well as the Cruiser Class at 2009 World Cycling Championships. Also won UCI Supercross.

Westpac New Zealand ‘Sports Team of the Year’

All Whites (Football): Qualified for next year’s FIFA World Cup after beating Bahrain in the home and away play-off, scoring a 1-0 home win in Wellington after a 0-all draw in Bahrain.

Eric Murray and Hamish Bond (Rowing): Won the men’s pair gold medal at 2009 World Rowing Championships. Unbeaten in their first year as a pair, at elite level, winning both World Cups.

Storm Uru and Peter Taylor (Rowing): Won men’s lightweight double scull gold medal at 2009 World Rowing Championships. Also won both World Cup events at Lucerne and Munich.

Women’s 420 (Sailing): The crew of Alexandra Maloney and Bianca Barbarich-Bacher won the women’s 420 World Sailing Championship at Italy. Finished regatta 9 points clear of 2nd placed Italian pair.

SPARC New Zealand ‘Coach of the Year’

Ricki Herbert (Football): Coached All Whites to victory over Bahrain to reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Kirsten Hellier (Athletics): Guided Valerie Vili to a World Championship shot put title and NZ record.

Tim Carswell (Cycling): Head coach of the Kiwi team which won 3 medals at 2009 World Cycling Champs.

Richard Tonks (Rowing): Coached Mahe Drysdale and the men’s pair to Word Championship titles.

ENDS

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