Dame Lydia Ko Wins Supreme Halberg Award

Tuesday, 18 February 2025, 9:50 pm
Article: RNZ

RNZ Sport

Golf legend Dame Lydia Ko has won New Zealand's top sporting honour, the Supreme Halberg Award.

At a ceremony in Auckland on Tuesday night, Dame Lydia was also named Sportswoman of the Year, recognising a stellar year in which she won Olympic gold in Paris and the British Open, and was inducted into golf's Hall of Fame.

Dame Lydia headed off last year's Supreme winner Dame Lisa Carrington, track cyclist Ellesse Andrews, T20 World Cup player of the tournament Amelia Kerr and top-ranked doubles tennis player Erin Routliffe and rower Emma Twigg for the women's award.

Olympic high jump champion Hamish Kerr was named Sportsman of the Year, ahead of kayak cross Olympic gold medallist Finn Butcher, triathlete Hayden Wilde, footballer Chris Wood and the jockey James McDonald.

New Zealand's sole Paralympic gold medallist in Paris, Anna Grimaldi, was named Para Athlete of the Year.

The women's K4 sprint kayak crew of Dame Lisa Carrington, Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett, and Tara Vaughan who were Olympic champions were named team of the year ahead of the Black Ferns Sevens, America's Cup winners Team New Zealand, rowers Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis, and the T20 World Cup winners the White Ferns.

Kayak coach Gordon Walker won coach of the year for a sixth time.

Other winners included footballer Tyler Bindon who won the Emerging Talent award and tennis' Marcus Daniell won the Leadership Award recognising his commitment to athlete advocacy and philanthropic efforts in the sporting community.

Halberg Award winners

• Supreme Halberg Award: Dame Lydia Ko (golf)
• Sportswoman of the Year: Dame Lydia Ko (golf)
• Sportsman of the Year: Hamish Kerr (athletics - high jump)
• Para Athlete of the Year: Anna Grimaldi (Para athletics)
• Team of the Year: Women's K4 Sprint Kayak Crew (canoe racing)
• Coach of the Year: Gordon Walker (canoe racing)
• Emerging Talent: Tyler Bindon (football)
• Leadership Award: Marcus Daniell (tennis)
• Sir Murray Halberg Legacy Award: Michael Hynard

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