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Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Snow sports lead nominations
Could snow sports be in line for more silverware tonight? The sport has been recognised for another glittering year across multiple disciplines with nine nominations at the Otago Sports Awards at the Edgar Centre tonight. Freeskier Luca Harrington, snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and alpine skier Alice Robinson lead the charge with nominations for sportsman and sportswoman of the year respectively. After starting the season as an X Games alternate, Harrington has something of a breakout year with a remarkable five world cup podiums, X Games gold, a world championship and New Zealand's first FIS Freeski Crystal Globe. Sadowski-Synnott was also back to her very best, returning from injury. She secured several world cup podium finishes, landed the the world's first triple cork in a women's slopestyle competition and won the FIS Snowboarding Crystal Globe. Robinson continued her stellar form with podium finishes and was named Snow Sports New Zealand athlete of the year. Freeskiers Ruby Star Andrews, Finley Melville Ives and Rocco Jamieson are also up for junior awards after their strong seasons on the world circuit. Stalwart alpine skier Adam Hall has been nominated for para athlete/team of the year, and Sean Thompson (snowboarding) and Nils Coberger and Tim Cafe (alpine ski racing) are nominated for coach of the year. But the judging panel of Sport Otago chief executive James Nation, Otago Academy of Sport manager Carmel Leslie, Otago Daily Times sports editor Hayden Meikle, TVNZ sports reporter Michelle Prendiville and University of Otago health sciences pro vice-chancellor Megan Gibbons will have had a tough task picking winners across some tightly contested categories. Olympic champion kayaker Finn Butcher and Black Caps all-rounder Glenn Phillips are up for sportsman of the year, and Olympic swimmer Erika Fairweather is up for sportswoman of the year. Cyclist James Gardner, long-distance runner Catherine Lund and netballer Ella Southby round out the finalists for junior sportsman and sportswoman of the year. Paralympians Anna Grimaldi and Holly Robinson are also finalists for para athlete/team of the year, and Grimaldi's coach Michael Jacobs is up for coach of the year. Team of the year will be another hotly contested category between the Otago Sparks cricketers, who won the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, the Southern Stampede, who won the New Zealand men's ice hockey title again, and the Otago men's 4x100m relay team, New Zealand champions and Otago record breakers. The next generation of Otago's talent will also be recognised with Alexis Owen (surfing), Mason Clarke (cricket), Phoebe Laker (athletics), Josh Grieve (cycling), Joel Paterson (ice hockey) nominated for emerging talent. Raylene Bates (athletics), Chris Gaffaney (cricket), James Doleman (rugby) are also finalists for official of the year. The services to sport, innovation in sport and supreme awards will be announced tonight. Former Otago Spark and White Fern Katey Martin, now a cricket commentator, is the guest speaker, while Melanie Kerr will MC the event again. Entertainment includes the Nga Wai o Pukehaukea kapa haka group, Otago Girls' singer Grace Tiko, and the Rasa School of Dance Allies crew, who are off to the world championships.
Otago Daily Times
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
High-class field vying for title of Otago's best
From snowboarding to surfing — the best of the best will be honoured at the Otago Sports Awards this year. The finalists for the awards, organised by Sport Otago, have been revealed, with the judges sifting through more than 90 nominations, showing the breadth of Otago's sporting talent. Up for sportsman of the year are kayaker Finn Butcher, freeskier Luca Harrington and Black Cap Glenn Phillips. Harrington, after starting the year as an X Games alternate, burst on to the scene to finish with a remarkable five world cup podiums, including X Games gold, a world championship and New Zealand's first FIS Freeski Crystal Globe. Phillips had another big season with the Black Caps, including playing at the Champions Trophy, and Butcher will long be remembered for his Olympic heroics as he won gold in the kayak cross in Paris. Sportswoman of the year will also be a tight contest between snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, swimmer Erika Fairweather and alpine skier Alice Robinson. Returning from injury, Sadowski-Synnott had a stellar year, with several world cup podium finishes, landing the world's first triple cork in a women's slopestyle competition and winning the FIS Snowboarding Crystal Globe. Fairweather, who recently moved to Auckland, swam in four finals at the Olympics, narrowly missing the podium in her specialist 400m freestyle, and Robinson continued her form with podium finishes and was named Snow Sports New Zealand athlete of the year. Skiing veteran Adam Hall and athletic stars Holly Robinson, and Anna Grimaldi are nominated for para athlete/team of the year. Hall produced several world cup podium finishes, while Robinson and Grimaldi collected world championship and Paralympic medals. Grimaldi won T47 long jump silver and 100m bronze at the world para athletics championships, and backed up with gold in the 200m at the Paralympics, with an Oceania record, and bronze in the 100m. Robinson set a national record when she won silver in the women's F46 shot put at the world championships and won bronze in the shot put at the Paralympics. Team of the year will be another hotly contested category between the Otago Sparks, the Southern Stampede and the Otago men's 4x100m relay team. Finley Melville Ives (freeskiing), James Gardner (cycling) and Rocco Jamieson (snowboarding) are up for junior sportsman, while Ruby Star Andrews (freeskiing), Catherine Lund (athletics) and Ella Southby (netball) will battle for junior sportswoman. The next crop of Otago's future stars will also be recognised, with Alexis Owen (surfing), Mason Clarke (cricket), Phoebe Laker (athletics), Josh Grieve (cycling) and Joel Paterson (ice hockey) nominated for emerging talent. Michael Jacobs (athletics), Sean Thompson (snowboarding) and Nils Coberger and Tim Cafe (skiing) have been nominated for coach of the year, and Raylene Bates (athletics), Chris Gaffaney (cricket) and James Doleman (rugby) are up for official of the year. Services to sport, innovation in sport and the supreme award will be announced at the awards. "It is so exciting to see Otago's best athletes, officials and coaches continuing to shine on the national and international stage, with an exceptional lineup across all of the categories for 2025," Sport Otago chief executive James Nation said. "The Otago sporting community should be super proud of the calibre of finalists chasing bragging rights." The awards are judged by Nation, Otago Academy of Sport manager Carmel Leslie, Otago Daily Times sports editor Hayden Meikle, TVNZ sports reporter Michelle Prendiville and University of Otago pro vice-chancellor health sciences Megan Gibbons. The awards will be held at the Edgar Centre on June 13. Otago Sports Awards finalists Sportsman: Glenn Phillips (cricket), Luca Harrington (freeski), Finn Butcher (canoeing). Sportswoman: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (snowboarding), Erika Fairweather (swimming), Alice Robinson (skiing). Team: Otago Sparks (cricket), Southern Stampede (ice hockey), Otago 4x100m relay (athletics). Para athlete/team of the year: Adam Hall (skiing), Holly Robinson (athletics), Anna Grimaldi (athletics). Junior sportsman: Finley Melville Ives (freeskiing), James Gardner (cycling), Rocco Jamieson (snowboarding). Junior sportswoman: Ruby Star Andrews (freesking) Catherine Lund (athletics), Ella Southby (netball). Coach: Michael Jacobs (athletics), Sean Thompson (snowboarding), Nils Coberger and Tim Cafe (skiing). Official: Raylene Bates (athletics), Chris Gaffaney (cricket), James Doleman (rugby). Emerging talent: Alexis Owen (surfing), Mason Clarke (cricket), Phoebe Laker (athletics), Josh Grieve (cycling), Joel Paterson (ice hockey).
