Olympic and world champions take on national record breakers as the Taranaki Athlete of the Year is determined on Friday night.
Winter Paralympic gold medalist Corey Peters completed his run of medals when he won the men’s downhill session in Beijing, completing a remarkable campaign interrupted by Covid-19 and causing him to miss the world championships in the run-up.
Peters, the 2015 Taranaki Athlete of the Year, described his performance as “the run of my life” as it rounded off the silver medal he won in Sochi in 2014 and bronze in PyeongChang four years later.
The 38-year-old will face competition in the senior men’s division from world champion axman Jack Jordan, who cut through tough international competition to win the Stihl Timbersports World Trophy in Austria in May.
READ MORE:
* Swimmer to Tokyo takes top Taranaki sport award
* Tom Walsh and Sophie Pascoe again shortlisted for Canterbury Sports Awards
* Tight race for top gongs confirmed as finalists for Wellington Sports Awards
Black Caps batsman Will Young, All Blacks assistant defender Jordie Barrett, national champion surfer Daniel Farr and Eisenhower Trophy team member Sam Jones, who led the Taranaki golf team to its first-ever national title, also feature in the category.
David Ramos/Getty Images
Zoe Hobbs has been in record form for the past year.
The title of senior sportswoman will also be hotly contested, with Olympic Sevens gold medalist Michaela Blyde going up against New Zealand’s fastest-ever sprinter Zoe Hobbs, Football Ferns representative Mackenzie Barry and Black Sticks hockey representative Hope Ralph.
Hobbs broke New Zealand’s 100m record five times from December 2021 to July 2022, breaking Oceania’s 100m record twice in the process.
Blyde, who was named Taranaki Sportsperson of the Year in 2018, was also part of the team’s silver winning performance at the Sevens Rugby World Cup and the team’s bronze winning Commonwealth Games outing where she was the tournament’s top scorer. used to be.
The senior sports team, another category that qualifies the winner for the overall grand prize, features the Taranaki men’s gold side that won the inter-provincial trophy, the first time in its 73-year history.
VANESSA LAURIE/Stuff
The Taranaki Airs drew a sellout crowd during the National Basketball League season.
The Taranaki Airs are also a finalist in the category after the basketball team topped the league in the regular season before being defeated in the semifinals.
There are 13 categories in the awards, including junior sportsman and sportswoman, as well as coach of the year.
Winners will be announced at a ticketed event taking place at the Devon Hotel in New Plymouth from 6pm.
“The caliber of finalists nominated this year demonstrates the depth and quality we have in all sports in Taranaki,” said Sport Taranaki chief executive Michael Carr.
“It also shows the tremendous work that goes into training athletes to compete around the world and the work that goes on behind the scenes by the tireless volunteers and coaches who make this all possible through their selfless efforts.”
The 2022 Taranaki Sportsman of the Year finalists
Volunteer
Sandra Moratti (track and field), Carmen Walker (football), Ashleigh Hurring (lifesaving surf), Darleena Christie (netball), Don Betts (golf), Jill Warner (netball), Justin Looney (rugby), Neil Smith (football), Tony Eldershaw (basketball).
Junior sports team
New Plymouth Boys’ High School first XI hockey, Opunake Oriental Express.
Junior sportswoman
Natasha Gouldsbury (surfing), Natalie Foss (digging for skeet), Jessie Holland (cricket), Tara Shotter (lifesaving surfing), Keighley Simpson (rugby and touch), Zoe Hall (athletics), Skylar McFetridge (surfing).
Junior athlete
Will Roberts (tennis), Nathan Goodin (lawn bowls), Kalani Marra (boxing), Caleb Lawn (lifesaving surf), Cameron Quinnell (basketball), Ethan O’Halloran (soccer), Jordan Whittleson (field hockey), Dean Clarkson (field hockey ), Adam Lennox (rugby), Liam Harvey (squash and golf).
Coach
Ghislaine Brien (tennis), Carl Barnes (lifesaving surf), Dwayne Tamatea (basketball), Hayley Jury (gymnastics), Jake Rapira (boxing), Jaqua Pori-Makea-Simpson (netball), Joshua Dobson (soccer), Scotty Manson ( football), Trent Adam (basketball), Vanessa Way (dressage), Robert Manu (netball), Ryan Nolan (boxing).
Senior sports team
FC Western men’s premiership team, Moturoa AFC women’s premiership team, Paritutu men’s fours bowls, Taranaki Airs, Taranaki men’s golf team, Taranaki under-23 men’s basketball team, Tysons Nga Manu Toa.
Impact award
Jeremy Maxwell (functional strength and conditioning), John Sigurdsson (soccer), Kevin Nielsen (equestrian), Nick Collins (navigation sports), John Murtagh (lawn bowls), Ray Hopkinson (rugby), Jody Le Bas (gymnastics).
Masters
Joy Baker (athletics), Alan Jones (athletics), Roger Stachurski (cricket).
Senior sportsman
Aidan Zittersteijn (lawn bowls), William Young (cricket), Corey Peters (para alpine ski racing), Joe Collins (fire lifesaving), Jordie Barrett (rugby), Jack Jordan (wood sports), Stephen Hills (para cycling), Sam Jones (golf), Ryan Nolan (boxing), Daniel Farr (surfing), Des Wilcox (8-ball).
Senior sportswoman
Claudia Kelly (surf lifesaving), Hope Ralph (hockey), Kristie Fairhurst (para-alpine ski racing), Michaela Blyde (rugby), Zoe Hobbs (track and field), Kathryn Greaney (soccer), Mackenzie Barry (soccer), Jessica Tuki (netball ).
Game official
Arlo Beckett (netball), Carmen Walker (soccer), Jane Hickmott (netball), Matt Hastings (soccer), Melissa Gyde (netball), Mike Jack (squash), Zoe Hall (netball).
Club
Taranaki Airs, Waitara Gymnastics, Patea Area School, Stratford Eltham Rugby Sports Club, Taranaki Outrigger Canoe Club, Waitara Soccer Club.
Service to high school sports
Aarun Langton, Maurice Gilmour, Kris Campbell, Pauline Hurley, Graeme Mehrtens.