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Jerome Kaino - Source: Photosport
Mahe Drysdale celebrates his gold medal win - Source: Reuters
The All Blacks' Rugby World Cup win and New Zealand rowers' four gold medals at the World Rowing Championships has seen them secure five nominations a piece for the 2011 Halberg Awards.
All Black captain Richie McCaw and fellow flanker Jerome Kaino are both Sportsman of the Year finalists.
The All Blacks are Team of the Year finalists and All Black coach Graham Henry is a Coach of the Year finalist. IRB Sevens coach Gordon Tietjens is also a Coach of the Year finalist.
Rowing has world single scull rowing champion Mahe Drysdale among the Sportsman of the Year finalists, along with three gold medal winning crews - Eric Murray and Hamish Bond (Men's Pair), Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan (Men's Double Scull) and Juliette Haigh and Rebecca Scown (Women's Pair), among the Team of the Year finalists.
Rowing's head coach Richard Tonks is a Coach of the Year finalist.
Joining McCaw, Kaino and Drysdale among the Sportsman of the Year finalists is Mark Todd, who at 55 years of age won the 3-day event at the Badminton International Horse Trials for the 4th time.
The Sportswoman of the Year finalists include: world shot put champion Valerie Adams, who won the title with a throw of 21.24m - a personal best and equalling the world championship record; Lisa Carrington, K1 200m winner at the World Canoe Championships; triathlete Andrea Hewitt, winner of the gold medal at the ITU World Championship Grand Finale; and lawn bowler Jo Edwards, World Champion of Champions Single's winner, who also won the World Cup Indoor Single's crown.
A feature of the awards this year is the addition of a new Disabled Sportsperson of the Year category, with the winner to join the Sportsman, Sportswoman and Team category winners in being eligible for the supreme Halberg Award.
The Westpac Emerging Talent award, for individual athletes aged under 21, who at the time of nomination had not achieved international success at elite level, provides a $15,000 Westpac sporting scholarship.
The finalists this year are young shot put record-holder Jacko Gill, Warriors Rookie of the Year Shaun Johnson, Sam Meech, World Junior Laser Class Yachting champion, and snowboarder Byron Wells, who finished 5th in the men's Halfpipe at the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships.
Once again this year the public has the chance to vote for New Zealand's Favourite Sporting Moment, which will also be announced at the Westpac Halberg Awards.
Six sporting moments involving New Zealand teams and individuals during 2011 have been selected as finalists.
Voting for the Westpac Halberg Awards is carried out by a 28-strong Voting Academy comprising 10 media representatives plus 18 athletes and coaches who have excelled at the highest level.
2011 Halberg Awards finalists:
Westpac 'Sportsman of the Year
Richie McCaw (Rugby), Mahe Drysdale (Rowing), Jerome Kaino (Rugby) and Mark Todd (Equestrian).
Westpac 'Sportswoman of the Year'
Valerie Adams (Athletics), Lisa Carrington (Canoeing), Jo Edwards (Bowls) and Andrea Hewitt (Triathlon).
Halberg Trust 'Disabled Sports Person of the Year'
Michael Johnson (Para-Shooting), Sophie Pascoe (Para-Swimming), Jayne Parsons (Para-Cycling) and Daniel Sharp (Para-Swimming).
Westpac 'Team of the Year'
All Blacks (Rugby), Men's Double Scull (Rowing), Women's Pair (Rowing) and Men's Pair (Rowing).
