A feature of the 2009 Westpac Halberg Awards dinner in Auckland next Thursday will be the crowning of the Sports Champion of the Decade.
Each year the Halberg Trust salutes outstanding sporting achievement by New Zealand athletes at home and abroad over the 12-month calendar period, with the announcement of the Westpac sportsman, sportswoman and sports team plus SPARC coach category winners and the overall Halberg Award recipient.
Halberg Trust chairman Mike Jeffcoat says that with the 2009 Westpac Halberg Awards bringing to a close the first decade of the 21st Century it was appropriate to salute the Sports Champion of the Decade (2000-2009) at the dinner on February 4. It will be the final award on the night and the presentation will be made by Danyon Loader, the last decade champion (1990-99). It was at the 1999 awards dinner that the Trust named Peter Snell as the 'Sports Champion of the 20th Century'.
The Halberg Award is awarded to the athlete or team whose level of achievement in a given year represents excellence in sport at the highest level - with previous performances not considered. But Mr Jeffcoat says the Sports Champion of the Decade academy has been asked to take into account performances by the individuals over the full 10 year cycle (2000-09).
The finalists for the Sports Champion of the Decade (2000-09) are:-
Rob Waddell (2000): Our only gold medallist at the 2000 Olympics, that year he became the first athlete since the competition started in 1949 to win the supreme Halberg Award three times. Put his oars away in 2001 to join Team New Zealand as a grinder in two America's Cup challenges, 2003 & 2007, but returned to rowing in 2008 and made the double scull final at Beijing.
Caroline & Georgina Evers Swindell (2001): Won the Halberg Award after gaining silver medal in the double scull at world rowing championships. Went on to win back-to-back Olympic golds (2004 & 2008) and three world championship titles.
Tall Blacks (2002): Like soccer's All Whites 20 years earlier, they reached the FIBA World Basketball Championships for the first time. At the championships scored shock win over Russia, Venezuela and Puerto Rico to finish 4th - ahead of world basketball giants Spain, Brazil, the USA and Russia.
Silver Ferns (2003): During the year they went unbeaten in 11 internationals culminating in their stunning 49-47 triumph over old adversary Australia in the 2003 World Championships, 16 years since their last title.
Sarah Ulmer (2004): Followed up her 2002 Commonwealth Gold medal in the 3000m individual pursuit with an amazing 12 months in 2004. Won the world title in May with world best 3m30.63secs and backed that up by winning gold at the Athens Olympics in a record 3m 24.53s - which still stands today.
Michael Campbell (2005): Became only the second Kiwi golfer behind Sir Bob Charles to join very select company by holding aloft one of golf's 'Majors' after winning the 2005 US Open, holding off a hard-charging Tiger Woods over the closing holes. Won the World Match Play Championship the same year.
Mahe Drysdale (2006): Backed up his 1995 World Championships single scull title with victory in 2006 - in a world best time. Has since dominated the single seat with further world championship crowns in 2007 & 09. Finished a brave 3rd at the Beijing Olympics. A sportsman finalist this year.
Valerie Vili (2007 & 2008): The current Commonwealth, Olympic, world indoor and outdoor women's shot put champion, Valerie has dominated her sport remaining unbeaten for the last two years with amazing throws at the Beijing Olympics and the 2009 World Championships. A sportswoman finalist this year.
So the voting academy comprising former Decade Champions, Sir Richard Hadlee and Danyon Loader, plus Mike Stanley, Ramesh Patel, Ron Cheatley and Ron Palenski has to weigh up and determine how a major golf championship compares with world championship or Olympic gold medal success.
All will be revealed at the 2009 Westpac Halberg Awards in Auckland next Thursday, February 4. The Sports Champion of the Decade will be one of the features of the awards, telecast live on SKY TV, with leading New Zealand singers and bands including Peter Urlich, Ray Columbus, Dave McCartney, Debbie Harwood, Che Fu and Midnight Youth performing tribute numbers representing the five decades covering 1950-2000.
In 1999 the Halberg Trust decided to mark the close of the 20th century by acknowledging New Zealand's greatest sporting achiever of the last 100 years. It set up a special 'Centennial Academy' to determine the selection based on the following criteria:
- A winner for each of the 10 decades spanning 1900-99 was selected, and they represented the 10 finalists for the Sports Champion of the Century.
- The Trust was partnered in the selection for the years covering 1900-1948 by the NZ Sports Hall of Fame, with the decade finalists coming from those athletes already inducted into the NZ Sports Hall of Fame.
- For the years 1949-1999, the decade winners comprised either the winners of the New Zealand Sportsman of the Year, started in 1949, or the Halberg Award, which was established by Sir Murray Halberg in 1963 to take over the organisation of the 'Sportsman of the Year' award.
The respective decade winners selected by the 'Centennial Academy' were:
- 1900-09 - 1905 All Blacks (originals)
- 1910-19 - Anthony Wilding (tennis)
- 1920-29 - George Nepia (rugby)
- 1930-39 - Jack Lovelock (athletics)
- 1940-49 - Bert Sutcliffe (cricket)
- 1950-59 - Yvette Williams (athletics)
- 1960-69 - Peter Snell (athletics)
- 1970-79 - John Walker (athletics)
- 1980-89 - Richard Hadlee (cricket)
- 1990-99 - Danyon Loader (swimming)
