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Rowing on top of downunder sports awards

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05/02/2010 16:45 CET

Rowing in New Zealand hit another high when they dominated the nation’s annual sports awards, the Halberg Awards. Four of the main awards went to rowing.

World Champion men’s single sculler Mahe Drysdale was named Sportsman of the Year for 2009. This award added to his 2009 World Rowing Rower of the Year award. Shown live on New Zealand television, Drysdale commented that much of his motivation to continue came from his Olympic bronze medal and the desire to get gold. “I’ve found a new passion for rowing,” he added.

The Team of the Year went to men’s pair World Champions, Eric Murray and Hamish Bond. Murray was asked to describe what it was like to row a pair (as compared to the four he rowed at the Beijing Olympics) and he depicted it to the sporting audience as having an oar each and squeezing the boat like a big pimple.

The biggest award for the night, the Athlete of the Decade went to two-time Olympic Champions in the double (2004, 2008), the recently married twins Caroline Meyer and Georgina Earl. Formerly known as the Evers-Swindell twins, the duo have stepped away from rowing following the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 15 years in the sport.

All of the rowers paid tribute to head New Zealand coach, Dick Tonks. Described as the ‘best coach in the world’, Tonks won the Halberg 2009 Coach of the Year award. The award was accepted by his current charge, Drysdale, in Tonks’ absence.

Rowers around the world have been honoured for their achievement in 2009. Here is a glance at some of the accolades:

• Greece’s Alexandra Tsiavou (2009 World Champion in the lightweight women’s double) won the ‘top female Greek athlete of the year’ by the Greek sport journalists union. Tsiavou received 1,027 votes over 620 for the second place getter.
• 2009 USRowing Athletes of the Year went to Erin Cafaro and David Banks. Cafaro doubled up to win the pair and eight at the 2009 World Rowing Championships. She is an Olympic Champion in the eight from Beijing. Banks is a two-time national team member and raced in the pair in 2009. Banks took bronze at the Lucerne Rowing World Cup and finished the season fifth in the world. This award is voted by teammates and coaches.
• Kyrgyzstan has awarded its best sportspeople with 1,141 million soms (about USD$25,000). This includes rower Oleg Roganov.
• Australia will announce their top crew awards in March.
• Great Britain’s Alex Partridge was named ‘Olympic Athlete of the Year’ for his 2009 achievements. Partridge was a member of the 2009 World Champion men’s four.

. And here is the rest of it.