Some familiar faces and some rising stars feature among the finalists for the Otago Sports Awards.
The list of finalists reflects the outstanding achievements of the province's elite athletes, and also offers a guide to the faces to watch in the future.
All three finalists in the sportsman of the year category have been up for the award before.
Hamish Bond, the 2011 Otago sportsperson of the year, will again be a strong contender for the overall award. His outstanding rowing career reached its peak when he and Eric Murray won gold at the London Olympics.
Andrew McMillan was also an Olympian, in swimming, and he captained the New Zealand team to gold at the world surf life-saving championships.
It was another good year for homegrown cricketer Brendon McCullum, who inherited the Black Caps captaincy in difficult circumstances and responded with a fine performance in the drawn test series with England.
International success was the benchmark for finalists in the sportswoman of the year category.
Suzie Bates was named player of the tournament at the Women's Cricket World Cup, and was the overall highest run-scorer.
Rower Fiona Bourke won gold at the world cup in Sydney and then represented New Zealand in the quadruple sculls in London.
Alison Shanks, the 2010 Otago sportsperson of the year, won her second world championship title in her preferred individual pursuit and then joined the team pursuit in London to set a New Zealand record.
Three inspiring figures will jostle for the coaching award. Vaughn Johnson guided the Otago Volts to the HRV Cup title and nearly added the Plunket Shield; Deb Tasi-Cordtz's Otago netball team won the national title for the first time in 14 years; and Brent Ward's athletes won two national titles.
The Volts, the netballers and the St Clair surf life-saving team, which won a world title through IRB sisters Steph and Carla Laughton, are the finalists for the team award.
Some spectacular talent is recognised in the junior categories.
Nominated for the junior sportsman award are cyclist Tom Vessey, a junior world championship representative; national 400m champion Andrew Whyte; and freeskier Beau-James Wells, continuing the family tradition.
The junior sportswoman finalists are Sophie Williamson, a winner of two silver medals at the world junior track championships; record-breaking swimmer Kate Godfrey; and exceptional rower Zoe McBride.
The winners of the major awards are all eligible for the overall Otago sportsperson of the year award.
Services to sport and innovation in sport awards will also be presented at the dinner at the Dunedin Town Hall on Friday, May 10.
The guest speaker is to be three-time Olympic canoeing gold medallist Paul MacDonald.
The ASB-sponsored awards are organised by Sport Otago. Finalists are selected by a panel comprising Sport Otago chief executive John Brimble, sports medicine specialist Dave Gerrard, Otago Daily Times sports editor Hayden Meikle and Otago Daily Times sports reporter Alistair McMurran.
Otago Sports Awards
The finalists
Sportsman: Hamish Bond (rowing), Brendon McCullum (cricket), Andrew McMillan (surf life-saving, swimming).
Sportswoman: Suzie Bates (cricket), Fiona Bourke (rowing), Alison Shanks (cycling).
Team: Otago Volts (cricket), Otago netball, St Clair surf life-saving.
Coach: Vaughn Johnson (cricket), Deb Tasi-Cordtz (netball), Brent Ward (athletics).
Junior sportsman: Tom Vessey (cycling), Beau-James Wells (freeskiing), Andrew Whyte (athletics).
Junior sportswoman: Kate Godfrey (swimming), Zoe McBride (rowing), Sophie Williamson (cycling).
