Who said Otago sport was in the doldrums? Up to nine finalists in this year's Otago sports awards are likely to have a role to play at the Beijing Olympics with up to three athletes genuine medal prospects.
The dismal record of the Highlanders in this year's rugby Super 14, the struggling Nuggets basketball team and the stuttering Southern Steel netball team have cast gloom on the sporting scene.
But individual sports have come to the rescue as the Otago sports awards finalists indicate. Cyclist Greg Henderson and rower Hamish Bond are medal prospects and cyclist Alison Shanks could be an outside chance in the individual pursuit. Also heading for Beijing are the Daniels sisters - Nina and Lisa - in synchronised swimming, as well as coaches Craig Palmer and John Helle mans.
Basketballer Suzie Bates, in the New Zealand team for a recent Beijing tournament, is expected to be confirmed for Beijing.
Hurdler Andrea Miller, racing in Australia and Europe, still has a chance to qualify. Add to that list fellow finalists in Black Caps cricketer Brendon McCullum - who has set the cricket world alight in the past few months - disabled skier Adam Hall, freestyle skier Jossi Wells and downhill mountain biker Matthew Scoles and the future of Otago sport looks bright.
The high standard of finalists has pleased Sport Otago chief executive John Brimble.
‘‘Our traditional team sports have gone through a trough recently,'' he said. ‘‘But the performance of individuals going to the Olympics and the promise of the junior finalists, particularly in the snow sports, augurs well for the future of Otago sport.
‘‘These performances have demonstrated that the high calibre of the support structure that operates in Otago is helping our athletes make their mark at national and international level.''
The awards dinner, organised by Sport Otago, will be at the Dunedin Town Hall on Friday May 23. The guest speaker is Phil Kingsley-Jones, former manager of ex-All Black Jonah Lomu.
