Sports awards: Otago's golden boy picks up top sporting award

World champion Hamish Bond was last night rewarded for his unbeaten international record by being named the Otago sportsperson of the year for a second time.

At the annual Otago Sports Awards dinner at the Dunedin Town Hall, Bond was first named the Otago sportsman of the year and then given the supreme award in front of an audience of 400.

Bond (25), who also won the award in 2008, and partner Eric Murray have been unbeaten internationally in the coxless pair for the last two years.

In the last 12 months they won World Cup events in Bled, Munich and Lucerne and the Royal Henley Regatta.

Bond' s international season culminated with a world championship title at Lake Karapiro in November.

The North End club rower capped an unbeaten year by being named the New Zealand rower of the year after the national championships at Lake Ruataniwha.

Bond, the greatest oarsman in the history of Otago rowing, won red coats in the pair, coxless four and eight at the New Zealand championships when he stroked the Southern RPC to wins in the three events.

Cyclist Alison Shanks won the Otago sportswoman of the year award for the fifth consecutive year at the ASB-sponsored awards.

Shanks won a gold medal in the individual pursuit at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, and followed this up with a silver medal at the world championships.

She also consistently achieved podium results at World Cup events, and retained her New Zealand championship title.

Shanks' coach, Craig Palmer, was named Otago coach of the year for the third successive year.

In arguably the most tightly-contested category of the evening, the team of the year award was won by the brother-and-sister curling team of Sean and Bridget Becker. The Beckers won a silver medal at the world mixed doubles championship against a quality international field.

Perennial finalist Jossi Wells, a multiple winner of the junior sportsperson of the year award, took the trophy again for 2011.

He was named the freeskiing world champion at the beginning of the qualifying period in April 2010. His world rankings of first in halfpipe and seventh in the slopestyle combined to give him the overall title.

The work of the Skeggs Foundation was recognised when it received the innovation in sport award. The Foundation has supported more than 1500 young athletes who have the potential to represent Otago and New Zealand.

It was a significant night for the Otago Sports Awards as major changes are planned to the way the event will be delivered from next year by event organiser Sport Otago.

After 22 years at the Dunedin Centre - first in the Glenroy, then the Town Hall - the event will be looking for a new home with the refurbishment of the Town Hall about to begin.

 

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