It was not really a surprise when Olympic rowing champion Hamish Bond won the supreme award at the Otago Sports Awards at the Dunedin Town Hall last night.
Bond and Eric Murray won the men's coxless pair gold medal at the London Olympic Games and also broke the world record for the 2000m distance in the heats.
The pair have trained hard under the direction of coach Dick Tonks over the past four years and have been unbeaten on the international scene.
In the 12-month period of the awards, from April 1, 2012 to March 31 this year, they also won world cup regattas in Germany and Switzerland.
Bond, a member of Dunedin's North End club, also gained two more red coats for winning the pair and the eight at the New Zealand championships at Lake Ruataniwha.
It is the fourth time Bond has won the supreme award. Only two other sportsmen have achieved this feat in the 24 years the annual ASB-sponsored awards have been organised by Sport Otago. Cyclist Greg Henderson has won the award a record five times and Olympic champion swimmer Danyon Loader four times.
Bond also won the sportsman category ahead of Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum and surf life-saver and Olympic swimmer Andrew McMillan.
The St Clair surf life-saving crew of sisters Stephanie and Carla Laughton, and Natasha Scott, won the team award ahead of the Otago Volts cricketers and the Otago netball team, which won national titles.
Just to become a finalist, a team had to be a national champion, but St Clair raised the bar by winning a world IRB title.
Champion Dunedin cyclist Alison Shanks won the sportswoman award for winning her second individual pursuit world title. The other finalists were Olympic rower Fiona Bourke and cricket international Suzie Bates.
Alexandra cyclist Sophie Williamson won the junior sportswoman award for winning two silver medals at the world junior track championships.
Athlete Andrew Whyte won the junior sportsman award for winning the New Zealand senior men's 400m and coming second at the Australian senior championships. He also qualified for the World University Games.
Vaughn Johnson was named top coach for guiding the Volts to win the HRV Cup and qualify for the Champions League in India. Otago was also runner-up in the Plunket Shield.
The Upper Clutha Tracks Trust won the innovation in sport award for its extensive work in the development of recreational tracks in the Wanaka area.
The guest speaker at last night's awards was three-time Olympic canoeing gold medallist Paul MacDonald.
