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- By Henry Lee, AUT Journalism Student
New Zealand sporting fans were treated to countless memorable moments in 2024, which have been recognised at the 62nd edition of the ISPS Halberg Awards at Spark Arena in Auckland.
The Olympics took many of the headlines, but less popular sports also shone a light on what was an impressive year of Kiwi sports.
Here are the winners:
Supreme Halberg Award and Sportswoman of the Year:
Winner – Dame Lydia Ko
Dame Lydia Ko had a stellar year in 2024, winning an Olympic gold medal in Paris. She’s the only golfer in history to win three Olympic Golf medals, creating history in Paris.
Dame Lydia also won the Women’s British Open, before becoming the youngest woman to be inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame.
Sportsman of the Year:
Winner – Hamish Kerr
In one of the best sporting moments in recent memory, Kerr won the high jump in Paris at the 2024 Olympics.
Kerr’s men’s high jump gold medal was New Zealand’s first athletics gold medal since Valerie Adams in 2012, as well as being New Zealand’s first-ever medal in high jump.
Women’s 200m T47
Para Athlete/Para Team of the Year:
Winner – Anna Grimaldi
Anna Grimaldi’s 2024 is one of the more memorable seasons of her career, winning the Para Women’s 200m T47 race in an Oceania record time of 24.72 seconds.
Grimaldi was also one of the two New Zealand Paralympic team flag bearers in the 2024 opening ceremony.
Team of the Year:
Winner – Women’s K4 500
No surprise that a team of Dame Lisa Carrington, Alicia Hoskin, Tara Vaughan and Olivia Brett took the stage at Spark Arena last night to win the Team of the Year award for 2024.
The four became the first New Zealand Women’s K4 team to win a medal in the WK4 500m event.
Dame Lisa has now won eight golds and one bronze medal in her career at the Olympics, further establishing herself as Kiwi sporting royalty.
Coach of the Year
Winner – Gordon Walker
Gordon Walker has once again helped Dame Lisa Carrington win gold over many years as her coach.
Walker has guided Carrington since 2010, making their coach-athlete combination one of the most accomplished pairings in New Zealand.
Emerging Talent
Winner – Tyler Bindon
The young New Zealand footballing superstar has rapidly become one of the most promising sporting talents in our country.
Bindon has recently signed a contract at Nottingham Forest, joining All Whites teammates Marko Stamenic (on loan at Olympiacos) and Chris Wood.
Bindon has been a constant in the All Whites under Darren Bazely and is touted as one of our brightest up-and-coming footballers.
Favourite sporting moment
Winner: Finn Butcher’s emotional tribute to parents
In probably the hardest award to pick last night, Finn Butcher took out the favourite sporting moment award.
Butcher beat out the White Ferns Cricket Women’s World Cup victory, the Hayden Wilde Olympics sportsmanship moment and many other memorable moments.
“Having mum and dad in Paris, and my sister Meg, was incredibly special,” Butcher said to Sky Sport.
“These are the closest people to me. I wouldn’t be kayaking without them, that’s for sure.”
