Women force in finalists of Halbergs

New Zealand women athletes have laid claim to this year’s Halberg Awards, dominating the team of the year category.

Last year’s team of the year winners the Black Ferns Sevens are one of five teams up for the hotly contested category after claiming the World Sevens Series.

Netball World Cup winners the Silver Ferns and two rowing world championship crews, the women’s double of Olivia Loe and Brooke Donoghue and women’s eight, are also on the short list .

It is completed by the men’s Black Caps who got to the final of the Cricket World Cup in England before being pipped by England on a countback of boundaries hit after the match was tied.

Canoe racer Lisa Carrington, last year’s sportswoman of the year, has strong claims again with two world titles in 2019.

Silver Ferns captain Laura Langman makes the shortlist along with Zoi Sadowski-Synnott who produced New Zealand’s first snowboarding world championships gold medal.

Courtney Duncan is also a contender after her motocross world championship win.

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya gets a rare recognition for combat sports with a place among the finalists for the sportsman of the year category.

Shot put star Tom Walsh is again in the mix after placing first overall in the 2019 IAAF Diamond League although he was beaten in the world championships final

Bathurst winner and Supercars superstar Scott McLaughlin is also nominated along with Black Caps captain Kane Williamson.

Gordon Walker, who coached Lisa Carrington and the New Zealand Sprint Kayak team to four world titles, is a finalists in the coach of the year category.

He joins Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua, Eugene Bareman who looks trains mixed martial arts (MMA) star Adesanya, and Sophie Pascoe’s coach Roly Crichton.

They are joined by Gary Hay who helped the women’s eight and women’s pair to their gold medals won at the regatta in Austria. The Halberg Awards ceremony will be held on February 13 in Auckland.