Athletics New Zealand – News – Valerie Adams 7 times Sportswoman of the year and Arthur Eustace honoured

Olympic shot put gold medallist Valerie Adams headed off some strong contenders for the title to take out the Sportswoman of the year for the seventh time at the Halberg Awards.

Adams edged out Lisa Carrington who won Olympic gold in the kayak in London, Lydia Ko the 15 year old golfer who has had an incredible past 18 months and Olympic BMX silver medallist Sarah Walker.
Adams said that it has been an amazing year for New Zealand.

“Obviously to be sportswoman it’s great to be up there along with the other fantastic finalists this is just the icing on the cake and I’m really humble to receive it tonight,” said Adams.
Adams had a remarkable year winning 14 competitions which included the world indoor title and the Olympic gold in London and was heralded by the American magazine Track & Field News as their number one woman athlete for 2012.

Athletics was also honoured on the evening with Athletics New Zealand Patron Arthur Eustace receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Eustace has given 68 years of service to the sport in New Zealand and internationally, which included 14 years as the Oceania representative on the IAAF council.

On receiving the award he said that the best moment he had in that time was presenting the gold medal to Beatrice Faumuina when she won the world discus title in Athens in 1997.

“It’s a huge honour really. I didn’t realise it was the fiftieth (Halberg Awards) till I got here and that’s a very special occasion with the quality of the people that are here and to find yourself in amongst them it’s huge. It’s been a long while, 68 years in athletics,” said Eustace.

Murray McKinnon
Athletics Correspondent
Athletics New Zealand
0274 806086
murray@mckinnon.co.nz