Finalists have been selected for the 2021 Central Otago Sports Awards, which will take place on May 4.

The awards celebrate the best sporting achievements by local athletes, and finalists include sportspeople competing in sports ranging from woodchopping to snowsports, rodeo and multisport.

“The Mega Mitre 10 Wanaka Central Otago Sports Awards will celebrate the best of the best, in all aspects of sporting life,” Sport Otago community sport advisor and judge Tiny Carruthers said.

“Although we are living through very different and difficult times right now, the desire and ability of our local athletes has shone through and has been an inspiration to us all.”

Joining Tiny for judging were Tony Lepper, Jo Knight, Tiny, Simon Battrick and Belinda Colling.

In the senior womens’ category, finalists include world champions Alice Robinson and Zoe Sadowski-Synnott (Snowsports), Coast to Coast winner Simone Maier (Multisport), and national champion Jess Blewitt (Downhill Mountain Bike).

Coast to Coast winner and Wanaka local Simone Maier is among the senior womens’ finalists.

The senior mens’ finalists are Ironman winner Braden Currie (Multisport), Coast to Coast winner Dougal Allan (Multi Sport), New Zealand’s first ever X-Games gold medallist Nico Porteous (Snowsports), and world title winner Brad Pako (Woodchopping).

Finalists for the junior womens' category are Mount Aspiring College student Abby Fisher (Track and Field), Olivia Flight (Snowsports and Track), Hāwea’s Pyper Sarginson (Rodeo) and Hannah Prosser (Track and Field); and in the junior sportsmens’ category finalists are Nick Collier (Whitewater Kayak/ Canoe Slalom) and Gustav Legnavsky (of Wanaka) and Max McDonald (both Snowsports).

Two successful snowsports coaches are among the three finalists up for coach of the year: Tommy Pyatt, who coaches Nico Porteous, and Sean Thompson who works with Zoi Sadowski-Synott, as well as Simon Smith (Rowing).

Three teams are in the running for the team of the year award, including the Maniototo Youth Olympic Curling Team, Mount Aspiring College (MAC) Intermediate Coxed Quad and Dunstan High Under 18 Girls Coxed Quad.

Spirit awards have also been introduced, to acknowledge local athletes who may not be performing on the international stage but deserve recognition for their achievements.

Senior finalists for this category are Dugi Anderson (Darts), Wanaka’s Ferdia O’Connell (Open Water Swimming), Kath Kelly (Multisport); and in the junior spirit awards finalists are Mount Aspiring College student Teo Hawkey- Hight (Rowing), Josh Allan (Coaching, Competing, Referee, Administrator) and Olive Watherston (Rugby, Touch, Basketball and Netball).

A supreme award will also be presented at the awards, which will take place at the Wanaka Golf Club.

Tickets for the Central Otago Sports Awards cost $25 and are available from the Sport Otago website here.

PHOTOS: Supplied