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Home , Andrea Hewitt, Anton Cooper, James Musa, Joseph Sullivan (rower), Jo Aleh, Lisa Carrington

THE PRESS, Tuesday, January 1, 2013 SPORT B13

2012 IN REVIEW GLORY DAYS Senior Press sports writer TONY SMITH runs the rule over and Canterbury’s sporting success in 2012 and comes up with his winners and losers.

SPORTSMAN: WINNER: MAHE DRYSDALE.His single sculls victory at the was a magic moment for those who witnessed his woes at when sickness scuppered his gold medal dream. RUNNER- UP: All Blacks captain Richie McCaw who reinvented himself as the best flanker in the world after ankle surgery. SPORTSWOMAN: WINNER: Olympic kayaking Our champ: Mahe Drysdale flies gold medallist LISA the flag for New Zealand after the CARRINGTON.New champion rower claimed Olympic Zealand sport has another gold in the men’s single sculls. personable, humble female Photo: IAIN McGREGOR/FAIRFAX NZ champion in the mould. FINALISTS: Nadzeya Ostapchuk ‘‘beat’’ Swimmer , who Adams in the Olympic Games won three gold and three final. silver medals at the London MARKING TIME: How Paralympics. , the long will ’S 15-year-old amateur golfer grip on New Zealand who won two titles on the football’s two top coaching world pro circuit. Valerie gigs – the All Whites and the Adams, the double Olympic Phoenix – shot put champion. More continue? Phoenix board depth here than the member Gareth Morgan may sportsman category. know squat about soccer but TEAM: WINNER: even he can see the Nix are Olympic champions ERIC not playing a crowd-pulling MURRAY and HAMISH brand. BOND. Their four-year DAFT DECISIONS in the men’s Medals aplenty: Christchurch Paralympian Sophie Pascoe scooped the The finalists: pair earned them a gold medal pool at London with three golds and three silvers. Photo: FAIRFAX NZ ❏ NEW ZEALAND in London. FINALISTS: The CRICKET whose treatment New Zealand surf life saving DICK TONKS, mentor to How will Ko go when she goes of captain Ross Taylor was world champions, the New Murray and Bond and pro? straight from Scrooge’s Zealand Breakers after Drysdale, who has now OUR FINEST HOUR: Christmas grinch manual – retaining their Australian coached gold medallists at Forty-five minutes to be and its timing was lousy. National Basketball League four consecutive Olympiads. precise – the gap between Taylor had just led the Black crown, and Olympic gold Murray said: ‘‘He makes it Murray and Bond’s and Caps to a rare test victory in medallists quite clear that you do what Drysdale’s gold medals at Sri Lanka and scored a ton. and () he says, otherwise you bugger Eton Dorney, as fine a stretch ❏ NEW ZEALAND and and off.’’ RUNNER-UP: Dave of water to Kiwi eyes as CRICKET again for New star: wins gold in the women’s K1 200m final at the London Olympics on August 12. Photo: IAIN McGREGOR/FAIRFAX NZ (yachting). Rennie, who led the Chiefs to Kaiteriteri Beach. The best appointing a boy (Mike COACH: Forgive my their first Super Rugby title in quinella since and Hesson) to a man’s (John ❏ THE NEW ZEALAND a gold medal on the night. Canterbury United player Olympic bias, but how can his first season. Murray Halberg won track Wright) job. RUGBY UNION: It’s one LOCAL HEROES when you despair at the you overlook rowing guru RISING STAR: Lydia Ko. medals at the Rome Olympics ❏ THE WARRIORS who thing selling the All Blacks’ Canterbury’s champions: dearth of creativity in the in 1960. sacked coach Bluey shirt fronts to the highest SPORTSMAN: Richie Wellington Phoenix midfield? BEST EVENT: Winner: McClennan with two games to bidder but it’s another getting McCaw (rugby). Runner-up: ADMINISTRATORS: The OLYMPIC GAMES is go in the season. They should into bed with a disgraced Take a bow Canterbury still the best sporting event on have sheathed the axe till the American insurance (mountainbiking). Hockey chair Sandra Pooch the planet, trumping even off-season or been brave company. SPORTSWOMAN: Sophie and hockey’s facilities trust football’s World Cup and enough to make a call before ❏ THE HALBERG Pascoe (Paralympics board for arranging the cycling’s Tour de France. the rot set in. AWARDS panel for failing to swimming). Runner-up: installation of two new London 2012 was the best of ❏ THE NEW ZEALAND include Sophie Pascoe in the (triathlon). artificial turfs at Nunweek the best, from the quality RUGBY AWARDS panel’s Sportswoman of the Year TEAM: Canterbury’s five- Park since its Porritt Park sport to the knowledgeable call to make the All Blacks category. time NPC rugby champions. pitches were destroyed in the crowds and the unfailingly team of the year ahead of the AND THE WINNER: New Runners-up: Canterbury Cats September 10 earthquake. friendly Londoners. Runner- Super 15-winning Chiefs and Zealand Cricket for the ham- hockey team that won the COURAGE UNDER FIRE up: The Paralympics. Same five-time national champions handed way it turfed out national women’s title for the AWARD: Black Sox hurler sports, same city, same Canterbury, and go for All Taylor. first time in a decade. Penese Iosefo, who pitched support . . . 2012 will go down Blacks coach Steve Hansen as STORM IN A TEA CUP: COACH: Roly Crichton the Canterbury Red Sox to the as the year the Paralympics top coach ahead of Dave Athletics officials’ failure to (Paralympics swimming and national title despite a groin went mainstream for New Rennie. Star-kissers. register for triathlon). Runners-up: All injury and still-sore ribs Zealand sports fans. ❏ DAVID TUA’S the Olympic Games shot put. Ross Taylor Blacks coach Steve Hansen following a serious car MOST TELLING QUOTE: contemplation of a comeback. We all got in a lather but the and first-year Canterbury accident a month before the ‘‘I would prefer to keep silent Tua’s career as a credible IOC was never likely to BRAZEN CHEEK: Disgraced NPC coach Tabai Matson. tournament. on this performance, if you boxer ended in Las Vegas disqualify the reigning drug user Nadzeya BEST COMEBACK: FOND FAREWELL: understand me.’’ Valerie when he went through the Olympic champion and the Ostapchuk’s joyous ‘‘victory’’ Recalled Black Caps batsman Veteran scribe Kevin Tutty, Local hero: All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw is delighted to get his mitts Adams’ coach Jean-Pierre motions against Lennox event’s only drawcard. lap at the London Olympic Dean Brownlie. who retired from The Press in on the Rugby Championship trophy after the All Blacks beat Argentina in Egger after Belarusia’s later Lewis, the last great world SIR ROB MULDOON track and field stadium after HARD LUCK STORY: July after 44 years of La Plata on September 30. Photo: GETTY IMAGES defrocked Olympic champion heavyweight champion. MEMORIAL AWARD FOR cheating Valerie Adams out of How is still a chronicling Canterbury sport.

FOOTBALL SOFTBALL horror haunts Herbert World-title hunt timely

Sam Worthington from four in stage three of the Despite being a bit-part Oceania qualifiers. New player, Team Wellington after a year of acrimony The All Whites won eight Caledonia, who were beaten defender did games in 2012, but their year 2-0 away in September, are the enough in England to land a Tony Smith the NFC title, were contro- which led to several key staff will instead be remembered only remaining threat to New contract with English versial omissions. losing their jobs, including for a loss. Zealand advancing to a home club Fulham. Few New Zealand sports will The 16-nation world cham- national pitching adviser Deb- June’s shock 2-0 defeat to and away playoff next year The Football Ferns welcome the new year as pionship will be held at bie Mygind and leading coach New Caledonia in the against a team from the (women) had talked eagerly as softball which had Albany’s Rosedale Park, Venita Hokai. semifinals of the Oceania Concacaf region (North and Potential: All themselves up before the few hits in 2012. where an impressive new On the diamond, the White Nations Cup did not only cost Central America). Whites Olympics and managed to Softball has a lot to look stand and amenities have Sox slumped to a record low New Zealand valuable The All Whites can put the midfielder qualify for the quarterfinals forward to, with the Black Sox been constructed alongside 13th placing at the women’s experience against major matter to bed when they host Michael thanks to a generous bidding to win a sixth world two artificial diamonds. world championship in nations at next year’s Les Cagous on March 22. McGlinchey, qualification system. title at the International Away from the diamond, Canada in July. Japan won Confederations Cup. In friendly games, New left, should be a Two losses (Great Britain Softball Federation (ISF) softball had a challenging the world title, breaking the The Honiara Horror Show Zealand again showed they key figure as and Brazil), and one win men’s world championship in year. United States’ streak of six also cost New Zealand could hold their own in decent New Zealand (Cameroon) were enough for in March. Provincial associations gold medals. Football a $1.8 million payday company, highlighted by a 1-0 attempt the Ferns to earn themselves Black Sox coach Eddie staged a revolt against the The White Sox blooded a for qualifying for the Brazil defeat of Honduras. to qualify for a knockout game against Kohlhase named his 17-man Softball New Zealand (SNZ) host of young players in the tournament and led some They also drew 2-2 with El the 2014 World eventual gold medallists squad after the national board and management, forc- first two rounds of the Gillies commentators to call for the Salvador and 1-1 with China Cup. United States, which they fastpitch championship (NFC) ing a special general meeting Shield interstate series in head of coach Ricki Herbert. as two A-League players Photo: FAIRFAX NZ lost 2-0. in December. in December. Australia. They won three out That was never going to emerged as near certainties On the club front, the Former captain Jarrad Board chairman Rex Capil of six games in the first round happen. Herbert will instead for Herbert’s starting XI. Phoenix are poised for Martin and outfielder quit a week before the in Perth but just one from six be judged on what happens Michael McGlinchey, of option at right back although Elsewhere, New Zealand’s another scrap to qualify for Thomas Makea will be attend- meeting where the board at in the second during next year’s Fifa World the Central Coast Mariners, is Herbert has expressed a men’s and women’s teams the A-League’s top-six finals, ing their fifth-world cham- agreed to a total review of the round. Cup qualifying matches as he a lively, attacking central preference to keep a three- predictably found themselves for the fourth time in as many pionship since 1996, with Brad sport and promised to be The Junior Black Sox tries to pilot New Zealand to midfielder, while Marco man defence intact – should outclassed at the London years. Rona and Donny Hale back- more open and consultative finished a disappointing sixth unprecedented back-to-back Rojas’ exploits on the wing for his English Premier League Olympic Games. The Phoenix have plans to ing up for their fourth. with its stakeholders. – another record low – at the appearances on the sport’s Victory will be stars be fit and available. The Oly-Whites (men) lost expand their academy But Auckland infielder The call for change reach- junior men’s world champion- biggest stage. impossible for Herbert to ‘‘If you have [Ryan] Nelsen, 1-0 to , drew 1-1 with structures throughout New Nathan Nukunuku, a Black ed a crescendo after SNZ lost ship in Argentina. On that front, it is so far so ignore. [Winston] Reid and [Tommy] Egypt and lost 3-0 to silver Zealand and take more games Sox regular since 2000, and $300,000 in funding from the good for Herbert and his men. Wellington Phoenix’s Leo Smith, why wouldn’t you play medallists Brazil as they on the road next season. Canterbury captain Gareth New Zealand Community ❯❯ The All Whites are four Bertos has emerged as an that way?’’ Herbert said. bowed out at the group stage. Fairfax NZ Cook, who led the Red Sox to Trust, prompting a review Pitcher out B8