Halberg hat-trick for Vili

Photo: PETER MEECHAM/FAIRFAX MEDIA

SUPREME AWARD: World champion shot putter Valerie Vili won the Halberg Award for the third consecutive year last week.

The annual Westpac Halberg Awards is fast becoming the Valerie Vili awards.

Pakuranga's golden shot putter was again the star of the show at last week’s event.

After collecting the sportswoman of the year title for a fourth time – to equal boardsailor Barbara Kendall’s record – Vili then headed off the other winners on the night for the supreme Halberg Award.

Left in her glittering dust were sportsman of the year, four-time world single scull rowing champion Mahe Drysdale and sports team of the year, the world champion rowing pair of Eric Murray and Hamish Bond who were unbeaten in their first year as a pair at elite level.

In so doing she became the second person behind champion oarsman Rob Waddell to complete a hat-trick of Halberg Awards and the first female to capture the big trophy three times.

But Vili came up short for sports champion of the decade.

That title went to the Evers-Swindell twins for their back-to-back double scull Olympic gold medals.

Vili went unbeaten in all international competition during 2009, retained
her world championship crowns and also received
acclaim from the International Association of
Athletics Federations.

The 25-year-old was one of five finalists for the association’s female athlete of the year award.

But Vili’s coach Kirsten Hellier, who was named SPARC coach of the year for the past two years, missed out on a hat-trick.

The finalist was pipped at the post by Dick Tonks, who coached Drysdale and the men’s pair to world championship titles.

The awards recognise outstanding achievement by New Zealand sports
men, women, teams and coaches.

Voting was carried out by an academy of sporting journalists and former sporting greats.

- © Fairfax NZ News