Golden twins darlings of decade

PETER MEECHAM

NOUGHTS' BEST: Georgina Earl (left) and Caroline Meyer, the Evers-Swindell twins, accept the Sportsperson of the Decade honour for the 2000s at the Halberg Awards in Auckland.

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Former Waikato golden girls Georgina Earl and Caroline Meyer – better known as the Evers-Swindell twins – last night received a standing ovation as they were crowned New Zealand's "Sports Champions of the Decade".

The twins, now both married, headed off other Halberg Award winners from 2000-09 for the decade award.

They won the double sculls gold medal in Beijing in August, four years after their victory in the same event in Athens.

But they only qualified for consideration as sports champions of the decade as a result of a second-placed finish. In 2001 they won the Halberg Award after gaining a silver medal in the double scull at the world rowing championships.

Today leading sports commentator Joseph Romanos questioned whether rowing has become over-represented in award winners after the sport again dominated at the Halberg Awards in Auckland.

"Rowing does seem to do pretty well, but then they do well at world championships," Romanos said.

"However, if you look at the record over the decades, there is an infatuation with rowing to the exclusion of other sports.

"It does suggest we are a rowing-dominated country, and doesn't do justice to other great sportsmen and women and the great teams that don't get recognition.

"For instance, I was astounded the All Whites didn't win team of the year and Ryan Nelsen was not in the top four for sportsman.

"But then the judges vote by email, so there is no discussion.

"It is very, very flawed."

- © Fairfax NZ News