Gongs
Dame Lydia Ko has a nice ring to it. The Kiwi golfer and Olympic champion became the youngest modern-era dame, or knight, at 27 during the New Year honours. Sir Bob Charles is the only other Kiwi professional golfer to be awarded the title.
"Those opportunities don’t come to everyone and for me to have this amazing opportunity, it makes me very proud," Ko said.
“I think it’s a moment that’s special for all of us. Obviously, it’s special for the person but it’s a recognition for everyone involved because I wouldn’t be here today without them."
Marguerite Chistophers, of Pegasus, was awarded an Order of New Zealand Merit for services to para sport, and Phyllis Weir (services to cricket and hortculture), of Auckland, and Jennifer Wotten (services to squash and community), of Te Puke, were awarded King’s Service Medals.
Beary nice
United States rugby player Ilona Maher has taken the world by storm the past few seasons and was everywhere after winning bronze at the Olympics with her sevens team.
Maher, who wears lipstick while playing and lives by the motto "beast, beauty, brains", is the most followed rugby player on social media with 4.7 million Instagram followers and 3.2m Tik Tok followers and is transforming the way people see female sports stars.
She made the switch to rugby 15s recently, debuting for the Bristol Bears, who were forced to move their game to a bigger stadium due to the demand of people wanting to see Maher in action.
Her impact can only entice more eyes on the sport before the Rugby World Cup in England later this year.
Running
Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet, of Kenya, became the first woman to go under 14min for 5km, finishing the Cursa dels Nassos in 13min 54sec, smashing her previous record of 14min 13sec.
Vale
Agnes Keleti, the world's oldest living Olympic gold medallist and a Holocaust survivor, died at the age of 103 last week. The Hungarian gymnast boasted a remarkable 10 Olympic medals, but came with an even more incredible back story.
Keleti was born in Budapest in 1921, became a national champion in 1937 aged 16, and missed two Olympics due to World War 2.
Keleti, who had Jewish ancestry, went into hiding, assuming the false identity of a Christian maid. Her mother and sister also survived, but her father and other relatives were killed at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
A ligament injury dashed Keleti's hopes of competing at London 1948, so it was at the Helsinki 1952 Games that the 31-year-old made her debut, coming away with one gold medal, a silver and two bronze.
Keleti won a further six Olympic medals at Melbourne in 1956, four of which were gold, to become the most successful athlete of the Games.
Super Suzie
Otago’s own Suzie Bates played her 100th Super Smash game in Alexandra during the summer. She became just the fifth woman to join the exclusive club of playing 100 T20 games for one team.
It also marked Bates’ 800th career game, a first in the women’s game. Is there anything she cannot do?
Cha-ching
Denver has secured the NWSL’s next football franchise for an expansion fee of $US110m ($NZ195m), reportedly more than double the previous record for new NWSL teams. It is believed to be the biggest expansion fee paid in United States women’s sport. Denver will become the league’s 16th franchise.
Herstory
Penn State volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley made history when she led her team to a 3-1 win over Louisville to win the national college title. She became the first D1 female head coach to win a national championships - and did it all while battling cancer.
Cover girl
United States gymnast Simone Biles was named Sports Illustrated sportsperson of the year. Basketballer Caitlin Clark was named Time magazine sportsperson of the year. Who said people don’t want to read about women’s sport?
