Province’s athletes, teams brighten difficult 2021

It has been another rough year for sport, as Covid-19’s impact has continued to cancel and restrict events. Otago has still had its share of success. Jeff Cheshire looks at the province’s highest achievers of 2021.

The Top Ten Individuals 

Erika Fairweather

(swimming)

Will any of us ever forget that look of astonishment? It was exciting enough that the 17-year-old Kavanagh College head girl had made it to Tokyo. That reached fever pitch when she swam 4min 2.28sec in the 400m freestyle heat, taking nearly 4sec off her personal best.

She qualified fourth for the final — which is where she now ranks in the world — ultimately finishing eighth.

Sam Timmins

Sam Timmins

(basketball)

After six years away, the big man returned home to show Otago all the progress he has made since leaving as a gangly 16-year-old.

Timmins had a breakout year for the Otago Nuggets this season, emerging as a star of the NBL.

He finished second in league Most Valuable Player voting, while also picking up a development contract with the New Zealand Breakers.

Anna Grimaldi

(athletics)

“In Rio I won by accident. This time I did it on purpose.’’ So said the T47 long jump star, after defending her Paralympic title in Tokyo. It was what happened between times that made this one so special, though.

A broken foot had threatened to end Grimaldi’s career. It was only last summer she got back to her best. She jumped a Games record 5.76m, 14cm further than she jumped in her shock win five years ago.

Aaron Smith

(rugby)

Possibly the best rugby player in the world. That is no mean feat for a 33-year-old, either. Smith just keeps getting better and better. His pass, his energy, his unrelenting fitness and his spark all helped propel the Highlanders to this year’s Super Rugby Transtasman final. He will make a huge difference to the All Blacks when he is back with the team on a consistent basis.

Nico Porteous

(freeskiing)

Claimed his first world title in the halfpipe at the world championships in Aspen, Colorado. Also won his first Winter X Games gold in the superpipe in Aspen. Beijing, here we come.

Kate Heffernan

(netball)

Excelled for the Southern Steel and was influential in the team’s surprise run to the playoffs. Made it on to the Silver Ferns bench for the first time in the second test against England. While she was left to sit out that night, it must surely now be a question of when, rather than if, she makes her test debut. Took the court for the team a few weeks later in a non-test against the Aotearoa Men. Ultra-consistent Steel captain Shannon Saunders also deserves a shout out.

Shay Veitch

(athletics)

Possibly Otago’s most under-the-radar star. Won a rare senior men’s 100m-long jump double at the national track and field championships this year. While the 100m field was weakened, his time of 10.34sec was the fifth-fastest winning time in the history of the championships. More recently, he jumped 7.80m, claiming the Otago long jump record and becoming just the sixth Kiwi to reach that distance.

Courtney Duncan

(motocross)

Won her third world title in a row. Enough said.

Holly Robinson

(athletics)

Seemed almost cursed at major world events, always falling just short of gold in the F46 javelin. That appeared set to continue, as a disappointing first five throws had her stuck in third at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Then, out of nowhere, she found her best form on her final throw to claim the gold medal that had so eluded her for so, so long.

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott

(snowboarding)

Added a second world title in the slopestyle to her name, to go with a silver in the Big Air, in Aspen. Also won silver and bronze in each discipline respectively at the Winter X Games, also in Aspen. She will enter as a very hot favourite to bring another medal back to Wanaka at next year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Five stories of the year

An aerial view of the last harness race meeting held at Forbury Park on July 8. PHOTO: RUDY HUETING

Double standards or different situations?

You had to feel for the Otago Volts and Dean Foxcroft. The South African all-rounder, who lives in New Zealand and has signalled his intention to become eligible to represent New Zealand, was locked out of the country after taking a holiday to his homeland. Attempts to get him a critical worker exemption fell flat. Which may have seemed fair — although it must have been hard for him to watch Kazuki Himeno, George Fisher, Isaiah Moss and Geremy McKay representing southern teams. Likewise, it was pretty rough on Otago all-rounder Michael Rippon — who was ruled out of the Black Caps’ recent tour, as he would not have been able to re-enter New Zealand due to being a South African citizen.

Highlanders licence in perpetuity

Remember the days when the rumblings would come from up north that the Highlanders would better be based elsewhere? Well, those days are no more. The Highlanders will remain in Dunedin — forever.

SENZ buys the Nuggets

Two years after making their return, the Otago Nuggets have new owners — and they are based offshore. Australia’s Sports Entertainment Network bought the franchise after this season, via New Zealand subsidiary SENZ.

100th test moved

This year’s All Blacks test against the Springboks was not just any other game for Forsyth Barr Stadium. It was to be the 100th between international rugby’s greatest rivals, and a century since their first clash in Dunedin. Then Covid-19 came along and, as it did to so many other things, forced a rethink. We were all left to watch the teams do battle in Australia, commiserating over what could have been.

Forbury’s final night

A staple of harness racing in the South, Forbury Park held its final harness racing meeting on July 8. It brought to end 110 years of history. Discussions remain in the works as to the future of the club — which has four dates at different venues on its schedule — and the venue.

Five teams to excel

Otago Whalers

After a rough opening day, the Whalers went from strength to strength. Beat a full-strength Canterbury Bulls for the first time in 92 years with a superb performance in Christchurch. A week later, they beat the Wellington Orcas 50-22 to claim the New Zealand Rugby League Championship trophy that they have come so close to for several years.

Otago softball

A 28-year drought came to an end when Otago beat Canterbury in the Jefferies Cup final. The province welcomed back pitching ace Ben Watts, while a six-run first innings gave it a lead Canterbury could not haul in, Otago winning the South Island men’s softball crown 8-3. Earlier in the year, the Otago women beat Southland 10-3 to claim the Henderson Shield for the first time in 24 years.

Highlanders

There were two competitions and, no, it was not quite the same as 1999 and 2015. But the Highlanders, a team few had expectations for this year, played superbly to make the final of Super Rugby Transtasman — beating the Crusaders there, just to put it out there one more time. They battled hard and ultimately fell short 23-15, against the Blues at Eden Park.

Southern United

It was not that long ago that Southern United represented a guaranteed three points for opponents. Eight years yielded just one win between 2009 and 2016. Since then, Southern has always been competitive, although a way off winning. That changed this year, as it won five of its six matches — culminating in a 5-3 win over defending champion Canterbury United — to win the South Central Series.

North Otago cricket

For the third time in 12 years, North Otago got its hands on the Hawke Cup, cricket’s minor association pinnacle trophy. It beat Nelson, an association with over five times the population, by 250 runs, North Otago’s biggest win in the cup’s history.

jeff.cheshire@odt.co.nz