Ormond up for Halberg Award

Inspirational Steamers captain Wayne Ormond is a finalist for the 2004 Halberg Awards which recognise outstanding sporting achievements.

The rugged Bay of Plenty loose forward will be in top company as Olympians dominate both the sportsman and sportswoman categories with triathletes Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty nominated alongside fellow medallist, canoeist Ben Fouhy. Track cyclist Sarah Ulmer will be heavily favoured to scoop the women's award.

Leading contenders for the team award include gold medal double scullers Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell, the world champion Black Sox softball side and the New Zealand sevens rugby team who won the 2003/04 series.

Nominees for coach of the year include Ulmer's coach Brendon Cameron, rugby sevens stalwart Gordon Tietjens, former Black Sox mentor Don Tricker and triathlon coach Mark Elliot.

Each year the Halberg Trust appoints a voting academy to determine four finalists for the sportsman, sportswoman and sports team categories.

From those 12 finalists the academy selects one, by secret ballot, to receive the supreme accolade for sporting excellence, the Halberg Award, which will be announced in Auckland on February 24.