Cycling: Cyclists among six talented youngsters to be recognised for supreme efforts

Hayden McCormick. Photo / Supplied

Given the resurgence by New Zealand's track cyclists, it is little surprise two of the sport's rising stars are among the six winners of the New Zealand Herald's Future Stars awards.

Paige Paterson and Hayden McCormick join the world's top amateur golfer Lydia Ko, swimmer Daniel Holt, athlete Joshua Hawkins and rower Adam Smith as winners of this year's awards.

The judges, Olympians Alison Fitch and Mike Stanley, Herald sports editor Chris Allen, and Terry Maddaford sorted through a record 130 applications.

Again, all the winners stood out as having competed on the international stage in their chosen sport.

Paterson and McCormick follow some of the biggest names in New Zealand cycling including Sarah Ulmer and Michael Richards as winners of the awards which earn the winners $1500 training grants as well as product prizes.

Paterson, 17, a student at St Cuthbert's College, specialises as a track sprinter. In November she won three golds at the Under-19 Oceania Championships. Earlier she represented New Zealand as a first-year under-19 rider at the Junior World Championships in Moscow.

McCormick, 18, from Te Awamutu, mixes road and track. The St John's College, Hamilton, student followed up a golden haul of local races, including the under-17 road race and individual time trial in 2010, with his first international success last year.

At the Oceania track championships he won the points race and was a member of the winning pursuit team. He won the road race at the Australian nationals and three under-19 Kermesse titles in Belgium.

Ko, No 1 amateur in world golf, has her sights set on turning professional in 2014/15 and two years later, representing her adopted country at the Olympics.

Ko, 14, a student at Pinehurst School, Albany, had a stellar 2011, finishing second, and top amateur, at the professional NSW Open in January. She has been the world's top-ranked amateur for almost a year.

Holt, 19, was born with albinism which severely restricts his sight. He has this year's Paralympics in London as his driving force. His hard work ethic - 18-20 hours in the pool supplemented by 6-8 in the gym and working on conditioning - was rewarded with a gold and two silver medals at last year's IBSA World Championships. He won two medals at last year's Oceania Championships setting one Oceania and six New Zealand records.

Hawkins, 18, follows world champions Valerie Adams, Jacko Gill and Beatrice Faumuina as a track and field athlete to be recognised. He also follows Gill and Adams as only the third New Zealander to win a medal at the World Youth Championships with his silver in the 110m hurdles. Hawkins was third on last year's IAAF ranking in the hurdles. He was also ranked in the top 20 over 200m.

The former Sacred Heart College student plans to juggle his sport with studies this year.

Smith, 18, a former Auckland Grammar student (and captain of rowing) was a member of the Maadi Cup-winning crew as well as the Springbok Shield (fours). Smith was in the New Zealand four who won silver at the World Junior Championships in England in August and remains a member of the high performance squad.

The winners, parents and coaches will be guests of the Herald at an awards function where their efforts will be further recognised.