The Halberg Awards finalists have been named.
Sixteen finalists from the Disabled Sportsperson, Sportsman, Sportswoman and Team of the Year categories are all in line for the supreme Halberg Award - the country's highest accolade for sporting excellence, presented to the athlete or team whose achievement is deemed by the judges as representing excellence in sport at the highest level.
Finalists in the High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportsman of the Year category are Olympic rowing champion Mahe Drysdale, WBO World Heavyweight Champion Joseph Parker and Rio bronze medallists, shot putter Tom Walsh and runner Nick Willis.
Lydia Ko is a finalist again for the strongly contested female category. Ko, who won two majors and an Olympic silver in 2016, is up against double Olympic medallist Lisa Carrington and Rio silver medallists Luuka Jones and Dame Valerie Adams.
The Disabled Sportsperson of the Year award includes 2015 recipient Sophie Pascoe. The Para-Swimmer, who won three gold and two silver at the Paralympics is up against fellow gold medallists Anna Grimaldi, Mary Fisher and Liam Malone, who won double gold and a silver in Rio.
