12 Jan 2018

Venus makes Moment of the Year cut

1:42 pm on 12 January 2018

New Zealand tennis player Michael Venus has been given a consolation prize for not being named a finalist in the sportsman category for the 55th Halberg Awards.

New Zealand tennis player Michael Venus.

New Zealand tennis player Michael Venus. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Venus has been made a finalist for Best Sporting Moment of the Year for winning the French Open men's doubles title alongside American Ryan Harrison.

The 30-year-old was overlooked as a finalist in the men's category, the judging panel instead going with world champion shot putter Tom Walsh, Le Mans winner and Formula One driver Brendon Hartley, All Black first five Beauden Barrett and Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor.

Also making the cut for sporting moment are the Black Ferns' World Championship win, Lisa Carrington winning gold in the K1 200m for a fifth time at the World Canoe Sprint Championships, Mitchell Hunt's drop goal in the final moments of the Crusaders' win over the Highlanders in Super Rugby and Team New Zealand's America's Cup win in Bermuda.

The New Zealand public decide the winner by voting online or over text.

The full list of finalists for New Zealand Sporting Moment of 2017 are:

1. Martin Guptill smashes 11 sixes to give the Blackcaps a seven wicket ODI win. (Blackcaps vs. South Africa, Hamilton)

2. Mitchell Hunt drops a stunning last minute drop goal securing the win for the Crusaders during the Super Rugby season. (Crusaders vs. Highlanders, Christchurch)

3. Michael Venus wins the French Open men's doubles final to become the first New Zealand male Grand Slam champion since 1974. (French Open, Paris)

4. Black Ferns Sevens win the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series. (Black Ferns Sevens vs. Australia, Clermont-Ferrand)

5. Emirates Team New Zealand win the America's Cup.(Emirates Team New Zealand vs. Oracle Team USA, Bermuda)

6. Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber - win the Le Mans 24 hour race.(Le Mans, France)

7. Black Sox win the World Softball Championships title for the seventh time. (Black Sox vs. Australia, Canada)

8. Tom Walsh wins the shot put gold medal to become the first New Zealand male to win an IAAF track and field championship. (IAFF World Track and Field Championships, London)

9. Black Ferns win the Women's Rugby World Cup for the fifth time. (Black Ferns vs. England, Belfast)

10. Lisa Carrington wins the K1 200m gold medal for the fifth time at the World Canoe Sprint Championships.(World Canoe Sprint Championships, Czech Republic)

11. Ross Taylor achieves a record equalling 17 test centuries with the Blackcaps in the second test against the West Indies. (Blackcaps vs. West Indies, Hamilton)

-RNZ