And the winner is . . .
Olympian Regan Gough won the Central Hawke’s Bay Sportsperson of the Year award for a fourth consecutive year in Waipukurau on Friday night.
Eight-time winner of the junior award at the annual Sport Hawke’s Bay-organised function, Gough, 22, collected the premier award after earlier winning the senior award for the first time in front of a crowd of 360 in the AW Parsons Stadium.
It has been another memorable year for Gough.
In late 2017, when the judging period for the awards began, he competed at the world road championships in Bergen before tackling the world track championships in the Netherlands.
After overcoming the restrictions of a recurring health issue which he continues to keep private, Gough regained his fitness to world-class level in a relatively short period and competed at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia during April. He finished ninth in the points race and as a member of the New Zealand pursuit track team qualified for the ride off for bronze against Canada.
The Kiwis were disqualified for having an illegal bike on the start line. Despite being only 21 for most of this year, Gough was the senior rider in the Kiwi team.
Gough beat masters award winner triathlete Julie Boshier, junior team award winner the Central Hawke’s Bay College senior boys volleyball team, senior team award winner the Otane senior men’s rugby team, junior female award winner equestrian Isobel Thomson, junior male award winner swimmer Bevan Jacobs and fellow cyclist and senior award winner Amanda Jamieson for the premier award.
Earlier this year Gough won the junior award at the annual Hawke’s Bay Sports awards function in Taradale.
Boshier finished fourth in her age group at the World Triathlon Grand Final on the Gold Coast in September.
The CHB College volleyball team finished second in Hawke’s Bay’s division two competition last year and this year have recorded 13 wins, a draw and a loss.
The Otane rugby team was unbeaten in 18 games this season as they won the Bay’s Town and Country and division two competitions before losing their promotion-relegation game against Tamatea. Thomson represented the New Zealand under-17 Mounted Games team at their world championships in Belgium.
Jacobs won bronze medals at the Queensland open water championships in the 10km and 7.5km sections and won his 15-19 years age group and finished second overall at the 2.5km Napier Port Ocean Swim. International rider Jamieson finished eighth at the Herald Sun Tour in Australia against riders from all over the globe and was seventh in the Bev May Tour, New Zealand’s biggest women’s event.
Former All Black and Hawke’s Bay Magpies rugby team player and coach Robbie Stuart was inducted into Central Hawke’s Bay’s Hall of Fame.
Two-time world champion Black Fern and Sky Sports television presenter Melodie Robinson was the guest speaker.