Manson collects supreme award
It took Robbie Manson a tick over six and a half minutes to propel himself to the forefront of international rowing - and to the top of Marlborough sport.
At the second World Cup regatta, in Poland, the Wairau Rowing Club single sculler set a new world’s best time for the 2000m course of six minutes, 30.74 seconds to eclipse fellow Kiwi Mahe Drysdale’s previous record by three seconds.
That achievement, coupled with further success in Lucerne and two national titles, added up to a stellar season for Manson, who was named 2017 Marlborough Sportsperson of the Year in Blenheim on Monday evening.
During a glittering awards ceremony at the Marlborough Convention Centre, Manson took overall honours from four other category winners, selected from among 28 nominees.
Sprinting star Lucy Sheat repeated her 2016 victory in the House of Travel Junior Sportswoman section after another year of rapid improvement on the track. The 18-year-old won senior titles in the 100 and 200m at the NZ secondary schools champs, claimed gold in the under20 100 and 200m at the nationals then travelled to Australia for their senior and junior champs, winning the under-20 200m and finishing eighth in the senior women’s 100m, the youngest Kiwi to feature in an Australian senior 100m final.
The Redwood Trust Junior Sportsman title went to Quinn Udy, again for the second consecutive year. The highlight of his year came in July 2017 when he represented New Zealand at the World Junior Championships in Tauranga. He also finished fourth at the New Zealand Junior Open, then grabbing a silver medal in the under-19 boys grade at the Oceania junior age group champs.
Manson took out the Scenic Hotel Group Sportsman of the Year title, with the MoreFM Sportswoman of the Year award going to squash star Megan Craig, the overall winner in 2013. The 24-year-old represented New Zealand in the World Women’s Teams Event in France, then finished runner-up to world No 12 Joelle King in the national champs.
The WK Advisors and Accountants Team of the Year category was won by the Tasman Makos who underlined their position as the nation’s second-ranked provincial rugby side with another trip to the NPC final.
Another feature of the evening was the presentation of the Craigs Investment Partners Marlborough Medal to long-serving tennis and table tennis player and administrator Nigel Perry, introduced by former table tennis champion Debbie Stratford.
Guest speaker Joseph Sullivan, a former time-winner, entertained the 300-strong crowd with accounts of his time on the Team New Zealand boat in Bermuda, then participated in a question and answer session with the evening’s MC, newsreader Peter Williams.
Manson was on hand to pick up his award, despite a hectic recent schedule which saw him fly to Prague to pick up the prestigious 2017 Oceania Male Athlete of the Year award, an accolade voted on by the National Olympic Committees.
He was chuffed to finally get his name on the main trophy after several previous nominations. ‘‘I means a lot,’’ said Manson. ‘‘There are a lot of really accomplished sportspeople who have won it in the past like Joseph [Sullivan], Sophie MacKenzie, Rob [Hellstrom] and Sean [O’Neill] so it’s nice to be amongst them now. It’s a huge honour.
‘‘I love coming back home and it was nice to get out on the Wairau [River] this morning for a training session ... there is something special about flying in and seeing all the vineyards and feeling like you are back in Marlborough.’’
Manson is back into training for the forthcoming season. He hopes to remain in the New Zealand single next season, despite a looming rivalry with former champion Mahe Drysdale. ‘‘There is going to be a good challenge with Mahe over the summer to get the singles spot but I am pretty confident and looking forward to it,’’ he added.