Erika Fairweather wins the supreme award at the Maori Sports Awards. Photo: www.photosport.nz
World class Dunedin swimmer Erika Fairweather has seen off a host of world champions to win the supreme prize at the Māori Sports Awards.
Fairweather (Ngāi Tahu), a world championships bronze medallist in the 400m freestyle, also won the junior sportswoman title at the awards ceremony in Mount Manuganui on Saturday night.
The 19-year-old, also smashed the World Cup series record for her specialist 400m event by more than three seconds and is only the fifth woman to go sub-four minutes over the distance.
Spring kayaking great Lisa Carrington (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Ngāti Porou) - voted the most influential Māori sportsperson of the last 30 years in 2021 - took home the senior sportswoman prize after clinching three gold medals at the 2023 world championships.
It was a competitive section which also included veteran White Ferns cricketer Suzie Bates (Ngāi Tahu), track sprinter Zoe Hobbs (Ngāruahine, Ngāti Ruanui), Black Ferns sevens star and NRLW player Tyla Nathan-Wong (Ngāpuhi) and Black Ferns captain Ruahei Demant (Ngāti Awa, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Te Whakatōhea).
James Fisher-Harris (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Tainui), who captained the Kiwis to a record 30-0 win over Australia last month and won a third consecutive NRL title with the Penrith Panthers, was the senior sportsman of the year.
He headed off newly-retired All Blacks great Aaron Smith (Ngāti Kahungunu), Black Caps bowler Trent Boult (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou) and mountain bike world champion Sam Gaze (Te Atiawa).
