Dixon takes home Sportsman of the Year but athletics wins ultimate Halberg
Congratulations to Scott Dixon who won tonights Westpac Sportsman of the Year at the 2008 Westpac Halberg Awards, held at the Vector Arena, Auckland. Winner of the 2008 Indianpolis 500, the greatest race in the world as well as the 2008 Indycar Series, Dixon was nominated along with Tom Ashley (board sailing), Danny Lee (golf), Hayden Roulston (cycling), and Nick Willis (athletics).
Held each year, the Halberg Awards salute outstanding achievement by New Zealanders in sport both at home and abroad. The Halberg Trust calls for nominations from all New Zealand national sporting bodies and a Voting Academy to determine four finalists for the Westpac Sportsman, Sportswoman and Sports Team categories.
However,
as most motorsport fans always knew within their hearts, Dixon would
not win the ultimate Halberg Award, this going to a worthy winner
Valerie Vili who also won the Westpac Sportswoman of the Year. Vili won gold in the shot put at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Since Dixon won the 500 discussion has taken place on whether this ultimate motorsport achievement could ever be recognised sufficiently at home, more particularly at our sports awards.
In a country traditionally dominated by rugby and cricket, the Halberg Awards have statistically shown a bent towards Olympic events, particularly athletics. Athletics have won the ultimate award fifteen times with rowing (an Olympic sport) ten times.
Cricket has won the award five times to rugby four with motorsport winning three.
In 1967 Denny Hulme won the award recognising his accomplishment in becoming NZ's first World Formula One champion, while the other two were won by Ivan Major, multiple world speedway champion.
It
is argued within motorsport circles that the failure of the awards is
in the judges lack of ability to recognise the athleticism required by
top drivers competing at the highest level. Motorsport may be seen as
a driver merely steering the fastest car on the track to victory. What is not
seen is the intense physical preparation required to achieve such accomplishments.
While Dixon still has the opportunity to
win more 500's and become a truly elite driver the question remains
will this ever be enough to win a Halberg? Or should the question for
discussion be, is a Halberg true recognition of a great driver?
