New Zealand's first Olympic gold medal winner in women's sprint canoeing, Lisa Carrington, collected the supreme Albie Pryor Memorial Sportsperson of the Year award in Auckland on Saturday.
Carrington, from Ohope Beach, wrote her name into the history books as the first ever winner of the women's K1 200m title.
The 23-year-old sprint kayaker blitzed the field to win by almost half a second, completing an impressive Olympic debut for the paddler who took up the sport aged 16 and set an Olympic record in the semifinal.
Tauranga rugby referee on the rise, Glen Jackson, was honoured with the Maori Sports Umpire/Referee of the Year ahead of the former Steamers supreme first-five officiating his first internationals next month.
A total of 22 Olympians, three Paralympians, 11 world champions and four world champion teams were honoured at the 2012 Maori Sports Awards.
