Ulmer and Cameron scoop pool at Waikato awards

Olympic track cyclist Sarah Ulmer had such a bad year on her bike last year she felt embarrassed attending the Waikato regional sports awards.

Last night she and her partner and coach Brendon Cameron returned on top of the world to scoop the pool at the 2004 awards.

"We sat down the back in the cheap seats last year and I felt really uncomfortable coming here. I didn't feel part of it and thought I shouldn't be here," Cambridge-based Ulmer said.

"Just over a year ago I'd basically quit. I'd had a gutsful, didn't want to ride my bike any more and a year later look at me. It is crazy what a difference 10 or 12 months can make."

Ulmer gave much of the credit for the turnaround in her career to become world and Olympic champion and world record holder in the 3000m individual pursuit to Cameron, who put together a winning formula, including training programme and support staff, that enabled her to beat the world 3000m individual pursuit record more than once and grab both world and Olympic titles.

Not only did Ulmer take out both the supreme Waikato award and the sportswoman of the year, but Cameron, was named coach of the year.

Having found that winning formula after years of trying Ulmer said while it was tempting to now try and go even faster, it was not guaranteed to keep working.

"I think this year we've found something that works for me to a certain degree but whether or not it would work under different conditions is a different story.

"I feel a lot more confident having more time off before starting again than I would any other year because of that but then again I still don't know if I'm going to start again."

Taupo triathlete Bevan Docherty, who won the silver medal at the Athens Olympics, was named sportsman of the year, while Olympic rowing champions Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell, of Cambridge, were team of the year.

Waikato regional sports award winners: club coach of the year, Peter McCallum (Taupo, swimming); club team of the year, Tatuanui Indoor Bowling Club; club of the year, Kihikihi Waikato Eventing Inc; service to sport -- Norman Austin (cricket), Ian Davison (rugby), Allen Grainger (rugby), Murray McMahon (basketball), Warren Towers (lawn bowls), John Turkington (cricket), John Tylden (athletics); administrator of the year, John Nicholson (eventing); referee/umpire of the year, Christine McKnight (tennis); coach of the year, Brendon Cameron (cycling); fairplay award, Tammy Clelland (golf); junior sportsman of the year, Peter Latham (cycling); junior sportswoman of the year, Natalie Curtis (clay target shooting); team of the year, Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell (rowing); sportswoman of the year, Sarah Ulmer (cycling); sportsman of the year, Bevan Docherty (triathlon); supreme award, Ulmer.

- NZPA