KEY POINTS:
To many New Zealanders, 2007 was the sporting year from hell. Hopes flew high in four events dear to their hearts - the Rugby and Cricket World Cups, the netball world championships and the America's Cup - only to crash to the ground, sometimes in devastating circumstances. One
of the constants of sport, however, is that another major event lies just around the corner. On that score, 2007 was an encouraging entree to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
There was at least something to salvage from the wreckage. Performances by shot putter Valerie Vili and the rowing squad suggested New Zealand has good cause to expect a medal haul in Beijing to approach, if not better, anything achieved since 1984. Valerie Vili is a clear favourite for gold following her victory at the world championships in Osaka. A spot on the winner's podium also seems likely for the country's premier single sculler, whether that is three times world champion Mahe Drysdale or his challenger, the 2000 Olympic champion, Rob Waddell. The men's four are, likewise, reigning world champions. Strongly in the medals mix are also expected to be the men's pair and double sculling twins Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell, who will defend their Olympic title.
Olympic prospects were put on hold, however, as the country mourned its misfortune in 2007's major events. Perhaps the oddest outcome of all was that at the end of the year the coaches of all four teams were still in their jobs. This may have been understandable for Grant Dalton, who had overseen Team New Zealand's revival, or Ruth Aitken, given her previous success with the Silver Ferns. It was far more debatable for Graham Henry, who had staked his career on the All Blacks winning the World Cup, or John Bracewell, who has presided over deteriorating test fortunes and a so-so World Cup, in which the Black Caps matched their one-day ranking but failed badly in crunch games.
Some saw Henry's retention as a sign of maturity; others saw it as a triumph of politics over good practice. Either way, the rugby union's decision heightened the prospect of further discord. Any hiccups under Henry will draw inevitable references to Robbie Deans, who left to coach the Wallabies after failing to win the All Black job. Cricket took a similar risk when reappointing Bracewell. Also available was John Wright, who had fashioned a strong record with India. He toyed with the offer of a job in the upper echelons of Australian cricket but, happily, unlike Deans, chose not to go and took a role in New Zealand.
Overseas, 2007 was another year dominated by ignominy. Drug-taking finally caught up with sprinter Marion Jones, who returned five Olympic medals, and cyclist Floyd Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title. Nonetheless, denial continued to be the order of the day. San Francisco Giants fans saw nothing wrong when Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron's baseball home run record. The slugger himself ended the year charged with perjury and obstruction of justice, with the indictment noting that a criminal investigation had shown evidence of positive tests for steroids. Several other illustrious baseballers were, similarly, in denial after being named as steroid users in the high-profile Mitchell report, which identified widespread drug use.
The shame did not end there. A case of industrial espionage cost McLaren the motor-racing constructors' title and a US$100 million fine. It took much of the gloss off a storming season by rookie Lewis Hamilton, whose fade from glory was somewhat symptomatic of major slices of New Zealand's sporting year: much promise but, ultimately, failure. Next year must surely be better.