Swimming New Zealand 2021 Awards
At the start of the final session at the 2022 Apollo Projects NZ Short Course Swimming Championships, we presented some special awards. The Swimming NZ Awards were presented in recognition of outstanding performances during the 2021 calendar year.
Lewis Clareburt took home a handful of awards, including the Baxter O’Neill Trophy as the Swimmer of the Year, following his outstanding performance at the Olympic Games in the 400m Individual Medley.
A list of the award winners and why is below:
Baxter O’Neill Trophy
This award is the Swimmer of the Year, presented for swimming performance, services to the sport and character.
Winner: Lewis Clareburt – Capital Swim Club
Lewis won this award for outstanding Olympic performances and for his brilliant promotion of our sport through his personality and media interactions and his leadership of his fellow Olympic athletes. This is the third time that Lewis has won this award.
Billie Fitzsimmons Cup
This award is presented to the individual with the most outstanding international Olympic pathway performance of the year in international competitions.
Winner: Lewis Clareburt – Capital Swim Club
Lewis won this award for his performance at the Olympic Games in the 400m Individual Medley, where he placed 7th in the final. This is the third time that Lewis has won this award. Special mention to Erika Fairweather, a very close contender for this award with her NZ Record and huge PB in the 400m Freestyle heats. Where she qualified 4th fastest for the final.
International Award
This award is presented to the best individual swimming performance by a Kiwi in comparison with the current World Record at that time of the event.
Winner: Lewis Clareburt – Capital Swim Club
Lewis won this award for the 400m Individual Medley heat swim at the Olympic Games which was 2.31% slower than the World Record. This is the first time that Lewis has won this award.
Para Swimmer of the Year
This award is presented to an individual who has excelled at national and/or international swimming competitions
Winner: Tupou Neiufi – Pukekohe Swimming Club
Tupou won this award for her gold medal winning performance in the S8 100m Backstroke at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Tupou is only the third recipient of this award since 2010 and this is the first time she was won this award.
Annette Kellerman Cup
This award is presented to an individual with the best result in open water events in New Zealand and overseas.
Winner: Ruby Heath – Neptune & Swim Dunedin
Ruby won this award for her performance at the 2021 New Zealand Open Water Swimming Championships in Taupo. This is the first time that Ruby has won this award.
Coach of the Year
This award is presented to an individual for outstanding services to coaching. The award takes into account the coaches broader services to the sport, leadership, relationship with the swimming community and swimming performances on the international stage.
Winner: Sheldon Kemp – Pukekohe Swimming Club
Sheldon won this award for his coaching of the gold medal winning performance by Tupou Neiufi at the Paralympic Games. This is the first time that Sheldon has won this award.
