Commonwealth Games double gold medalist, Lara van Niekerk, 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations winner, Hildah Magaia and South Africa’s first ever Commonwealth Games judo gold medal winner, Michaela Whitebooi, will battle it out for top honours in the Momentum Athlete of the Year category as public voting opens for the 2022 Momentum gsport Awards at gsport.co.za/voting.
This prestigious category, which has been in existence since 2007, honours a sportswoman whose excellent work dominated at a senior level or internationally in the year under review (June 2021 – June 2022).
Swim sensation, van Niekerk, is ecstatic to be a first-time finalist on the Momentum gsport Awards stage.
“It is an honour to be a finalist for the Momentum Athlete of the Year award, especially when I know how many incredible performances there have been this year by South African women!
“Thank you to all who nominated me and to gsport for the recognition.”
This year, van Niekerk has been outstanding on the international stage which saw her win gold in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Van Niekerk then made her return to local shores to set an African Record at the SA Short Course Championships in early August.
Hildah Magaia, whose name has been embedded in football’s history books after her brace in the final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations against Morocco earned Banyana Banyana their first ever continental title, was at a loss for words when she found out that she had made the shortlist.
“Oh wow! I’m flabbergasted, I didn’t expect this!” explained Magaia.
“I feel honoured for being part of the most prestigious award at the event, it is an overwhelming and proud moment for me. It came as a shock to me to learn that I am one of the finalists in this category, but I am grateful and happy that our work as athletes does not go unnoticed.
“Thank you so much gsport for the recognition! This indeed is an encouragement for me to work even more harder for myself, my family and the nation at large.”
Michaela Whitebooi, who is the first South African to ever win gold in judo at the Commonwealth Games, reflected on her time when she first attended a Momentum gsport Awards event as a guest and has now come full circle as one of the finalists.
“It could possibly be 6 or 7 years ago that I was invited while I was in high school just to see the event. Being there, I remember I saw Caster Semenya, and she was going on stage to win this same Athlete of the Year award!
“It was just amazing being there among powerful women. Now, knowing that I am a finalist and I get to be one of those women this year, it is just a blessing! I am happy to be a part of this and to represent girls and women in sport,” she added.
“I am really grateful for this recognition because it took a lot of sacrifice for me to get it. This last gold (in Birmingham) and being recognised for time really makes working towards it worth all the challenges.”
Double Olympic gold medallist, Caster Semenya, is the most celebrated winner in Momentum Athlete of the Year category, which has also previously been won by Banyana Banyana legend Portia Modise, Two Oceans and Comrades marathon winner Caroline Wostmann, Welterweight boxing champion Noni Tenge, world surfski champion, Hayley Nixon and reigning Momentum Athlete of the Year, South African international cricket star, Shabnim Ismail.
Check out the latest women’s sport news in the Momentum-powered gsport newsroom and cast your vote for your leading #gsport17 candidate here.
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