Cycling New Zealand has confirmed that four riders and one coach are finalists for the 62nd ISPS Handa Halberg Awards.

The Halberg Trust announced that Ellesse Andrews is a finalist in the Sportswomen of the Year, after her record performance at the Paris Olympic Games where she won two gold medals and a silver in the Individual Sprint, Keirin and Team Sprint respectively.

Sprint Coach, Jon Andrews, is a finalist in the Buddle Findlay Coach of the Year, not just for the medals to Ellesse, but the Team Sprint silver medal and national records and personal bests by all four riders in Paris.

Extraordinary Hutt Valley teenager, Erice van Leuven is a finalist in the Sky Sport Emerging Talent Award after winning the UCI Mountain Bike Junior Women’s Downhill World Championship for a second successive year.

The successful pair of Anna Taylor and Nicole Murray are both finalists for the ISPS Handa Para Athlete/Para Team of the year.

Taylor won a silver medal in the C4 3000m Individual Pursuit, while Murray won a bronze medal in the C5 3000m Individual Pursuit and was fifth in the time trial at the Paris Paralympic Games.