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Amelia Kerr has won a prestigious ICC award after her efforts at the T20 World Cup PHOTO: ICC White Ferns allrounder Amelia Kerr has been named ICC women's T20 cricketer of the year following her exploits for New Zealand at the World Cup. Kerr was named player of the tournament as the White Ferns won their maiden T20 world title in the United Arab Emirates, taking a record 15 wickets at an average of 7.33 with her leg-spin. LATEST HEADLINES: Luca Harrington second X Games medal Strong finish for Ryan Fox in the UAE Black Ferns side denied Perth Sevens title Auckland FC win late; Phoenix Women lose Breakers struggle in Adelaide in big defeat The 24-year-old had superb performances in the tournament knockout stage. The semifinal win over the West Indies by eight runs, featured Kerr taking 2-14, removing the big-hitting Deandra Dottin at a vital moment in the chase. In the final, she top-scored with 43 off 38 balls as New Zealand posted 158-5 against South Africa and delivered another bowling masterclass, taking 3-24 as the Proteas collapsed to 126-9. "I love the responsibility the White Ferns have given me. It's a team I love playing for," Kerr told the ICC after the award announcement. "The World Cup success has to be the one that sticks out, and that's for the team. To win a World Cup is everyone's dream and I've dreamt that since I was a young kid. "To celebrate with your team-mates in the changing room, it's a real family feel at the White Ferns, so it's something I'll remember for the rest of my life." Kerr took a New Zealand calendar year record of 29 wickets in 18 matches across 2024, while also amassing 387 runs at an 24.18. She was the only White Fern named in the ICC's women's T20 team of the year. The other New Zealanders to receive awards to date are Kane Williamson and Matt Henry's inclusion in the men's test team of the year.

Lulu Sun has struggle to find form since August last year PHOTO: NZSW Lulu Sun has continued her struggle to find a victory with her fourth first round loss in as many tournaments this year. Sun, 23 ranked 45 was beaten in the first round at the Linz WTA event indoors in Austria by Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-3 6-3 in one hour 36 minutes. LATEST HEADLINES: Oceania Hockey Junior tournament Strong women's field NZ Squash Open Kerr named ICC Women's Player of Year Magic face Melbourne Vixens pre-season Ravindra stars Firebirds beat Aukcland Sun struggled with her serve which included six double faults and a low winning average of just over 50 percent of points when starting the point. The New Zealand-born player lost in the first round in Auckland, followed by Hobart and then at the Australian Open to Danke Kovonic. Sun has not won a match since the semifinals of the WTA 500 event at Monterrey, Mexico in August where she lost in the final. She played two more matches in 2024; the US Open and China Open having to withdraw halfway through both matches when injury. Sun was a surprise Wimbledon quarterfinalist last year taking her ranking from outside the top 100 to inside the best in the world.

A huge accoldae for Amelia Kerr who has been anmed ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year PHOTO: ICC A few days after her confirmation as the T20 Cricketer of the Year White Ferns allrounder Amelia Kerr has been named winner of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year. Acknowledging the outstanding female cricketer across all formats of the game during the calendar year, Kerr becomes the first New Zealander to win the coveted trophy. LATEST HEADLINES: Magic face Melbourne Vixens pre-season Ravindra stars Firebirds beat Aukcland Amelia Kerr T20 Cricketer of the Year Luca Harrington second X Games medal Strong finish for Ryan Fox in the UAE She helped inspire the White Ferns to their first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup along with many other feats. In T20Is alone, Kerr amassed 387 runs and took 29 wickets at an average of 15.55, yet it was during the World Cup campaign that her brilliance was most apparent - setting a new record for the most wickets in a single edition (15) and culminating in an unforgettable individual display in the final to secure the silverware and the Player of the Tournament accolade. On the biggest stage, up against an in-form South African outfit, Kerr overcame challenging conditions to score a crucial 43 from 38 balls before removing the dangerous Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch in figures of three for 24 with the ball to thwart the chase and set up a 32-win victory amid wild celebrations. While her year will be best remembered for her historic feats in the shortest format, Kerr also impressed in ODIs, hitting 264 runs at an average of 33.00 and taking 14 wickets which included four-wicket hauls against India and Australia. The 24-year-old overcomes South African skipper Wolvaardt, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu and Australia’s Annabel Sutherland to win the award, backing up her Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year success on Saturday. ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year, Amelia Kerr was thrilled with the accolade: “It's a huge honour to win the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year. I guess for me individual awards aren't something you think about much, but this is an extremely special one. “It’s nice to be able to contribute for New Zealand, I guess that's all any cricketer wants is to work hard and put out performances for their teammates. There are so many people that have helped me achieve what I have, and I'm very grateful for the support network I have around me.”

The Magic netball side showed promise in the 2024 ANZ Premiership but need to press on this year PHOTO: MICHAEL BRADLEY PHOTOGRAPHY The Magic netball side is set to kick off the 2025 pre-season with an international clash against the Melbourne Vixens in Bendigo on Thursday 20 March 2025. The game gives the Magic side ideal preparation for the upcoming ANZ Premiership season testing themselves against one of Australia's best. LATEST HEADLINES: Ravindra stars Firebirds beat Aukcland Amelia Kerr T20 Cricketer of the Year Luca Harrington second X Games medal Strong finish for Ryan Fox in the UAE Black Ferns side denied Perth Sevens title Magic Head Coach Mary Jane Araroa, is enthusiastic about the experience. “As a Super Netball league grand finalist, playing the Melbourne Vixens is an integral part of our pre-season build-up.” “Playing against a team of this calibre will push us to our limits and help us consolidate as a group. It’s a chance for our players to take another step up from last season and show what they’re capable of on the court.” The Vixens are no strangers to high-pressure matches, having established themselves as one of the premier teams in Australia. Their history with Magic adds another layer of excitement, including the 2012 ANZ Championship Grand Final, where Magic won their first trans-Tasman title with a 41-38 victory over the Vixens. “A few of our players have had the opportunity to train and play with the Silver Ferns, NZA and FAST5, and this game is a chance for them to showcase the skills and learnings they’ve gained at that elite level.  We are grateful for the opportunity Vixens have provided us and know it will be a fantastic match up of players.” said Araroa. The match will be livestreamed via the Vixens Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The Oceania Junior Hockey Qualifying tournament is an ideal way of blooding new talent for the Black Sticks PHOTO: HOCKEY NZ The Oceania Junior World Cup Hockey Qualifiers are set to take place in Auckland at Lloyd Elsmore Park this weekend with World Cup places already confirmed. The tournament will feature both our NZ U21 men’s and women’s teams competing against main rivalry Australia, the NZ Maori team and an invitational team to be confirmed.   LATEST HEADLINES: Strong women's field NZ Squash Open Kerr named ICC Women's Player of Year Magic face Melbourne Vixens pre-season Ravindra stars Firebirds beat Aukcland Amelia Kerr T20 Cricketer of the Year   The event is smaller than first hoped after the withdrawal of Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea both unable to compete meaning New Zealand Australia qualify automatically. The women's team will be looking towards the likes of Riana Pho, Emma Findlay, and Mezzy Surridge, who are part of the current Black Sticks women's team and will bring high-performance experience with them to the U21 level. The tournament still acts as an ideal opportunity for the teams to practice together and strengthen their cohesion and strategies ahead of the end of the year. The FIH Men’s Junior World Cup is scheduled to be held in India and the FIH Women’s Junior World Cup is to be held in Chile, both in December 2025.

New Zealand's Joelle King at the 2022 NZ Open PHOTO: NZ OPEN The entry list for the 2025 New Zealand Squash Open in Christchurch in March has been confirmed with a strong women's field and Paul Coll leading the men's. The women's draw has nine of the world’s top 20 players athletes, with Kiwi squash legend Joelle King and up and coming New Zealander Ella Lash joining the event as wildcards. LATEST HEADLINES: Kerr named ICC Women's Player of Year Magic face Melbourne Vixens pre-season Ravindra stars Firebirds beat Aukcland Amelia Kerr T20 Cricketer of the Year Luca Harrington second X Games medal Tinne Gilis from Belgium heads the women's draw at No 5 in the world followed by Amina Orfi of Egypt who is just 17 and already ranked eighth in the world with countrywoman Rowan Elaraby No 8. Ninth ranked Nele Gilis-Coll, the older sister of Tinne and wife of Paul Coll, has also been named in the women’s draw and will be looking to defend the title she won when the tournament was last held, in 2023.  Maylasia's Sivasangari Subramaniam is next at No 10, Japan's Satomi Watanabe will be the sixth seed with a ranking of 11, followed by Fayrouz Aboelkheir (Egypt) at 12 and Salma Hany from Egypt rounding out the seedings at 13. However for New Zealand's King it is a chance to get back into winning after a partial year on the PSA circuit returning from injury. “I’m really looking forward to playing at home again,” said King. “I love the New Zealand Squash Open, it’s such a competitive event and the field is absolutely stacked. There’s going to be some amazing squash on display so it’ll make for a great event.” The men's field has Coll ranked fourth in the world followed by No 5 Mazen Hesham of Egypt and runner up from the previous NZ Open, Marwan Elshorbagy, also Egypt at No 10. Aucklander Anthony Lepper receives a wildcard with Wellington teenager Ollie Dunbar the other direct entry.   The overall draw features 24 men and 24 women from 17 nations and will be held at Christchurch’s iconic Isaac Theatre Royal, which will be decked out with a glass court on stage from March 4th to 9th 2025. The tournament is part of the PSA Tour at a Silver level with prizemoney of US93,000 per draw. Men's seeds: Paul Coll (NZL) 4, Mazen Hesham (EGY) 5, Marwan Elshorbagy (ENG) 10, Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 13, Greg Lobban (SCO) 20, Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) 22, Baptiste Masotti (FRA) 23, Iker Pajares (ESP) 24. Women's seeds: Tinne Gilis (BEL) 5, Amina Orfi (EGY) 7, Rowan Elaraby (EGY) 8, Nele Gilis-Coll (BEL) 9, Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) 10, Satomi Watanabe (JPN) 11, Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) 12, Salma Hany (EGY) 13.

Men’s Ski Big Air Podium at X Games. [L-R] Luca Harrington (NZL) 2nd, Miro Tabanelli (ITA) 1st, Matej Svancer (AUT) 3rd. PHOTO: MARK KOHLMAN/X GAMES. Wanaka's Luca Harrington added his second X Games medal to his collection, taking home silver in the ski big air at his debut X Games. Harrington, who initially was going to X Games as an alternate in both of his medal events, has walked away from the weekend with a gold and a silver medal. LATEST HEADLINES: Strong finish for Ryan Fox in the UAE Black Ferns side denied Perth Sevens title Auckland FC win late; Phoenix Women lose Breakers struggle in Adelaide in big defeat Whelpton, Tanner take titles at athletic  meets After his winning slopestyle performance, Harrington was one of the favourites in tonight’s event. He was in esteemed company, with four of the eight skiers returning gold medallists. With a stacked field, the expectation was that world first tricks would be delivered, and the excited crowd was not disappointed. In what has become trademark approach for Harrington, he came out swinging in the playoffs and put down a triple corked 1980 with a tweaked tail grab, going huge and punching his ticket to the finals with ease. Harrington put down a repeat triple corked 1980 and was sitting in bronze medal position after the first of two finals runs. Despite sitting in medal position, Harrington upped the ante and added an extra 180 degrees of rotation, landing his first ever triple corked 2160 tail grab (six full rotations). He was rewarded a huge score of 97.00 by the judges, just one point behind the leader. Unable to believe what he had just done, Harrington exclaimed “I did it!” as he pulled into the bottom of the course and was surrounded by fellow competitors and his family congratulating him. This was his first time ever landing this trick on snow, and he last landed it on an airbag over a year ago. Winner Miro Tabanelli of Italy made history landing a double corked 2340 cuban grab for the first time ever in skiing. Matej Svancer of Austria rounded out the podium in third with a never been done trick of his own, in what was one of the most progressive ski big air events in memory. The kiwi athletes will get the chance to take on the world class courses again at the Aspen World Cup, which is starting with the qualification rounds on Thursday this coming week.

Ryan Fox closed with a four-under 68 to finish in the top-30 at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship. PHOTO: DP WORLD TOUR New Zealand's Ryan Fox has finished tied for 27th at seven-under at the DP World Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Championship in the UAE. Fox had improving rounds throughout the tournament of 72, 71 and 70 before carding a four-under 68 in the final round on Sunday (Monday NZ Time), one of the lower scores of the tournament. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Ferns side denied Perth Sevens title Auckland FC win late; Phoenix Women lose Breakers struggle in Adelaide in big defeat Whelpton, Tanner take titles at athletic  meets Wallace Sititi injury much worse than thought Spain's Alejandro del Rey was a runaway winner at 22-under, four shots ahead of his nearest rival. Fox, 38, called the tournament a "frustrating couple of days". He has four career DP World Tour victories, including at Ras Al Khaimah in 2022. Fellow Kiwis Kazuma Kobori and Daniel Hillier finished down the leaderboard and missed the cut. At the Asian Tour’s Philippine Open in Manila, Nick Voke ended tied for 16th at four-under, after a final round three-under 68, seven shots off the winner Julien Sale of France. Compatriot Denzel Ieremia finished tied for 59th at four-over.

Hosts Australia have denied the Black Ferns Sevens the women's title at the Perth Sevens. Risi Pouri-Lane missed a potential game-tying conversion with just over a minute remaining for New Zealand in a 28-26 defeat in an instant-classic Cup final at Perth's Optus Stadium on Sunday (Monday morning NZ Time). LATEST HEADLINES: Auckland FC win late; Phoenix Women lose Breakers struggle in Adelaide in big defeat Whelpton, Tanner take titles at athletic meets Wallace Sititi injury much worse than thought Wellington Phoenix draw 0-0 with Mariners In a back-and-forth final, the Black Ferns struck first, with Michaela Brake (nee Blyde) going over in the opening minute, her milestone 250th try, before Heidi Dennis answered for Australia the next minute. The hosts took the lead for the first time in the sixth minute, with Kelsey Teneti sending the teams into the halftime break tied at 14-14. Charlotte Caslick and Dennis gave Australia 21-14 and 28-21 leads, sandwiching Brake's second five-pointer in the 10th minute. Pouri-Lane crossed out wide in the 13th minute but could not convert to level the scores. The Black Ferns Sevens came up one win short of the women's title at the Perth Sevens. PHOTO: NZ SEVENS Earlier on Sunday, the Black Ferns defeated France 36-7 in the semifinals to reach their third straight final this season. Brake scored four tries, including three in a four-minute span either side of halftime, turning the game into a blowout at 22-0. Jorja Miller and Dhys Faleafaga followed it up for 36 unanswered points, before France grabbed a consolation score. The Black Ferns still lead the women's series standings by two points over Australia after three events, with the Vancouver Sevens next on the calendar from February 21-23. Meanwhile, the All Blacks Sevens rebounded from the disappointment of failing to qualify for the quarterfinals for just the fifth time in the series' 26-season history, with a 19-12 come-from-behind win over Kenya. After opening the scoring in the third minute through Regan Ware, Kenya scored two tries before halftime to lead 12-7. An Andrew Knewstubb try and conversion gave New Zealand the lead, before Dylan Collier sealed the victory in the 13th minute. Having reached the semifinals just once in three tournaments, the injury- and retirement-hit ABs Sevens side sits seventh in the series standings, 20 points behind co-leaders Fiji, Argentina and Spain.

Tacko Fall looks to get a shot away under pressure in the Breakers loss to the Bullets in Christchurch PHOTO: BREAKERS SUPPLIED/NZ BREAKERS A combined 50 points for Casey Prather and Keandre Cook handed the Brisbane Bullets a hard-fought 93-87 win over the NZ Breakers in Christchurch. The Breakers had an early 10-0 run but once Brisbane hit the lead later in the first quarter, they never surrendered it again even though the home side got within two late to give them a scare. LATEST HEADLINES: Routliffe, Dabrowski lose AO semis Sadowski Synnott bronze X Games Wood to stay at Nottingham Forest Kiwi golfers struggle on DP World Tour Gallagher finding his feet at Hurricanes The NZ side started well to be up 12-2, but it should have been more had Tacko Fall made his foul shots. Brisbane then went on a 16-5 run to grab the lead and hold that for the rest of the half to be leading at the break 46-40 with Prather and Cook going 8/17 from three-point range for 32 points between them. The Breakers were left to rue 12/20 free-throw shooting but were still in touch until it was the opening stages of the fourth quarter where the Bullets pulled away for a first double-digit lead. The home team lost Parker Jackson-Cartwright (19 points, nine assists) to an apparent rib injury, but they still got back within two thanks to Matt Mooney (24 points, four assists) before the Bullets held on for the important win. Josh Bannan came up with crucial late plays on his way to 17 points and seven rebounds while Cook ended up with 26 points and six assists, and Prather 24 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Tohi Smith-Milner fought hard down low for 10 points and seven rebounds. The Breakers are now 9-17 with just three games to go but going just 19/30 at the foul line will be something they are left to contemplate. Fall only took one more free-throw after quarter-time and made it to finish with 2/7 for his 12 points and five rebounds with New Zealand nine plus in his 22:39 of court time. After Parker Jackson-Cartwright had seven assists in the first half, he was more aggressive looking to score in the third term and helped the Breakers back within three by three quarter-time. The Bullets then started the final term with the first six points starting with a triple from Mitch Norton and soon after they were able to get their first double-figure lead of the ball game before ending up securing the six-point win to keep their season alive. The Breakers have to back up to play on Sunday afternoon on the road to Adelaide 36ers. Brisbane Bullets 93 (Kaendre Cook 26, Casey Prather 24, Josh Bannan 17) NZ Breakers 87 (Matt Mooney 24, Parker Jackson-Cartwright 19, Tacko Fall 12)

Michaela Brake (nee Blyde) against Ireland for the Black Ferns 7s in Perth PHOTO: WORLD SEVENS SERIES Reputations and past form count form count for nothing in rugby sevens as Fiji and New Zealand were both beaten in men's World Sevens Series in Perth. South Americans Uruguay beat Olympic silver medalists Fiji 24-17 and followed that with a 17-12 win over the All Black Sevens. LATEST HEADLINES: Double gold for NZ at X Games Breaker compete by taste defeat Routliffe, Dabrowski lose AO semis Sadowski Synnott bronze X Games Wood to stay at Nottingham Forest Fiji, who had beaten Uruguay 70-7 in Cape Town in December, took a 17-0 lead before the Uruguayans pulled off a stunning comeback with Pedro Hoblog's late try sealing an historic win. They then shocked the 14-time champions New Zealand to earn their first-ever sevens win over the All Blacks Sevens. Uruguay outlasted New Zealand in a tense battle in the second half, dominating possession and capitalising on Kiwi errors with Juan Manuel Tafernaberry slotting a penalty attempt from close range in the 15th minute to complete the win. Uruguay can complete a memorable Pool C sweep against Kenya on Saturday, while New Zealand face Fiji. The Black Ferns Sevens and Japan lead pool A in the women's draw after big opening day wins over Ireland and Brazil. The USA and Canada top pool B after beating Fiji and Great Britain on day one, while France join Australia in qualifying for Saturday's quarter-finals from pool C. The Black Ferns Sevens lead the overall women's standings, closely following by reigning world sevens champions Australia. Fiji lead the series men's standings following gold in Dubai and bronze in Cape Town, ahead of Spain, who had victories over Great Britain and Ireland to lead pool B alongside France, while South Africa lead pool A.

Sammie Maxwell on her way to a clean sweep of the cross-country series with a wet and muddy victory at Te Miro, near Cambridge PHOTO: MTB NZ A Taupo double for Paris Olympian Sammie Maxwell and talented teenager Coen Nicol who slid their way to cross-country honours in the final round of the MTB New Zealand national series at Te Miro, near Cambridge. Heavy and persistent rain turned the cross-country course into a slippery and muddy challenge for all, with Coen making full use of his cyclocross skills to claim the elite and under-23 race in 1:23.06. LATEST HEADLINES: Whelpton, Tanner take titles Wallace Sititi injury much worse Phoenix draw with Mariners Stars to the fore in Super Smash Upsets in Perth Sevens event After placing runner-up last weekend at his home track in Taupo, Coen reversed the placings today to finish over two minutes ahead of last week’s winner, Auckland’s Matthew Wilson with Hunter Adams (Hamilton) a further two minutes back in third. “It was pretty much a case of just trying to stay upright and keep it smooth,” said Nicol. “I think I only crashed three times, but everyone was in the same both and I was happy to bring it back to the finish safely.” Nicol said the race felt like some of his previous experiences in Europe riding cyclocross in the mud. “At the start when it was so slippery and I was sliding everywhere it felt a bit like that. But it was super-fun.” Maxwell took out the elite and under-23 women’s race in 1:12.31, nearly seven minutes clear of Cantabrians Maria Laurie and Annabel Bligh. It made for a clean sweep for Maxwell after the Decathlon Ford professional won the opening round in Dunedin, which doubled as the Oceania Championships, and last week in Queenstown. “It was good practice for the world cups in Europe because I often get freaked out and nervous in wet conditions so I had some slick tyres on and it was good to practice. “It was super-wet but the course was really good and the mud was not tacky – I was happy with it. And it was good to take the win again and take the series.” Maxwell changes to the road bike for the national championships in Timaru in two weeks before racing in Australia and returning for the mountain bike national championships in Rotorua. She will then prepare for the UCI World Cup campaign starting in Brazil, although today’s conditions were the polar-opposite from the heat and humidity expected in South America. The gravity riders completed their series in the Wairarapa on a super-dry downhill course in Rivenrock in the Takarua Forest Park. It is the first time a national series downhill race has been stage on the relatively new course, with the dry and rocky conditions providing a challenging test. Nelson professional Sam Gale, who resides in the European off-season in Queenstown, proved the class of the field to claim his second elite title of the series. He was the top elite rider in Dunedin, in fourth place overall, and was fifth in the second round at Coronet Peak last weekend. Gale was second fastest elite and fifth fastest overall in the seeding run but proved the class of the field to blitz his way to the overall honours in 3:18.59, the only rider under 3:19 in the final. “It’s been an extremely good summer for me. I’m pretty happy,” said Gale. “I’ve been on quite a healthy streak right now and keen to keep it going.” Gale races in Christchurch next week and then has his sights on the national championships on one if his favourite gravity tracks in Rotorua. Junior riders, led by last year’s under-17 national schools champion, Jonty Williamson (Palmerston North), filled the next three spots ahead of elites Bryn Dickerson and Hamish McLeod. Queenstown junior Indy Deavoll prevailed in the female final, fastest in 3:50.24 ahead of promising Rotorua rider Bellah Birchall just over a second behind, with Wellington’s under-17 rider Capella Martin third. Proving age is no barrier, former multi-national elite champion and 40-something Nathan Rankin finished in the top-10 in the overall men’s finishers. Cross-country, Round 3, Te Miro: Under-15: Ethan Rawson (North Harbour) 51:30, 1; George Fisher (Taupo) at 4s, 2; Maxx Gurney (Cambridge) at 16s, 3. Under-17: Levi Gear (Orewa) 1:04.05, 1; Jesse Hofmans (New Plymouth) at 7:10, 2; Cole Graham (Morrinsville) at 10:48, 3. Under 19: James Climo (Hamilton) 1:23:18, 1; Fletcher Adams (Hamilton) at 33s, 2; Liam Brown (Hutt Valley) at 1lap, 3. Elite/U23: Coen Nicol (Taupo) 1:23.06, 1; Matthew Wilson (Auckland) at 2:37, 2; Hunter Adams (Hamilton) at 4:56, 3. Women:: Under-15: Astyn Nasmith (North Harbour) 58:00, 1; Kaylan Nasmith (North Harbour) at 3:15, 2; Zoe Climo (Rotorua) 3. Under-17: Lucy Vincent (Nelson) 56:18. 1; Harlow Adams (Hamilton) at 5:23, 2. Under-19: Kayley McMillan (Morrinsville) 49:46, 1; Millie Junge (Christchurch) at 6:56, 2; Dulcie Copeland (Tauranga) at 10:27, 3. Elite/U23: Sammie Maxwell (Decathlon Ford, Taupo) 1:12.31, 1; Maria Laurie (Christchurch) at 6:57, 2; Annabel Bligh (Christchurch) at 8:10, 3. Downhill, Rivenrock Wairarapa: Male overall: Sam Gale (Nelson) 3:18.59, 1; Jonty Williamson (Palmerston North) 3:19.02, 2; Seppy Binsbergen (New Plymouth) 3:19.24, 3. Women's, overall: Indy Deavoll (Queenstown) 3:50.24, 1; Bellah Birchall (Rotorua) 3:51.97, 2; Capella Martin (Wellington) 3:56.02, 3.