Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, Toni Mould and Pieter du Preez have all been nominated for the SA Sports Awards.
Moolman-Pasio, nominated for sportswoman of the year, delivered a top 10 result at the 2016 Rio Olympics before crashing and injuring her hip two months later.
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, two-time Sportswoman of the Year winner, has been nominated for the 2017 award. Photo: Sean Rowe
Her efforts to return to form paid dividends when she climbed to third in the UCI world rankings after continued success in Europe earlier this year – the highest achieved by a South African cyclist.
The two-time Sportswoman of the Year winner (2014 and 2015) maintained her top form at the Road World Championships in Bergen, where she finished seventh in the time-trial before crashing out of the road race.
“I feel very honoured to be nominated, especially among two women of such amazing caliber. Win or lose, being nominated makes me feel incredibly proud of the comeback I made this year after my hip fracture.”
Para-cyclists Mould and Du Preez were also nominated for their achievements.
Mould, who was born with cerebral palsy, was nominated for sportswoman of the year with a disability after she secured a silver medal at her first UCI Para-cycling Road World Championship this year.
She finished behind Canada’s Shelley Gautier in the women’s T1 road race.
“This is the first time I’ve been nominated and obviously I’m excited and very honoured,” said Mould, who has been battling to find sponsorship this year.
“It’s always been big names, big stars, that have been associated with the awards and I don’t quite see myself on the same level as them yet so it really is humbling for me.”
Three-time para-cycling world champion Pieter du Preez added his fourth world title to his list of achievements after he set out to defend both his road and time-trial titles.
His world championships got off to a less than ideal start when he lost in the men’s H1 time-trial, but he came back to defeat Switzerland’s Benjamin Fruh in the road race a few days later.
Earlier this year he became the first quadriplegic person to swim from Cape Town to Robben Island.
The Paralympian, Ironman athlete and record holder was nominated for sportsman of the year with a disability for what he hopes will be a third time lucky.
“I have to say, it’s been a pretty amazing sporting year with everything that’s happened. To be nominated and be a finalist at the SA Sports Awards again is truly an honour and is always special,” he said.
“That being said I’m up against two great guys who I can happily call my friends and they’ve had a great year themselves, so good luck to them and all the other nominees.”
The awards take place at Emperors Palace on November 12.
