Hamish Kerr: Olympic high jumper on winning Sportsman of the Year at the Halberg Awards

Hamish Kerr has claimed another title. 

The Olympic gold medallist has been awarded Sportsman of the Year at the Halberg Awards.  

The high jumper beat out some tough competition for the title, including two other gold medallists Finn Butcher and Hayden Wilde. 

Kerr told Mike Hosking that it was cool to see not only New Zealand Olympians at the event, but also crickets, and footballers. 

“Such an amazing range of sports, all represented.” 

He believes that sport unites the country, saying that the attitude Kiwis took towards the Olympics was really felt overseas. 

“I felt proud to be a Kiwi out there, you know, watching all my fellow competitors or compatriots compete – it was so special.”  

A lot of people are still connected to sport, and athletics in particular, and he thinks the athletics success in Paris has started to bring people back into it. 

“I’ve done a couple of comps since, just domestically, and you know, just the reaction from the people coming down wanting to meet not only me, but all the other Olympians has been, has been so, so cool to see.”  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So it's always got a bit of fizz about it
when the Hellbergs reflect in the Olympic year, of course,
in the gold medal winners. One big sportsman of the
year clearing two point three four meters. How can we
forget him? The jump off Hamish curR one sportsman of
the year and he's with us. Morning to you, morning Mike,
How are you very well? And do thank you? Great tucks,
very good looking tacks. Where'd you get it from?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
It was a made to measure from Barker's, so get
along there if you need anything tux related.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Nice little plug now, good on you. I think the tall,
the stature and the hype makes it look better. But
it was a very good looking thing. How was the night?

Speaker 2 (00:37):
It was amazing. It was actually my first time ever
coming to the Halberg's obviously based in crash Ech now,
so it's a little bit of a trick for me.
But yeah, I think it was just so cool to
see not only our Olympians, but you know, the cricketers
and some of the footballers and just just such an
amazing range of sports, all rip centered. So it was
such a cool thing to be a part of good stuff.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
What do you Reckon you've done for your sport? Have
you have you got a vibe to your one?

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah? Look, I mean I think that athletics has kind
of been one of those sports there is in the
New Zealand psyche. You know, obviously with Walker and snow
and you know, all the amazing things that happened back
in the day. A lot of people are still connected
to it, but I think that it's really starting to
bring people back into it, and also a lot of
young people into it. I mean, I I've done a
couple of comps since, just domestically, and you know, just

(01:22):
the reaction from the people coming down wanting to meet
not only me but all our other Olympians has been
has been so so cool to see. So yeah, it's
been really awesome.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
Because what's your observation of sport in our lives, whether
it's you know, is it still the common thread that
there's war units a country and sport units of country?
Do you rerickon sports still units a country?

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah? Yeah, I definitely does. I mean, you know, just
the attitude that New Zealand took towards the Olympics, we
really felted overseas. You know, it really felt like you
were on sat down and you know, I felt proud
to be a keeper out there, you know, watching all
my fellow competitors or compatriots compete. It was it was
so special. But yeah, I know, like I think as well,

(02:02):
Like for me, sport is just about being healthy, and
I think that's something that you know, we need more
and more these days. And so if it's it's just
a way to promote people to get outside and actually
just use their bodies a bit more the end, then
I'm pretty heavy.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
Good on you. I don't want to get controversial here,
but James, see the problem, the problem with the Hillbergs
is if you win a gold medal, or you win
a world championship, you win. Is that the way it
should be or is there no other way it can?
Because I look at James McDonald, I mean, James McDonald
is bloody good at what he does. And as for
Chris Wood, but he hasn't won anything, has he? And
that's the problem.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
I mean, look, I think, yeah, I agree with him,
like it's it's it's one of those things that you know,
I was sitting out there in ours I would have
much rather that actually just had an athletic competition. You know,
it was something that I have much more control over
to see who would win. So look, I think, you know,
the only thing I can speak to is the strength
of the nominees. And I think that we're in a

(02:56):
really special place in new Land to be able to
have those hard discussions. You know, I think there's a
lot of countries in the world where there would be
one clear Cup winner, but for a small country like
ourselves that just continually punches about our weight, not just
in Olympic sports, being Olympic here, but also and in
such a range of sports, it's just so inspiring. And
you know, even I was debating it, you know, it's

(03:18):
just natural to have those moments. But I think, yeah,
it's one of those things that obviously the judges a
certain way.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
And we're here now, fantastic, good one, you make congratulation.
Its nice to catch up, but you've got a good
year lined up.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
You're busy, Yeah, yeah, sort of back on the horse now.
So I've got a couple of comps domestically, come down
to crush. It's this weekend if everyone's around, and what's
to watch but athletics and then yeah, and we've got
Nationals coming up as well, so that's sort of my
domestic stuff and then we'll hit overseason and start cranking
later in the year.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
Go well, appreciate your time as always, Hamishkur, good guy,
awesome guy, Elease Andrews for me personally, if nothing else
came out of the Olympics. So I got to meet
Hamish for the first time and I got to meet
so Lease Andrews for the first time, and both just
forget the win, forget the medals, all that sort of stuff.
Just brilliant people, just really good people. And if you
can look good in the tucks as well, and then

(04:08):
come on, thank It's not bad game Taylor made at
the old Barkers. But it is the debate, isn't it.
And you'll never get around it. I don't know how
you get around it, Finn Butcher. See, I like Co
over Carrington because co won gold in a truly global
sport golfers global basketball's global, tennis is global football's global,

(04:32):
whereas Carrington won in a niche sport, which is not
too dismiss what she does, of course, obviously, But if
you're going to go head to head and you're looking
for to differentiate Global Beat's Niche doesn't it or or
can we.

Speaker 2 (04:42):
Just agree that awards are stupid and we shouldn't have them.

Speaker 1 (04:45):
Oh no, we love awards. There's a big time winner, Glenn. No,
you gotta love awards. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
listen live to news talks.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio