Youth America’s Cup winner takes top sporting honours at University of Auckland Blues Awards

The skipper for New Zealand’s successful Red Bull Youth America’s Cup campaign has continued his winning formula, receiving two awards at The University of Auckland Blues Awards last night.

Peter Burling, an Engineering student, was named as the Sportsman of the Year for his performance at the 2012 London Olympic Games where he and teammate Blair Tuke received silver medals in the 49er class. It was this same performance that saw Peter awarded another Blue for Most Meritorious Sporting Performance.

The Blues awards cap off what has been an incredible 18 months for Peter, who followed up the success in London with victory at the inaugural Red Bull Youth America’s Cup regatta, using the same high performance, wing-sailed AC45 catamarans that were used in the America’s Cup World Series.

He is currently in France, competing at the 2013 49er and 49erFX World Championships, before heading to Hawaii for the 2013 McDougall-McConaghy Moth Worlds.

“Peter is clearly a gifted athlete and an incredibly focussed individual to not only be excelling in his sport but to also meet and surpass the academic requirements for what is a challenging degree,” said Louis Rattray, Director for Sport and Recreation at the University.

“He and the other Blues recipients and nominees are all very worthy of the tradition of sporting, cultural and leadership excellence that these Blues Awards stand for, and there will be a strong sense of pride for the University to keep track of how their careers will progress.”
Other Blues recipients were:
 
Gemma Jones, Sportswoman of the Year
Jordan Pearse, Māori Sportsperson of the Year
Alice Wang, Service and Leadership Award (University community)
Anton Smith, Service and Leadership Award (Community)
Yuqing Zhou and Ying Liu, Most Meritorious Performance in Arts
 
ENDS

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