Lara van Niekerk was rewarded for her outstanding performances in 2022 by being chosen as South African Sportswoman of the Year in a glitzy awards ceremony at Sun City on Saturday. Lara also took home the Ministers Excellence Award.

Lara was crowned Commonwealth Champion in the 50m and 100m Breaststroke in Birmingham last year, and won a bronze medal in the 50m Breaststroke at the World Swimming Championships in Budapest, and the silver in the same event in Melbourne at the World Short Course Swimming Championships.

Fellow swimmer Matthew Sates was nominated for the Sports Star of the Year Award after he won gold in the 200m IM at the World Short Course Swimming Championships in December.