TWELVE MONTH COUNTDOWN UNDERWAY - KIWIS HELP CHOOSE SONG OF GAMES Today marks 365 days until the London Olympic Games and the New Zealand Olympic Committee is calling on Kiwis to help choose the official song of the Olympic team. New Zealanders are being asked to vote for their favourite entry into the Anthem in Black Olympic song writing competition and the New Zealand Olympic Committee has enlisted some of the nations top athletes and musicians to help get New Zealanders involved. The songs are written by New Zealand musicians for the New Zealand Olympic team and reflect national pride. New Zealand sprint cyclists Sam Webster (20) and Ethan Mitchell (20), together with Split Enz guitarist Mike Chunn and Oliver Green whose song Im not afraid is an Anthem in Black entry, are urging Kiwis to download the free music from NZ2012.com and vote for the official song of the New Zealand team at the London Olympic Games. Webster and Mitchell have just returned from their European training phase during which they beat current Olympic team sprint champions Great Britain at the Cottbus Grand Prix in Germany. They are both working hard to earn a spot in the New Zealand Olympic Team to London. The pair says music plays an important role in athlete performance and songs written for the New Zealand Olympic team will be special. Hearing a New Zealand song makes you feel a real sense of pride, Mitchell said. It provides a connection with home. Knowing the songs have been written especially for us makes us realize theres everyone at home backing us, Webster added. It makes us understand the achievement of actually making it to the Olympic Games. Round two of the songwriting competition will run from August to November 2011 and all New Zealand musicians are invited to take part. A final round of public voting will take place in 2012. Voting for the song of the games is one of several ways the New Zealand Olympic Committee is inviting New Zealanders to be part of the London campaign as the twelve-month countdown begins. New Zealanders are also being invited to design a t-shirt that will become part of the official Olympic team uniform. They are also invited to share their proud moments with athletes to help inspire the Olympic team next year. The New Zealand Olympic Committee announced the results of an on-line poll today which revealed the Olympic uniform most favoured by Kiwis. The Athens 2004 uniform featuring a white fern reminiscent of a Greek laurel wreath came out ahead of the uniforms worn at Rome 1960, Seoul 1988 and London 1948. Also coinciding with the twelve-month milestone is Chef de Mission Dave Curries departure for a second Olympic site visit. Currie will attend a number of test events designed to check venue functionality and give high performance teams an invaluable look at how systems and processes will work at the Olympic Games next year. Currie will join New Zealand athletes and support teams at the Junior World Rowing Championships on the Olympic course at Eton Dorney, the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta 2011 and the ITU World Series Triathlon test event in Hyde Park. The London Olympic Games take place 27 July 12 August 2012. A team of around 200 athletes is expected to represent New Zealand in 17 sports.
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