The New Zealand Olympic Committee has marked the 100 day milestone to the Olympic Games with the naming of four triathletes to the New Zealand Olympic Team and the confirmation that both mens and womens football teams will be assured a place at London. The athletes and teams named today add weight to an already talented Olympic team set to perform with distinction and earn New Zealands 100th Olympic medal this year. Andrea Hewitt who finished this weekends ITU World Cup in Sydney with a bronze medal headed the womens Triathlon team named today and will be joined in London by number two ranked New Zealander Kate McIlroy. The mens Triathlon team includes Beijing Olympian Kris Gemmel and double Olympic medallist Bevan Docherty (Athens silver, Beijing bronze). The New Zealand Olympic Committee also accepted nominations for Nicky Samuels and Ryan Sissons pending confirmation of spots by the ITU in May. Footballs Ryan Nelsen and Rebecca Smith were named as team captains with 18-player squad announcements to be made by June 15. New Zealand Olympic Committee Secretary General and selector Kereyn Smith said the athletes and teams named today would make their mark in London. Weve got a real reputation in both mens and womens triathlon and they have made their mark internationally. Andrea is a real medal contender. Im delighted to welcome them to our proud Olympic team. Smith added the two football teams were expected to be very competitive and perform with distinction at London. Based on the significantly enhanced programme for the Football Ferns and their improving ranking internationally, as well as the performance of the All Whites at the 2012 World Cup; the New Zealand Olympic Committee and Football NZ are looking to both teams making a mark on the Olympic competition. The New Zealand Olympic Committee also confirmed the selection of 50km race walker Quentin Rew who met the IAAF A standard on March 31, just missing the initial athletics team selection. High Performance Sport New Zealand chief executive Alex Baumann also commented on todays announcements. He says that with 100 days to go until the Olympic Games begin, hes delighted to see the athletes from two more sports selected to the New Zealand team and wants to wish all our athletes well in London. New Zealand has a recent Olympic history in triathlon and football. Triathlon made its first appearance on the Olympic programme in 2000 at Sydney. Our first triathlon medals were won in Athens where Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty came home for gold and silver medals. Beijing saw a team of six athletes and a bronze medal from Bevan Docherty. New Zealand first sent football teams to the Olympic Games in 2008. The womens team finished tenth and the men finished 14th. The Mens Olympic Football Tournament is contested by squads comprised of U-23 players with three overage players per squad. The draw for both football tournaments will be made in Coventry next Tuesday night (NZT). The 100 Days milestone was also marked with a street party and celebrity running race in Wellington hosted by the UK High Commission and the naming of Stand Tall by Sam RB as the official song of the New Zealand team at London 2012. COMMENTS FROM TRIATHLON NZ Triathlon NZ selection convenor Damian Pedreschi was delighted to have the teams named today. The Triathlon NZ Selectors, Lynley Brown, Barry Larsen and I are very pleased that the selection process has delivered a formidable team of talented athletes to represent New Zealand at the London Olympic Games. Andrea, Kate, Nicky, Kris, Bevan and Ryan are superb athletes and wonderful ambassadors for the sport and the country. They have come through a comprehensive selection process and are deserving of their places on the start line in London. As selectors we were committed to ensuring a transparent, fair and rigorous process was agreed and implemented. That process was communicated to all athletes and coaches one year ago, with clear opportunities along the way to qualify for London, culminating in the Sydney race last weekend. We are confident this process has delivered six athletes who will represent New Zealand with pride and deliver outstanding results in London. That process has subsequently been ratified by the Tri NZ Board and the NZOC. While celebrating the success of those named today and wishing them and Greg well in London, we would like to acknowledge those athletes who were not selected, and highlight that it was a very difficult decision. It is their calibre that demonstrates the depth and talent of triathletes in New Zealand. COMMENTS FROM FOOTBALL NZ New Zealand Football Chief Executive Grant McKavanagh said both football teams will go to London on the back of a steady diet of internationals and with high expectations for themselves. The experience of Ryan Nelsen, along with two other overage players, in a squad containing at least five other current All Whites means the men will be able to field an exciting young line up of players now earning a living in leagues around the world. The Football Ferns have shown consistently since Beijing that they are a match for the Worlds top teams and have taken a big jump since last years Womens World Cup with the majority of the team now playing professionally. McKavanagh also confirmed that Neil Emblen would coach the mens team in London, after successfully guiding the team through qualification. Tony Readings is the Football Ferns coach.
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