Kiwis in Action

It's been another busy month for sport in New Zealand, and our athletes have been working hard as we get even closer to Paris 2024.

This month we launched The NZ Team Mascot, Goldie! Goldie will be attending many of our upcoming events across the country, and will make an appearance at NZ House for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

New Zealand sevens stocks are on the rise with dual victories at the Hong Kong Sevens, as both the men's and women's teams successfully defended their titles.

In the men's final, the All Blacks Sevens concluded three days of thrilling action with a nail-biting 10-7 victory over France. Meanwhile, the women's decider saw the Black Ferns Sevens dominate the United States for a commanding 36-7 win, fuelled by winger Michaela Blyde's impressive hat-trick.

The New Zealand women's cycling endurance team continued their hot run of form, winning the elite 4000m team pursuit at the UCI Track Nations Cup in Hong Kong. The men's team pursuit quartet also made the podium, claiming bronze. 

Aaron Gate was also in action, winning the men's omnium and performing exceptionally in the points race.

Bryony Botha and Emily Shearman narrowly missed gold in the women's madison, settling for silver after a close competition. Sam Dakin achieved his best Nations Cup result with a bronze in the men's keirin, while Shaane Fulton had a promising start in the women's sprint but was eliminated in the first round of match-racing.

The New Zealand cycling team achieved their mission on the final day securing victory in the men's two-rider madison event with Campbell Stewart and Aaron Gate leading the charge.

New Zealand mountain-bike riders have dominated the UCI Oceania MTB Championships cross-country in Queensland this month, sweeping all titles in the elite, under-23, and under-19 categories for both men and women.

Paris Olympian Anton Cooper was dominant to secure his eighth consecutive elite men's title, while Sammie Maxwell showcased her climbing prowess to secure her first elite women's title. 

Last month also saw out top athletics representatives in action at the Jennian Homes New Zealand Track and Field Championships in Wellington.

Zoe Hobbs blazed her way to an incredible eighth consecutive victory in the 100m final, and Portia Bing clinched her first 400m title. 

Sam Tanner left spectators in awe as he claimed his fourth 1500m title, adding yet another feather to his cap after already conquering the 3000m, mile, and road mile earlier this season. Jacko Gill defended his shot put crown for the second year running with a colossal throw of 21.57m, narrowly edging out his rival Tom Walsh by six centimetres.

In the field events, Connor Bell showcased his prowess once again, retaining his discus title, whilst Eliza McCartney soared to her fifth consecutive victory in the women’s pole vault.

The hammer throw saw Lauren Bruce claim her third consecutive title, while Tori Peeters added an impressive eighth javelin title to her name. 

Ethan Olivier had a remarkable performance, shattering the New Zealand resident triple jump record with a leap of 16.62m.

We are well and truly underway with naming athletes to The New Zealand Team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In the past month we announced exciting sailing and canoe slalom athletes to the team for Paris. 

In the sailing announcement, Tom Saunders (ILCA 7), Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson (Nacra 17), and Veerle ten Have and Josh Armit (iQFOIL) were officially named to the team. Only Nacra 17 sailors Wilkinson and Dawson have previous Olympic experience, with the pair having competed in the mixed multihull at Tokyo 2020.

Armit and ten Have are set to represent New Zealand in the great new discipline of iQFOIL (windfoiling) and will reach speeds of up to 50kph as they compete off the coast of Marseille, where the Olympic sailing competition will be held.

Sailors Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie have also been named, and will be joined in the squad by experienced Olympians Jo Aleh and Molly Meech. 

McHardie and McKenzie will make their Olympic debut in the 49er class (men's skiff), taking over from Peter Burling and Blair Tuke who made the boat famous in New Zealand, winning a gold and two silver medals in the class at the last three Olympics. 

Between Aleh and Meech, they have competed at seven Olympics, but at Paris 2024, they will sail together in the 49erFX (Women's Skiff) for the first time at an Olympic Games.

Aleh is a double Olympic medallist - winning gold in the women's 470 class with Polly Powrie in London in 2012, and silver four years later in Rio. She teamed up with Meech in early 2022, after taking a five-year break from competitive sailing.

New Zealand canoe slalom athlete Luuka Jones is back in the team, selected for her fifth Olympic Games. She'll be joined by fellow paddler Finn Butcher who will make his Olympic debut in Paris.

Jones, who won silver at the Rio 2016 Olympics, will become just the third New Zealand woman (behind Dame Valerie Adams and Barbara Kendall) to compete at five editions of the Games.

Butcher was the New Zealand K1 reserve for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and has continued to improve his ability and world ranking since then. At the 2023 World Championships, he gained the Olympic quota spot for New Zealand, finishing 13th in K1 and 11th in Kayak Cross.