The New Zealand Olympic Committee is continuing to strengthen its focus on athlete experience at Olympic and Commonwealth Games with the appointment of four experienced Chefs de Mission to lead the New Zealand Team.
The appointments are:
- Kristy Hill (Olympian No. 1043, Beijing 2008, London 2012, football) – Pacific Games – Samoa 2019
- Barbara Kendall (Gold, silver, bronze medallist, Olympian No. 631, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, windsurfing) – ANOC World Beach Games – San Diego 2019
- Jesse Teat (Olympian 873, Salt Lake City 2002, alpine skiing) – Winter Youth Olympic Games – Lausanne 2020
- Martin Toomey – Olympic Winter Games – Beijing 2022
Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022
Winter Games NZ CEO Martin Toomey has been named to lead the New Zealand Team at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
The role will see the former head of Snow Sports NZ oversee the campaign and develop a team environment which will add to athletes performances.
Toomey says he’s anticipating taking a strong team which will continue building New Zealand’s winter sport legacy.
“It’s been brilliant to watch the ongoing success of New Zealand’s Winter Olympians following PyeongChang 2018 and I’m looking forward to leading a group of dedicated athletes to Beijing in 2022,” said Toomey.
“The NZOC has a proud tradition of creating inspiring team environments at Olympic Games and I look forward to leading a team that furthers that legacy in Beijing.”
ANOC World Beach Games 2019
For three-time Olympic medallist Barbara Kendall the ANOC World Beach Games will be her second role as a Chef de Mission, having recently led the New Zealand Team to the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games.
“I’m thrilled to again get the opportunity to lead elite New Zealand athletes and to create an environment which will help them perform against some of the best competitors in the world.
“We’re expecting a small team for the Beach Games but we’ll be giving it our all and making New Zealand proud,” said Kendall.
The World Beach Games will mark the first-time surfing has been included in a multi-sport Games environment.
Pacific Games Samoa 2019
Two-time Olympian Kristy Hill will lead the New Zealand Team for the 2019 Pacific Games to be held in Apia in July.
New Zealand expects to send a team of around 90 athletes to compete in athletics, beach volleyball, football, sailing, taekwondo and weightlifting at the Games.
Hill, a former Football Fern, has previous experience in New Zealand Team administration, leading Athlete Support at two editions of the Commonwealth Youth Games.
“I’m passionate about the role of sport in building communities and leaders, and I really believe in the importance of New Zealand values and identity as a means for achieving success in a high-performance sport environment.
“I’m looking forward building a team culture in Samoa which will add to our athletes performance and help them meet their goals,” said Hill.
Youth Olympic Winter Games Lausanne 2020
Jesse Teat has been appointed Chef de Mission for the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games.
Teat competed at the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games before acting as Chef de Mission for the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games.
“I'm thrilled to again get the opportunity to work with some of New Zealand’s best youth winter athletes.
“The Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games will provide young New Zealand athletes an opportunity to hone their skills and I’m excited to share my knowledge and Olympic experiences with them as we prepare for a successful Games,” said Teat.
The appointments were made following an application and interview process that included representatives of the New Zealand Olympic Committee's Athlete Commission.
New Zealand Olympic Committee CEO Kereyn Smith says those appointed bring a wealth of experience in the sporting sector and a focus on athletes and their performance and well-being at elite and pre-elite games.
“We’re extremely pleased with the calibre of the individuals appointed and we look forward to them leading our teams at Games time.
“They’ve been involved in the highest levels of New Zealand sport as athletes and leaders, and we’re confident they will be able to give our athletes the tools they need to excel on the world stage.
"We're also delighted to be supporting pathways for our Olympians as they transfer from the field of play to leadership in sport.”
The Chef de Missions will be brought together for planning and development sessions ahead of the Games. The sessions will also be attended by current Olympic and Commonwealth Games Chef de Mission Rob Waddell.
Games dates:
- Pacific Games – July 7-20, 2019, Apia, Samoa
- ANOC World Beach Games – October 8-15, 2019, San Diego, United States
- Lausanne Winter Youth Olympic Games – January 9-22, 2020, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Beijing Winter Olympic Games – February 4-20, 2022, Beijing, China
Tweet Share
