The New Zealand Team has marked 100 days to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with a beautiful cultural ceremony on Auckland’s waterfront this morning (April 17th).
Athletes from a range of Olympic sports including gymnastics, swimming, football, weightlifting, athletics and more, gathered on the waters edge of Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour to celebrate the occasion alongside New Zealand’s sporting leaders.
All in attendance were asked to place a fern frond in a basket which was then placed in the sea. The silver fern is a symbol of New Zealand guiding our tīpuna (ancestors), and this year it will be used to guide our Olympic team to Paris.
The ceremony was led by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, as the New Zealand Team Olympic Kakahu, Te Māhutonga (cloak, worn in the Opening Ceremony) was formally passed from the Winter Olympic Team to the Summer Olympic Team.
“The Olympic Games is the pinnacle of world sport and we’re really pleased to have marked this countdown in a beautiful New Zealand way this morning,” said New Zealand Team Chef de Mission, Nigel Avery.
“The 100 days mark is a really significant milestone for our athletes. This is where preparation and training reach their peak.
“Our athletes know what they need to do, they have their plans, and now it’s about ensuring they’ve done everything they possibly can to perform to the best of their abilities in just over three months-time.”
New Zealand is set to be represented by around 185 athletes in Paris, competing across approximately 22 sports from July 26th to August 11th.
Tokyo 2020 bronze medal winner Dylan Schmidt says the 100 days countdown is where the Olympic buzz starts to feel real.
“This is where you try to get that extra 1% that could be the difference between the result you’re after, or the result you don’t want. It’s about leaving no stone unturned and just giving it everything you’ve got," said Schmidt.
“The Olympic Games is the pinnacle of sport and I’m really excited to be working towards Paris where I'll wear that fern and give it my all to make New Zealand proud.”
Avery says the team is expecting a fantastic Olympic Games.
“This is the biggest sporting event in the world in one of the most beautiful and iconic cities in the world,” said Avery.
“We’re expecting a well-run Games that have been designed to make the most of the city's famous landmarks, connecting people with the action in a stunning urban environment. The venues look fantastic and there’s a real buzz about the Games.”
With competition taking place at the Palace of Versailles, beneath the Eiffel Tower, inside Stade de France, and around landmarks such as Les Invalides, la Place de la Concorde, L’Hotel de Ville and along the Seine, Paris 2024 will be extraordinary. Olympic action will also take place in Marseille, which will host the sailing, and Tahiti, which will host the surfing.
And, for the first time ever, the Games will achieve a 50/50 gender split, with equal numbers of women and men competing.
The New Zealand Team is once again set to compete in sports from equestrian, to rowing, rugby sevens, swimming, canoe sprint, sailing, athletics, cycling and more. Compact, urban sports including skateboarding, sport climbing, breaking and 3x3 basketball also feature on the Paris programme.
This is the third time Paris has hosted the Summer Olympic Games, the first was in 1900 and the second was 100 years ago in 1924. The New Zealand Team was only represented by four athletes in 1924 with Arthur Porritt, the team captain and flagbearer, winning a bronze medal in the men’s 100m.
Paris 2024 is set to host 10,500 athletes from 206 nations.
Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games
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