The New Zealand Team is celebrating its most successful Olympics ever, with the team finishing with 20 medals made up of 10 gold, seven silver and three bronze.
The gold total eclipsed the previous best of eight gold won at the boycotted Los Angeles 1984 Games and the overall total equalled the 20 medals claimed at Tokyo 2020.
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New Zealand overtook Canada on Day 16 for 11th on the medal table, the country's best result in 40 years, improving two positions from Tokyo.
Overall, 204 athletes from 23 sports represented New Zealand at Paris 2024, with injury additions during the Games increasing the team size from its original size of 195 athletes.
Women carried the water for The NZ Team, accounting for 14 medals (eight gold, four silver, two bronze), while the men produced five (two gold, three silver). The other bronze medal was in a mixed-gender event.
After a slow start, the Kiwis stormed home in the final days in Paris. The first gold did not come until Day 4, while at the halfway mark, they had just two gold, four silver and a bronze. In the final four days, NZ collected seven gold, a silver and two bronze.
Lisa Carrington was one of the standout athletes of the Games. Already New Zealand's most-decorated Olympian, the 35-year-old added three more golds to her collection in Paris, taking her overall count to a legendary eight gold and one bronze.
She led the women's K4 team to a thrilling fightback over the last 60m for gold, teamed with Alicia Hoskin for a dominant win in the women's K2 500m and dominated the women's K1 500m.
She leaves Paris having won the same number of Olympic golds as Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.
Track cyclist Ellesse Andrews cemented her status as an Olympic great, becoming a double Olympic champion as she won gold in the women's keirin and women's sprint.
The 24-year-old also earned silver as part of the women’s sprint team, while her gold medal in the keirin was New Zealand’s first track cycling gold since Sarah Ulmer in 2004.
Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis, both already Olympic medallists from previous campaigns, combined to win gold in the women’s double scull. It was made even more special given each of the athletes had taken time away from the sport to start families post-Tokyo.
Lydia Ko created more history as she made it three medals in women's golf from three Olympics.
Ko played smart golf on the final day to wrap up the gold medal (and a place in the LPGA Hall of Fame), and, as always, was a model of good sportsmanship as she cheered on her opponents.
Finn Butcher excited New Zealanders with his powerful and skillful efforts in the kayak cross event and brought pride to his hometown Alexandra and to the rest of New Zealand as he paddled to a surprise gold.
New Zealand also claimed its first-ever high jump medal as Hamish Kerr triumphed in a dramatic jump-off that had the Stade de France and everyone watching at home on the edge of their seats.
The women’s sevens team, who oozed purpose, vigour and skill and were again a step ahead of the rest of the field to take gold, a fitting send off for several key team members who had announced their retirement.
Medals came from across nine sports, with podium finishes from athletics, canoe sprint, canoe slalom, golf, rowing, rugby sevens, sailing, track cycling and triathlon.
Not all noteworthy performances ended with medals.
Against some legends of swimming, Erika Fairweather made individual finals in the women's 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle and led the women's 4x200m relay team into the final - the first NZ swimmer to make four finals at one Olympics.
Also finishing fourth was rowers Shannon Cox and Jackie Kiddle in the lightweight women's double sculls, canoe sprinter Aimee Fisher in the women's K1 500m and opening ceremony flagbearer Aaron Gate in the men's madison.
Sam Gaze (sixth) and Sammie Maxwell (were impressive in the mountain biking, while Tim Price’s sixth in the equestrian individual three-day event and 19-year-old speed climber Julian David making it to quarterfinals also provided fantastic moments.
New Zealand Team Chef de Mission Nigel Avery thanked the athletes for their performances and the way they represented New Zealand.
“I’ve been extremely proud of the way our athletes have conducted themselves both on and off the field of play,” said Avery.“There has been a huge amount of Manaaki from our team towards the other nations and it’s been great to see them showcasing our values and culture.
“We also want to thank New Zealanders for their support of our team. We have felt it from over here and we are looking forward to returning home to share the success and continue to inspire the next generation of athletes.”
THE NZ TEAM AT PARIS 2024
204 athletes from 23 sports
20 medals: 10 gold, seven silver, three bronze
Most ever gold medals by a New Zealand team
New Zealand’s most successful day ever at the Olympics, with three gold medals (women's K1 500m, women's golf, men's high jump) won on Saturday, August 10
Nine medal-winning sports
New Zealand’s first-ever high jump medal
New Zealand’s most successful track cycling campaign (two gold, two silver, one bronze)
New Zealand’s largest-ever pole vault team, with three athletes - Imogen Ayris, Eliza McCartney, Olivia McTaggart - all reaching the final
Lydia Ko completing her set of Olympic medals, with gold (Paris 2024), silver (Rio 2016), bronze (Tokyo 2020)
NEW ZEALAND'S PARIS 2024 MEDALLISTS
GOLD
Black Ferns Sevens - rugby sevens, women's
Brooke Francis, Lucy Spoors - rowing, women's double sculls
Finn Butcher - canoe slalom, men's kayak cross
Lisa Carrington, Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett, Tara Vaughan - canoe sprint, women's K4 500m
Ellesse Andrews - track cycling, women's keirin
Lisa Carrington, Alicia Hoskin - canoe sprint, women's K2 500m
Lisa Carrington - canoe sprint - women's K1 500m
Lydia Ko - golf, women's strokeplay
Hamish Kerr - athletics, men's high jump
Ellesse Andrews - track cycling, women's sprint
SILVER
Hayden Wilde - triathlon, men's individual
Matt Macdonald, Oliver Maclean, Tom Murray, Logan Ullrich - rowing, men's four
Isaac McHardie, William McKenzie - sailing, men's 49er
Emma Twigg - rowing, women's single sculls
Ellesse Andrews, Shaane Fulton, Rebecca Petch - track cycling, women's team sprint
Ally Wollaston, Bryony Botha, Emily Shearman, Nicole Shields - track cycling, women's team pursuit
Maddi Wesche - athletics, women's shot put
BRONZE
Jackie Gowler, Phoebe Spoors, Davina Waddy, Kerri Williams - rowing, women's four
Micah Wilkinson, Erica Dawson - sailing, mixed nacra
Ally Wollaston - track cycling, women's omnium