Sport
1News

Paris Olympics NZ's most golden games — A perfect 10

August 12, 2024

Kiwi Olympic fortunes have soared in Paris overnight, with their tally of gold medals hitting 10 — the most ever New Zealand has won at a single Games.

The achievement surpasses the previous record of eight golds set at the Los Angeles Games in 1984, with three medals having been won on the same day.

New Zealand's total tally of 20 matched its haul from Tokyo.

Sprint queen Ellesse Andrews iced the cake with the 10th gold at the Olympic velodrome on the last night of the Games,

High jumper Hamish Kerr won the ninth at the Paris Games, emerging victorious after a dramatic jump-off at the Stade de France.

His gold came after Lydia Ko triumphed in women's golf.

However, the mighty haul has been built on the back of canoeing legend, Dame Lisa Carrington, who won her third gold last night. After combining in Kiwi boats for K4 and K2 gold, Carrington won the K1 to complete a flawless campaign on the water.

Carrington, made a Dame after a similar three-gold haul in Tokyo, now has an incredible eight gold across four Olympics. Her Paris exploits confirmed her status not just as a Kiwi great, but as an all-time Olympic giant.

Only seven summer or winter Olympians in history have won more gold than Carrington, who even edges Simone Biles' career haul of seven.

Our record medal haul at the Games kicked off early on. (Source: 1News)

Earlier this month, commentators had been mulling the prospect of an underwhelming Olympic campaign after watching the men's rugby sevens team turfed out at the quarter-finals stage.

Here's a round-up of New Zealand's gold medallists:

Women's rugby sevens team

The Black Ferns achieved a thrilling victory against Canada, securing back-to-back Olympic golds and New Zealand's first at the Paris Games.

The team won gold after overcoming a resilient Canadian side, winning 19-12, with players Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Tyla King concluding their careers on a high note.

The team won gold this morning after overcoming a resilient Canadian side – winning 19-12 after trailing 12-7 at the halftime break. (Source: Breakfast)

Brooke Francis, Lucy Spoors - Rowing: Women's double sculls

Taking home gold in their women's double sculls, Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors beat the reigning Olympic and world champions Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis of Romania in a close finish at the line.

Lucy Spoors (left) and Brooke Francis(right) took home gold in the women's double sculls final.

Finn Butcher - Canoeing: Men's kayak cross

Butcher was the Olympics' first men's kayak cross gold medallist, dominating the final in the frenetic event in his Games debut. Having won his quarter-final and coming second in the semi-final, Butcher flew off the platform in the final and never looked back, winning comfortably and claiming the third Kiwi gold.

Olivia Brett, Lisa Carrington, Alicia Hoskin and Tara Vaughan - Canoeing: K4 500m

The combination of Carrington, Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett and Tara Vaughan edged out Germany for gold at Vaires sur Marne Nautical Stadium on Thursday.

New Zealand began with a strong lead as the race kicked off, but the Germans snuck up on them as they approached the 250m mark. Germany edged out in front to set up a thrilling finish, but Carrington's crew were too quick and got to the line in 1m and 32s.

Lisa Carrington, Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett and Tara Vaughan claimed the title after a thrilling battle with Germany in the final. (Source: 1News)

Ellesse Andrews - Cycling: Women's keirin

World champion cyclist Ellesse Andrews proved her pedigree as she stormed home to win gold in the women's keirin. Andrews flew around the velodrome in the quarters and semis and didn't show any signs of fatigue in the final on Friday.

She led off early in the final before holding off a fast finishing Hetty van de Wouw of the Netherlands.

Lisa Carrington, Alicia Hoskin - Canoeing: K2 500m

Carrington won this event at Tokyo 2020 with Caitlin Regal and New Zealand has become the first nation to defend the crown, dominating their rivals to win by more than a boat length in 1m 37.28s — two seconds clear of their pursuers.

Lisa Carrington - Canoeing: K1 500 m

Pitted in a much-anticipated "showdown" with fellow Kiwi Aimee Fisher, Dame Lisa dispensed with that obstacle with a blistering start, but still had to come from behind for the eighth gold of her spectacular career.

Carrington found herself trailing Hungarian veteran Tamara Csipes halfway down the waterway but put more than a second on her rival over the final 250 metres to smash an Olympic record that had stood almost 30 years in 1m 47.36s.

Lisa Carrington and Aimee Fisher share a moment after the K1 500 final.

The 35-year-old hinted she may seek to paddle on in Los Angeles.

"It's pretty enticing to continue after this one," she said.

"It's been a long journey and just constant pursuit of growth and learning.

"It's a lot of pressure, expectations on myself and honestly I don't know how I did it.

"It's great to come away with a few great medals this weekend ... I will just get home and see my dog and get grounded."

Lydia Ko - Golf: Women's event

Ko built a five-shot lead on the back nine at Le Golf National as her closest pursuers all collapsed, and then had to hang on until the very end. Her lead down to one, Ko made a 7-foot birdie putt for a 1-under 71 and a two-shot victory.

She completed her Olympic medal collection today with the most valuable of them all, a gold medal that puts the 27-year-old into the LPGA Hall of Fame. Not long after the event Ko announced to media this would be her last Olympics competition.

Hamish Kerr - Athletics: Men's high jump

Kerr won gold in dramatic fashion this morning, needing a dramatic jump-off to beat his US rival. There was much confusion as commentators thought Kerr had won gold over Shelby McEwen due to the fact he cleared an earlier height in less attempts.

However, with the two athletes both clearing 2.36m on their first attempt, new rules meant they entered a jump-off to see who would win gold.

In the jump-off the bar would continually be lowered until one of the athletes managed to clear it. At 2.34m McEwen missed and Kerr cleared it to win gold.

The Kiwi then took off around the stadium in a joyous lap of honour.

Ellesse Andrews - Cycling: Women's sprint

Track cyclist Ellesse Andrews has added one last gold medal to New Zealand's record haul at Paris, winning the women's sprint on the last night of competition at the Olympic velodrome.

Entering the best-of-three final series against new world recordholder Lea Friedrich of Germany, the flying Kiwi had not lost in head-to-head competition, since finishing third fastest in qualifying.

Friedrich had dropped her first contest in the semifinals, before rallying to defeat Dutchwoman Hetty van de Wouw to advance.

Andrews showed her rival no mercy in the medal contest, dominating the first two races to quickly put the German out of her misery.

Silver medal winners

Hayden Wilde: Men's individual triathlon

Matt Macdonald, Tom Murray, Logan Ullrich and Oliver MacLean: Rowing, men's coxless four

Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie: Sailing, men's 49er

Emma Twigg: Rowing, women's single sculls

Emma Twigg embraces Karolien Florijn after their Olympic final.

Rebecca Petch, Shaane Fulton and Ellesse Andrews: Cycling, women's team sprint

Bryony Botha, Emily Shearman, Nicole Shields and Ally Wollaston: Cycling, women's team pursuit

Maddi Wesche: Athletics, women's shot put

Bronze medal winners

Kerri Williams, Davina Waddy, Phoebe Spoors and Jackie Gowler: Rowing, women's coxless four

Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson: Sailing, mixed multihull

Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson of New Zealand celebrate winning the bronze medal on the podium of the Mixed Multihull Sailing, at the 2024 Olympic Games .

Ally Wollaston: Cycling, women's omnium

- Additional reporting by the Associated Press and AAP

SHARE ME

More Stories