Oldest athlete: 45-year-old equestrian athlete Tim Price
New Zealand will compete across more sports than ever before at the 2024 Olympic Games, with athletes to contest 23 sports, including NZ’s Olympic debut in kiteboarding and speed climbing.
The teamis close to gender equal, made up of 98 males and 97 females. Auckland has produced the largest number of athletes, with 58 team members hailing from the region. Canterbury is next with 24, Wellington 18, the Waikato 17, and Bay of Plenty 14.
The team members come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, including athletes with Samoan, Tongan, French, Australian, Fijian, Chinese, Korean, Dutch, Indian, South African and American heritage. Māori athletes make up 17.4% of the team (34 athletes).
Milly Clegg celebrates after scoring her first goal for the Football Ferns. Photo / Photosport
New Zealand’s youngest athlete is footballer Milly Clegg who is 18, while equestrian athlete Tim Price is the oldest team member at 45.
Attending their first Olympic Games, will be 101 athletes, while the other 94 have already competed at one or more Games. Luuka Jones (canoe slalom), Ali Riley (football) and Emma Twigg (rowing) are the most capped team members, attending their fifth Olympic Games.
New Zealand team Chef de Mission Nigel Avery said New Zealand’s athletes are looking forward to arriving in Paris and performing at the Games.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of our athletes recently and the overwhelming feeling is that they are prepared and ready for this challenge.
“Paris is also ready, there’s a real buzz in the city and the venues are looking amazing. We’re expecting a fantastic Games in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.”
Luuka Jones is preparing for a fifth Olympics. Photosport
Avery and the advance team have been in the Olympic Village, preparing for athlete arrivals.
“We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to create an environment which allows our athletes to perform to the best of their abilities.
“We’ve been busy unloading two shipping containers of equipment and are turning our village space into a high-performance environment. We’ve brought over everything from gym equipment to ice baths, snack packs and slushie machines, and all the gear we need for preparation, recovery, and strength and conditioning.
“We have our first arrivals to the village later this week and we’re looking forward to supporting our athletes as they wear the fern and represent New Zealand on the world’s biggest sporting stage.”
The majority of New Zealand’s athletes are already in France or Europe ahead of the Games. The canoe slalom team will be the first athletes welcomed into the village, arriving on July 18. The first athletes in competition are the men’s rugby sevens team and the men’s football team on July 24.
The full list of New Zealand athletes for Paris 2024 can be viewed here.
