Australia is not the only nation celebrating its best Olympics performance.
Paris 2024 has also been a breakout Games for our mates across the ditch in the land of the long white cloud. We’ll let AAP take up the story:
Hamish Kerr has lifted New Zealand to its best Olympic gold medal haul, winning his country’s ninth event at the Paris Games.
It was fitting that the high jumper – who emerged victorious after a dramatic jump-off at the Stade de France – would raise the bar.
Saturday was New Zealand’s best day of all time at an Olympics, with Kerr’s gold coming after Lydia Ko triumphed in women’s golf.
However, the mighty haul was built on the back of canoeing legend, Lisa Carrington, who won her her third gold in Paris on Aotearoa’s super Saturday.
After combining in Kiwi boats for K4 and K2 gold, Carrington won the K1 to complete a flawless campaign on the water.
Kerr won New Zealand’s first high jump medal after a nail-biting jump-off.
“I knew I had a good one in me, and I knew that if I could get it up sooner rather than later, then I could just finish the comp,” he said.
“If anything, I’m more fatigued from running on to the field than I am from the actual jumping, but I was so just happy that I’d won.”
Like Australia, which has also enjoyed its best Olympics for gold medals, New Zealand’s tally has been built on performances by female athletes, claiming seven of the nine gold.
New Zealand’s gold medallists
- Women’s rugby sevens team
- Brooke Francis, Lucy Spoors – Rowing: women’s double sculls
- Finn Butcher – Canoeing: men’s kayak cross
- Olivia Brett, Lisa Carrington, Alicia Hoskin and Tara Vaughan – Canoeing: K4 500m
- Ellesse Andrews – Cycling – women’s keirin
- Lisa Carrington, Alicia Hoskin – Canoeing: K2 500m
- Lisa Carrington – Canoeing: K1 500 m
- Lydia Ko – Golf: women’s event
- Hamish Kerr – Athletics: men’s high jump
Source Agencies
