New Zealand Olympic medallists

New Zealand at the Olympic Games
Flag of New Zealand – Flag bearers IOC code  NZL NOC New Zealand Olympic Committee Website www.olympic.org.nz
Olympic history
Summer Games
1908* • 1912* • 1920 • 1924 • 1928 • 1932 • 1936 • 1948 • 1952 • 1956 • 1960 • 1964 • 1968 • 1972 • 1976 • 1980 • 1984 • 1988 • 1992 • 1996 • 2000 • 2004 • 2008 • 2012 *with Australia as Australasia
Winter Games
1952 • 1956 • 1960 • 1964 • 1968 • 1972 • 1976 • 1980 • 1984 • 1988 • 1992 • 1994 • 1998 • 2002 • 2006 • 2010

New Zealand Olympic medallists have achieved considerable sporting success for New Zealand, often considered to be particularly notable due to the relatively small population of the country (just over 4 million people in the 2006 census). Being located in the remote South Pacific, New Zealanders needed to endure long sea voyages to attend the early Olympics. It wasn’t until the VII Olympiad in 1920 that New Zealand sent its first team. Prior to that however, three New Zealanders had won medals competing for Australasian teams in 1908 and 1912. Since 1920 New Zealand has failed to win a medal at the Summer Olympics on only 2 occasions, London in 1948 and Moscow in 1980 when only 4 competitors were sent as a result of the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott.^[1]

New Zealand is a temperate country, not generally experiencing the severe winters, to lowland levels, common in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere. As a result New Zealand has had a much smaller participation in the Winter Olympics. The first New Zealand team to attend a Winter Olympics was in 1952. In 1992, Annelise Coberger of New Zealand became the first person from the Southern Hemisphere to win a medal at the Winter Olympics when she won silver in the slalom at Albertville in France. Her medal is included in the list below.

The sporting rivalry between New Zealand and Australia has also been evident at many Olympic Games. In 1984, some Australian media outlets poked fun at the Kiwi gold medallists, saying they had been sitting down on the job at the Los Angeles Games where they were successful in canoeing, equestrian, rowing and sailing. The New Zealand media simply retaliated by pointing out that New Zealand had finished 8th on the final medals table, and Australia only 14th. However, 1976, when Australia failed to win a gold medal, and Los Angeles in 1984, are the only years where New Zealand has finished higher than Australia on the medals tables.

Total medals

Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
36	16	35	87

New Zealand medal milestones

• First medal (by a New Zealander): Harry Kerr (1908, for Australasia)
• First Gold medal (by a New Zealander): Malcolm Champion (1912, for Australasia)
• First medal (for New Zealand): D'Arcy Hadfield (1920)
• First Gold medal (for New Zealand): Ted Morgan (1928)
• First female medal: Yvette Williams (1952)
• First female Gold medal: Yvette Williams (1952)
• First double medalist: Peter Snell (1960, 1964)
• First double Gold medalist: Peter Snell (1960, 1964)
• First double Gold medalist at a single Games: Peter Snell (1964)
• First triple medalist: Peter Snell (1960, 1964)
• First triple Gold medalist: Peter Snell (1960, 1964)
• First triple medalist at a single Games: Ian Ferguson (1984)
• First triple Gold medalist at a single Games: Ian Ferguson (1984)
• First quadruple medalists: Ian Ferguson & Paul McDonald (1984, 1988)
• First quadruple Gold medalist: Ian Ferguson (1984, 1988)
• First quintuple medalist: Ian Ferguson & Paul McDonald (1984, 1988)
• First female double medalist: Vicky Latta (1992, 1996)
• First female triple medalist: Barbara Kendall (1992, 1996, 2000)
• First female double Gold medalists: Caroline & Georgina Evers-Swindell (2004, 2008)

Gold

• 2008 Beijing
  • Tom Ashley, board sailing
  • Georgina Evers-Swindell and Caroline Evers-Swindell, rowing, women's double sculls.
  • Valerie Vili, athletics, women's shot put
• 2004 Athens
  • Georgina Evers-Swindell and Caroline Evers-Swindell, rowing, women’s double sculls.
  • Sarah Ulmer, cycling, women’s 3000 m individual pursuit, world record time.
  • Hamish Carter, triathlon, men's triathlon.
• 2000 Sydney
  • Rob Waddell, rowing, single sculls.
• 1996 Atlanta
  • Blyth Tait, riding Reddy Teddy, equestrian, individual mixed eventing.
  • Danyon Loader, swimming, men’s 200 m freestyle.
  • Danyon Loader, swimming, men’s 400 m freestyle.
• 1992 Barcelona
  • Barbara Kendall, sailing, women’s lechner board.
• 1988 Seoul
  • Ian Ferguson and Paul MacDonald, canoeing, K2 500 m, flatwater.
  • Mark Todd, riding Charisma, equestrian, individual mixed eventing.
  • Bruce Kendall, sailing, men’s board.
• 1984 Los Angeles
  • Alan Thompson, kayak, K1 1000 m flatwater.
  • Ian Ferguson, kayak, K1 500 m flatwater.
  • Ian Ferguson and Paul MacDonald, canoeing, K2 500 m, flatwater.
  • Grant Bramwell, Ian Ferguson, Paul MacDonald and Alan Thompson, K4 1000 m, flatwater.
  • Mark Todd, , riding Charisma, equestrian, individual mixed eventing.
  • Les O'Connell, Shane O'Brien, Conrad Robertson and Keith Trask, rowing, coxless four.
  • Chris Timms and Rex Sellers, sailing, mixed open multihull, Tornado.
  • Russell Coutts, sailing, men’s single-handed dinghy, Finn.
• 1976 Montreal
  • John Walker, athletics, men’s 1500 m
  • Paul Ackerley, Jeff Archibald, Arthur Borren, Alan Chesney, John Christensen, Greg Dayman, Tony Ineson, Barry Maister, Selwyn Maister, Trevor Manning, Alan McIntyre, Arthur Parkin, Mohan Patel, Ramesh Patel; (Neil McLeod and Les Wilson were in the squad but did not play and were not awarded Gold medals), men’s field hockey.
• 1972 Munich
  • Tony Hurt, Wybo Veldman, Dick Joyce, John Hunter, Lindsay Wilson, Athol Earl, Trevor Coker, Gary Robertson and Simon Dickie (cox), rowing, men’s eights.
• 1968 Mexico
  • Dick Joyce, Dudley Storey, Ross Collinge, Warren Cole and Simon Dickie (cox), rowing, coxed fours.
• 1964 Tokyo
  • Peter Snell, athletics, 800 m track.
  • Peter Snell, athletics, 1500 m, track.
  • Helmer Pedersen and Earle Wells, sailing, Flying Dutchman.
• 1960 Rome
  • Peter Snell, athletics, 800 m track.
  • Murray Halberg, athletics, 5000 m track.
• 1956 Melbourne
  • Norman Read, athletics, 50 km walk.
  • Peter Mander and Jack Cropp, sailing, 12 metre (developed into the Sharpie).
• 1952 Helsinki
  • Yvette Williams, athletics, long jump.
• 1936 Berlin
  • Jack Lovelock, athletics, 1500 m track.
• 1928 Amsterdam
  • Ted Morgan, boxing, welterweight.
• 1912 Stockholm
  • Malcolm Champion, swimming, member of Australasian 4x 200m freestyle relay team.

Silver

• 2008 Beijing
  • Hayden Roulston, cycling, men's individual pursuit
  • Nick Willis, athletics, 1500m track
• 2004 Athens
  • Bevan Docherty, triathlon, men's triathlon
  • Ben Fouhy, canoeing, K1 1000 m.
• 1996 Atlanta
  • Sally Clark, riding Squirrel Hill, equestrian, individual mixed eventing.
  • Barbara Kendall, sailing, women’s board, Mistral.
• 1992 Barcelona
  • Andrew Nicholson riding Spinning Rhombus, Vicki Latta riding Chief, Blyth Tait riding Messiah and Mark Todd riding Welton Greylag (not awarded a medal as he did not complete the event), equestrian, mixed team eventing.
  • Leslie Egnot and Jan Shearer, sailing, women’s double-handed dinghy, 470.
  • Don Cowie and Rod Davis, sailing, two-person keelboat open, Star.
  • Danyon Loader, swimming, men’s 200 m butterfly.
• 1992 Winter Olympics, Albertville, France
  • Annelise Coberger, slalom.
• 1988 Seoul
  • Ian Ferguson and Paul MacDonald, double kayak, K2 1000 m flatwater.
  • Chris Timms and Rex Sellers, sailing, mixed open multihull, Tornado.
• 1984 Los Angeles
  • Kevin Barry, boxing, 75–81 kg light-heavyweight.
• 1976 Montreal
  • Dick Quax, athletics, 5000 m.
• 1972 Munich
  • Dick Tonks, Dudley Storey, Ross Collinge and Noel Mills, rowing, coxless fours.
• 1932 Los Angeles
  • Cyril Stiles and Fred Thompson, rowing, pairs.

Bronze

• 2008 Beijing
  • Mahé Drysdale, rowing, men's single sculls
  • Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater, rowing, men's coxless pairs
  • Hayden Roulston, Jesse Sergent, Marc Ryan, Sam Bewley, cycling, men's team pursuit
  • Bevan Docherty, triathlon, men's triathlon
• 2000 Sydney
  • Mark Todd riding Eyespy II, equestrian, individual mixed eventing.
  • Barbara Kendall, sailing, women’s Mistral board.
  • Aaron McIntosh, sailing, men’s Mistral board.
• 1996 Atlanta
  • Andrew Nicholson riding Jagermeister 11, Vaughn Jefferis riding Bounce, Blyth Tait riding Chesterfield and Vicki Latta riding Broadcast News, equestrian, mixed team eventing.
• 1992 Barcelona
  • Lorraine Moller, athletics, women’s marathon.
  • David Tua, boxing, 81–91 kg heavyweight.
  • Gary Anderson, track cycling, men’s individual pursuit.
  • Blyth Tait riding Messiah, equestrian, individual mixed eventing.
  • Craig Monk, sailing, men’s single-handed dinghy, Finn.
• 1988 Seoul
  • Paul MacDonald, K-1 500 m, flatwater.
  • Mark Todd riding Charisma, Margaret Knighton riding Enterprise, Andrew Bennie riding Grayshott and Tinks Pottinger riding Volunteer, equestrian, mixed team eventing.
  • George Keys, Ian Wright, Greg Johnston, Chris White and Andrew Bird (cox), rowing, men’s coxed fours.
  • Lynley Hannen and Nicola Payne, rowing, women’s coxless pairs.
  • Eric Verdonk, rowing, men’s single sculls.
  • John Cutler, sailing, men’s single-handed dinghy, Finn.
  • Paul Kingsman, swimming, men’s 200 m backstroke.
  • Anthony Mosse, swimming, men’s 200 m butterfly.
• 1984 Los Angeles
  • Kevin Lawton, Don Symon, Barrie Mabbott, Ross Tong and Brett Hollister (cox), rowing, men’s coxed fours.
  • Bruce Kendall, sailing, men’s windglider board.
• 1976 Montreal
  • Tony Hurt, Alex McLean, Ivan Sutherland, Trevor Coker, Peter Dignan, Lindsay Wilson, Athol Earl, Dave Rodger and Simon Dickie (cox), rowing, eights.
• 1972 Munich^[2]
  • Rod Dixon, athletics, 1500 m track.
• 1968 Mexico
  • Ian Ballinger, shooting, smallbore rifle.
  • Mike Ryan, athletics, marathon.
• 1964 Tokyo
  • Marise Chamberlain, athletics, 800 m track.
  • John Davies, athletics, 1500 m track.
• 1960 Rome
  • Barry Magee, athletics, marathon.
• 1952 Helsinki
  • John Holland, athletics, 400 m hurdles.
  • Jean Stewart, swimming, women's 100 m backstroke.
• 1924 Paris
  • Arthur Porritt, athletics, 100 m track.
• 1920 Antwerp (first games an official New Zealand team attended)
  • Clarence Hadfield D'Arcy, rowing, single sculls.
• 1912 Stockholm
  • Anthony Wilding, tennis, singles, member of Australasian team.
• 1908 London
  • Harry Kerr, athletics, 3500 m walk, member of Australasian team.

Most successful Olympians

New Zealanders who have won two or more gold medals, or three or more medals:

Name	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
Ian Ferguson	4	1	-	5
Paul MacDonald	3	1	1	5
Peter Snell	3	-	-	3
Danyon Loader	2	1	-	3
Mark Todd	2	-	2	4
Simon Dickie	2	-	1	3
Dick Joyce	2	-	-	2
Alan Thompson	2	-	-	2
Caroline Evers-Swindell	2	-	-	2
Georgina Evers-Swindell	2	-	-	2
Blyth Tait	1	1	2	4
Barbara Kendall	1	1	1	3

See also

• New Zealand at the Olympics

Notes

1. ^ New Zealand Olympic Committee: 1980 Moscow
2. ^ Bruce Biddle originally finished fourth in the cycling road race. When the original Bronze medallist was subsequently disqualified for drug usage, Biddle should have been placed third. However he was not awarded the Bronze medal as he had not been asked to take a drugs test. Despite the continued efforts of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Committee refused to overturn its decision.