With stars like Lydia Ko and podium-winning triathlete Hayden Wilde leading the charge, Aotearoa is ready to shine.
And it doesn’t stop there—Kiwis in surfing, BMX, and more fields are also aiming for global glory.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ picks out four must-watch competitions for New Zealand fans to watch at the Olympics. And for Aussie fans, here’s our guide too.
Golf
New Zealand boasts its own golf star in Lydia Ko. The 27-year-old is set to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, aiming to complete her medal collection after securing silver in Rio 2016 and bronze in Tokyo 2021. A victory would place Ko among just six New Zealanders to achieve Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Joining Ko on the New Zealand golf team in Paris will be Daniel Hillier and Ryan Fox. Hillier, 25, will make his Olympic debut, while Fox and Ko will be competing for the third time.
Hillier’s career has been ascending, highlighted by his victory at the British Masters last year. Meanwhile, Fox has been active on the PGA Tour this season and has a strong presence on the European tour, where he has captured four titles, including the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in the UK last year.
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Surfing
A strong team of nine swimming athletes has been selected to represent New Zealand at the Paris Olympics. But the quest for gold extends beyond the pool.
Raglan-based surfer Billy Stairmand is back for his second Olympics, hitting the waves at Tahiti’s fearsome surf break, thousands of kilometers from Paris.
Stairmand, an eight-time national surf champ, first competed in Tokyo when surfing debuted at the Games, finishing ninth. Now, he and Saffi Vette are geared up for the surfing showdown at Tahiti’s legendary Teahupo’o.
Triathlon
New Zealand has a solid Olympic triathlon record since 2000.
At 26, Hayden Wilde aims to build on this success with his bronze from Tokyo. With four World Series wins and a top global ranking, he’s now eyeing gold in Paris.
He faces stiff competition from British athlete Alex Yee, setting the stage for an epic showdown.
Also making his Olympic debut is Dylan McCullough. The 23-year-old Aucklander joins New Zealand’s strong team for triathlon’s mixed relay and individual races, racing alongside Hayden Wilde on July 30. Nicole van der Kaay and Ainsley Thorpe will compete in the women’s individual the next morning.
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BMX
Two rising stars from New Zealand BMX are set for the Paris Olympics.
Rico Bearman, 20, races for the Speedco team in the USA, winning his first world championship at six. Last year, he dominated the UCI Under-23 World Series, earning six wins and a bronze at the 2023 U23 World Championships.
Leila Walker, 19, has claimed six world titles in Challenge racing. She debuted in junior elite competition with a win at the UCI BMX Racing World Cup in Bogota. This year, she won her first elite women’s national title and made the semifinals at the Brisbane World Cup.
Both are training in France for their events at the end of the first week of the Olympics at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines BMX Stadium on August 1st-2nd.
The Paris Olympic Games run from July 26th to 11th August 11th, followed by the Paralympic Games from August 28th to 8th September 8th.
In New Zealand, the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics is available to stream on Sky Sport Now.
In Australia, the competition will air on the Nine Network and on-demand across its 9Now streaming platform. Stan Sport will also broadcast all 329 Olympic events across 32 sports, ad-free.
