Kiwi athletes gear up for Paris 2024

What is your role in the Olympics this year?

I am the Chef de Mission, which means that I am the leader of the New Zealand delegation in Paris, and the spokesperson for the team. One of the aspects of the role I like to place a lot of focus on is driving the team culture and providing an environment where our athletes can perform their absolute best on the day of competition.

How many teams and athletes are competing this year?

We’re looking to have about 185-190 athletes in the team, which is slightly less than what we had in the Tokyo Olympics but still a large sized team compared to most of the nations competing this year.

What are your main goals and priorities for the New Zealand team this year?

The main priority is to create an environment where our athletes feel they can achieve their goals and dreams at the Olympic Games.The team behind the New Zealand team itself is extremely important, and everyone has a vital role to play whether that is in security, medical or psychology. We all want to make sure that when the athletes arrive in the village, they feel really special, valued and welcomed. We do our best to get them in the best possible place mentally and physically to achieve maximum performance on the day.

What role do you think sport plays in raising New Zealand’s profile on the world stage?

I think it’s huge. We punch well above our weight in many sports – the All Blacks have led the way as flag bearers with lifting the profile of the country. How well we have been performing recently in other major global sporting events like the Summer Games, Winter Games, Commonwealth Games – you’ve only got to look at the World Indoor Athletics Championships recently where the commentators were talking about how well New Zealand has done. I think because of our stature, our population size and how far away we are from the big powerhouse areas of sport being in Europe, Asia and North America, we just do so well and it is a real testament to us as a nation and our passion for sport. It is one of our trademarks.

What do you believe sets Kiwi athletes apart on the international stage?

We have a really rich tradition in sport – the Olympics Games in particular, and as athletes you tend to look at the heroes in sport that have gone before us and want to emulate them. It’s the culture of wanting to do so well for our country that gives us extra strength to perform really well. I also think it’s the way we support sport and athletes in New Zealand, whether that’s from parents, coaches, regional clubs, right through to High Performance Sport New Zealand. It’s woven through our culture to support athletes and to help get them to where they want to be.

How can our Kiwi community get involved and support New Zealand’s team?

If you are a Kiwi in Paris, you can cheer on the New Zealand Team with friends and family at New Zealand House which is located at the Marriott Champs-Élysées, 70 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris from 24 July – 11 August (open daily 11am until late).

Learn more about the 2024 New Zealand Olympics team and how you can support them here: