From the Director of High Performance
Kia ora tātou,
I write this from Europe, shortly after having had the incredible privilege of attending the second week of New Zealand’s most successful Olympic Games. What stood out to me was not only the amazing results our kiwi athletes achieved but equally importantly the way our people carried themselves whether they won or not!! It was truly humbling to witness the amazing performances of the NZ Team and it never ceases to bring a tear to my eye when I see the way our people treat their opponents and the incredible respect our teams have earnt over decades of living true kiwi values. We all have much to be proud of.
So, a huge thanks to all our athletes, coaches, expert support crews, the NZ Olympic Committee and of course our NSO partners whose plans for the 2024 Olympics truly came to life over those magic two weeks in Paris. These results not only reflect the huge amount of mahi put in by everyone but also the successful collaboration in a dynamic working partnership between a number of organisations. This collaboration, or in simple terms teamwork is a major competitive advantage and one we must nurture into the next cycle!!
While there is much from Paris to celebrate and reflect on for many sports over the coming months, in this HPSNZ Update we celebrate the performance of cycling at the 2024 Olympics. The sport’s five medals won on the track was a record return at any Olympic Games. CEO Simon Peterson reflects on his highlights and what contributed to the outstanding performance of the track cycling team, and looks ahead to the LA cycle.
Of course there is more to come with the Paralympic Games beginning next week.
I am excited to be attending my first Paralympic Games where I will have the privilege of representing HPSNZ and cheering on the NZ Paralympic Team. Significantly, Hon. Chris Bishop will also attend, becoming New Zealand’s first Minister for Sport and Recreation to attend a Paralympic Games.
We look forward to those Games with reflections from Paralympians Duane Kale and Justin Muschamp on their Opening Ceremony experiences, profile the performance team behind Para swimmer Tupou Neiufi’s Paris Paralympic campaign and get the thoughts of HPSNZ Para athletics physio Jennifer Scott ahead of her first Paralympic Games.
Ngā mihi nui
Steve
Cycling powers past previous medal hauls
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com – 11/08/2024
In a small town outside Paris, New Zealand’s track cycling team took away its biggest haul of medals ever at an Olympic Games, was this country’s most successful sport at Paris 2024 and created a host of young heroes who have inspired and excited Kiwis at home and around the world.
The outstanding feats and successes of the track cycling team have been extensively covered and as the country continues to bask in their accomplishments, we talk with Cycling NZ CEO Simon Peterson to get his reflections on the success, what he believes contributed to that success and how the sport will take the successes and learnings into planning and preparation for Los Angeles 2028.
Paralympic Opening Ceremony memories
A month ago, all eyes were on the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This time next week the world’s Paralympians will enjoy their moment that marks the start of the 16th summer Paralympic Games inaugurated in 1960 in Rome.
Paralympian WheelBlack Justin Muschamp shares his memories from the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony while Para swimmer Duane Kale, who has attended multiple opening ceremonies as a chef de mission and IPC/IOC representative, reflects on his experience at the Atlanta 1996 Opening Ceremony as an athlete and as swim team manager in Sydney 2000.
“It’s their time to shine” – Para athletics physio
The benchmarking is done, handovers completed, processes established and bags are packed.
As the Paris 2024 Paralympics loom large, HPSNZ Para athletics Performance Physio Jennifer Scott is ready and raring to go as she prepares for her first Paralympics.
When we spoke with Jennifer two weeks out from the Games, all but one of her athletes were already overseas, she had been briefed by physios who are not travelling to Paris and preparing for the long but exciting days ahead.
Swimmer’s journey to Paris 2024 Paralympics
© Delly Carr / www.photosport.nz
When Para swimmer, Tupou Neiufi, boarded the plane for the Paris Paralympics pre training camp in Mallorca, she knew two things – she had been through a heck of a personal journey to get there and, more importantly, she was there because it was what she wanted.
Push rewind and the story wasn’t quite so simple or clear for Tupou, a gold medallist in Tokyo 2020 and one of the youngest ever Paralympians as a 15-year-old in Rio 2016.
While her journey has been complex, she credits her HPSNZ Athlete Performance Support team with getting her there, no one more so than HPSNZ Performance Life Coach, Hannah McLean, along with her HPSNZ Nutritionist, Kelsey Paterson and relatively new team member, S&C Morgan Hutchings.
Paris 2024 Paralympic Games – Follow the action
TVNZ, Paralympics NZ and HPSNZ should all be on your watchlist for the next few weeks to follow the NZ Paralympic Team as they go for gold in Paris.
TVNZ’s free-to-air Paralympic Games coverage will be unprecedented with daily live coverage on TVNZ1 and multiple TVNZ+ channels from 29 August to 9 September. New Zealand’s most decorated and successful Paralympian Dame Sophie Pascoe will join Scotty Stevenson in studio for the coverage, as will many other Kiwi athletes.
The coverage begins at 6am on Thursday 29 August with live coverage of the Opening Ceremony on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+.
Check out when the NZ Paralympic Team athletes are competing on the Paralympics NZ website or on TVNZ’s programme schedule.
Celebrate the success of the NZ Paralympic Team in Paris by following HPSNZ online during the Games.
We’ll mark the big moments and go beyond the medals to bring you unique content on our Facebook, Instagram and TikTok channels.
Out TikTok channel @insidehpsportnz is already loaded up with video content of New Zealand’s Paris bound Paralympians so take a look behind the scenes and get some unique insights from the athletes you will see competing in Paris.
Enjoy the content, share it with your social media network and help us grow our audience and engage more Kiwis in high performance sport.
