Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Burling to carry NZ flag in Rio

Bay of Plenty Times
4 Aug, 2016 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Blair Tuke and Peter Burling. Photo/NZOC

Blair Tuke and Peter Burling. Photo/NZOC

Tauranga sailor Peter Burling and Blair Tuke will carry the New Zealand flag at the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Rio.

The London Olympic silver medal 49er sailors were named at a team function in Rio the night before the ceremony.

They were among a list of about five candidates in the pre-announcement speculation on who would get the honour.

Three-time Olympian Burling would technically be the official flag bearer. Effectively the honour had the pair named as co-captains of the New Zealand team in Rio.

"We are so incredibly proud to be leading the team together and to be honoured as a crew," said Burling.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We would not have had the success we have had without each other and we know this is the case for many of us in the New Zealand Olympic team."

Peter Burling's father Richard Burling said he was extremely proud of his son, competing in his third Olympic Games and being asked to bear the New Zealand flag for the opening ceremony.

Burling was 17 when he competed at the Chinese Olympic games.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Burling said they had no idea of the flag bearing announcement. If they had, they would have booked flights to go over to Brazil earlier, he said.

Mr Burling and his wife Heather were flying out of New Zealand tonight. They would spend a few days in Chile before carrying on to Brazil to catch up with Burling and Tuke before they sailed.

Mr Burling said, he and his son had never even considered the idea of Burling carrying the New Zealand flag.

"We are just sitting here with our mouths open."

Mr Burling said his son had done everything he could in the last four years to prepare for this year's games.

"They are ready to go. They have won 27 regattas in a row since London and lost one. It would be a shock if they didn't win but we are very nervous about it at the same time. In saying that they have done really well since London.

"They will go in as the picked favourites but they can only do their best.

"Every major regatta they have been to, they have put everything on the line and done well."

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. Photo/File
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. Photo/File

New Zealand team chef de mission Rob Waddell acknowledged the joint appointment "is a step away from Olympic tradition but it acknowledges the importance of teamwork at the Olympic Games.

"Pete and Blair have delivered exceptional performances as a crew over the past four years and have epitomised the values and culture of the New Zealand Olympic team."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

$1m buyers crazy for Hare Krishna barn with cars in the lounge - 'my busiest open home in three years'

Bay of Plenty Times

'Sustained period of cruelty': Starship doctor slates child protection agency failings

Bay of Plenty Times

Mighty ponga trees save driver as car plunges towards stream


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

$1m buyers crazy for Hare Krishna barn with cars in the lounge - 'my busiest open home in three years'
Bay of Plenty Times

$1m buyers crazy for Hare Krishna barn with cars in the lounge - 'my busiest open home in three years'

Stunning Bay of Plenty home used to be a Hare Krishna workshop.

15 Jul 08:10 AM
'Sustained period of cruelty': Starship doctor slates child protection agency failings
Bay of Plenty Times

'Sustained period of cruelty': Starship doctor slates child protection agency failings

15 Jul 06:00 AM
Mighty ponga trees save driver as car plunges towards stream
Bay of Plenty Times

Mighty ponga trees save driver as car plunges towards stream

15 Jul 05:23 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP