Editorial: Year of champion for many codes

New Zealand won four golds at the Rio Olympics. Photo / Sailing Energy / World Sailing

Editorial

The All Blacks long ago developed an ability to dominate the country's sports thinking; year on year. High achievement in the national game will do that. This year was different. Certainly the All Blacks held sway as they closed in on, and ultimately achieved, their world record 18 test wins for Tier 1 nations (Cyprus, believe it or not, are all-time champions with 24 victories on the bounce). But this was an Olympic year, and that brings distinctive sporting success every fourth year.

The All Blacks year will be remembered not only for the victorious charge but also for the way it ended. Ireland, in the weird setting of Chicago's Soldier Field, beat the All Blacks to make it a wild weekend in the Windy City. After all, the Chicago Cubs had, in the same week, buried a 108-year hoodoo by winning baseball's World Series.

The more mature reaction of All Black supporters to the defeat was instructive. Of all the countries to have ended the winning streak, Ireland were a popular pick. Rather Ireland than, say, England or Australia seemed the collective view. Does this herald a shift from the traditionally grim, hyper-critical viewpoint of All Black Fan? Let's see.

New Zealand won four golds at the Rio Olympics, and all with an individual flavour of their own. Single sculler Mahe Drysdale made it back to back crowns with the closest finish in Olympic rowing history, a 3cm margin over Croat Damir Martin, both recording identical times. Coxless pair Hamish Bond and Eric Murray continued their unparalleled dominance of their event, now standing at seven years without defeat; 49er class sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke displayed excellence in crushing their opposition; while paddler Lisa Carrington took her Olympic medal tally to three, with gold and bronze over the 200m and 500m single seat disciplines.

But arguably the most memorable Rio moment in Rio came from 19-year-old pole vaulter Eliza McCartney, whose sheer exuberance on her way to a bronze lit up the nation and had phones ringing at Athletics NZ headquarters from schools and clubs: more poles please.

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Unknown Liam Malone won two Paralympic golds on prosthetic legs. His marketability and personality shone bright. Rally driver Hayden Paddon, who won the Argentina round of the world rally championship, a New Zealand first.

Golf's darling Lydia Ko won her second major, the ANA Inspiration in April, and remains comfortably the world's top-ranked woman. But along the way she sacked her caddie, her high profile coach left, firing a parting shot at her parents' influence. Still only 19, a critical year in her development as a player and person lies ahead.

Let's end with two big men: Steven Adams, whose rise at the Oklahoma City Thunder continues, along with a $140 million deal. He provides a focal point on basketball's glitziest stage for New Zealanders; and Joseph Parker. New Zealand has a first born and bred world heavyweight champion - not the champion, boxing's alphabet soup of titles sees to that - but Parker scores heavily as one of boxing's good guys in an often murky business. Not a bad sporting year.