Wilde’s silver medal brings New Zealand’s tally to two after the Black Ferns sevens won gold on Tuesday night NZT in their match against Canada.
Black Fernssevens player and former Whakatāne High School student Stacey Waaka scored a try in the winning match.
Another former Whakatāne High School student, New Zealand’s most successful Olympian Dame Lisa Carrington, will be competing in canoe events in her fourth Olympics.
Six former Tauranga Boys’ College students and a former Ōtūmoetai College student are also competing.
The “Old Boys” from Tauranga Boys’ College are Julian David competing in sport climbing, Jordan Parry in rowing, Riley Bidois in football, Leroy Carter in the rugby sevens, Thomas Saunders in sailing and Ben Westenberg in para cycling.
Former Ōtūmoetai College student and canoe slalom athlete Luuka Jones is competing in her fifth Olympic Games. She won silver at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Whakatāne High School principal Martyn Knapton told the Bay of Plenty Times the school was “absolutely stoked” for Waaka.
“She’s really well connected to our community still. When she gets the opportunity, she’s back here in the Eastern Bay. She’s often on the side of the rugby pitch cheering on the kids.
“She’s still part of the fabric of the school, in a way, alongside Lisa [Carrington].”
Black Ferns sevens player Stacey Waaka pictured in 2019. Photo / Andrew Warner
Knapton said Waaka was a good role model for the students in terms of “all the things you need to do to be an athlete”.
After Waaka won gold at the last Olympics, she returned to the school and the school put up a plaque in the hall for her and Carrington, Knapton said.
‘Unwavering’ dedication to sport
Ōtūmoetai College principal Russell Gordon said during Jones’ time at school, she “exemplified the values we hold dear”.
“She demonstrated remarkable resilience, consistently pushing through challenges and setbacks. Her dedication to her sport was unwavering, always putting in the necessary effort and time to improve.
Luuka Jones pictured in 2019. Photo / Andrew Warner
“As a leader, she inspired her peers with her positive attitude and commitment to excellence. We are incredibly proud of her achievements and believe that the foundation laid during her high school days has played a significant role in her sporting success.”
He said the college had always aimed to challenge and inspire its students through a variety of “quality sporting experiences”, striving for increased participation, improved skill development, and performance.
Supporting students ‘in their dreams and aspirations’
Tauranga Boys’ College principal Andrew Turner said he was very proud of the Old Boys’ achievements and the school community had reached out to them to wish them the best at the Olympics.
“The college has made a commitment to being ‘best for boys’ and ensuring we are supporting all boys in their dreams and aspirations.
“We are blessed to have a dedicated staff, whānau, and community who share in this commitment and our programmes provide the opportunities and support these students need to help realise this potential.”
Turner said this year’s Olympians joined a legacy of other great Old Boys who had represented New Zealand on the world stage.
When to watch some of the Bay of Plenty Olympians:
Luuka Jones
Jones competed in the women’s kayak singles and finished eighth in the final. She will compete in the Women’s Kayak Cross Time trial on August 3 at 2.40am.
On August 4 at 1.30am, she will compete in the canoe slalom KX women’s round 1 and on August 5 at 2.45am, the canoe slalom KX women’s heat.
Wilde previously told Tri NZ he had simulated the expected conditions when he was training in Tauranga earlier in the year with coach Craig Kirkwood.
Hayden Wilde pictured earlier this year. Photo / Connull Lang
“We had a great opportunity in Ōtūmoetai where we were kind of swimming within the Tauranga Harbour in this little area where it’s very tide-assisted,” Wilde said.
“I would go out at a certain time and would be able to swim against the current and then come back and swim with the current.
“It was just teaching the body how to swim with the current because that’s a super important thing. You need to slow your stroke down and go with it, not panic stroke.
“When you come back, you have to increase that stroke and be a little bit quicker. So, yeah, it’s going to be really interesting tactically, but also, position on the pontoon is going to be super important, I think, for Paris.”
Samuel Tanner
Pāpāmoa athlete Samuel Tanner will compete in the Men’s 1500m heats on August 2 at 9.05pm.
If qualified, he will compete in the Men’s 1500m repechage on August 4 at 5.15am and the Men’s 1500m repechage on August 5 at 7.15am.
Jordan Parry will compete on August 1 at 9.30pm in the rowing double sculls men’s final.
Thomas Saunders
Thomas Saunders is competing on August 1 at 10pm in the sailing one-person dinghy men’s races 1-2.
On August 3 at 1.35am, he will compete in the sailing one-person dinghy men’s races 3-4. At 10.15pm he will compete in the one-person dinghy men’s races 5-6.
On August 4 at 10.05pm, he will compete in the one-person dinghy men’s races 7-8.
On August 6 at 12.40am, he will compete in the one-person dinghy men’s races 9-10.
Artistic swimmer Eva Morris will compete on August 10 at 5.30am in the artistic swimming women’s duet technical routine.
On August 11 at 5.30am, she will compete in the artistic swimming women’s duet free routine.
Sarah Tetzlaff
Speed climber Sarah Tetzlaff will compete in the sport climbing speed qualification seeding on August 5 at 11pm and the qualification elimination at 11.40pm.
She will compete in qualification elimination on August 7 at 10.28pm if qualified and the qualification semifinals at 10.46pm and 10.55pm if qualified.
