KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand public have given their support this morning to the New Zealand athletes who won five medals - including two golds - at the Olympics in Beijing overnight.
Valerie Vili in the shot put and Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell in the rowing won gold as New Zealand leapt to 14th on the medal table.
Mahe Drysdale who had been battling a bug all week and collapsed straight after finishing third in the men's single sculls.
He needed medical attention before he could receive his medal and much of the feedback received by nzherald.co.nz this morning has focused on Mahe's efforts.
Jon, a Kiwi writing from the UK said: "Mahe - you are a legend! The way you held yourself considering what you've gone through is a credit to your character, you're effort was surreal and inspiration to us younger athletes."
Andy M from Auckland agreed, saying: "Congratulations to Mahe. Good to see him give it all out there on the course given his illness. You can't ask any more."
Others singled out Vili and the Evers-Swindell twins for praise for beating the world.
EtheB in Christchurch said: "Talk about a nation punching above its weight - way to go New Zealand!"
And Hayley C said she watched the twins win gold in New york. "I was in a house fill of Americans and everyone was screaming 'Go Kiwi! Go, go, go!' at the top of their lungs. Awesome, ladies - well done!"
The feeling among many was captured by Albatross from Takapuna, Auckland, who said: "Valerie rocks the minute she steps into the Bird's Nest, and she has made the NZ flag rise in front of 91,000 spectators. How glorious!"
The previous best New Zealand haul was four - all bronze - in Seoul 20 years ago, via swimmers Anthony Mosse and Paul Kingsman and rowers Eric Verdonk, Lynley Hannen and Nikki Payne.
Also last night, cyclist Hayden Roulston bagged silver at the velodrome while the Shunyi rowing course returned two bronzes, to illness-stricken sculler Drysdale and pair George Bridgewater and Nathan Twaddle.
Roulston almost quit sport after being diagnosed with a heart condition and he said overnight that the decision to carry on was vindicated by his medal.
Albatross said he should be a spokesman for a heart charity.
The Ashburton cyclist was no match for raging British favourite Bradley Wiggins in the gold medal ride, but ensured silver earlier when he demolished Taylor Phinney of the United States by more than seven seconds.
Roulston's teammate Alison Shanks, in the women's individual pursuit, topped a good night at the velodrome by booking a bronze medal ride tomorrow against Lesya Kalitovska of Ukraine.
In Qingdao, the yachties have medals in their sights with Jo Aleh storming to the lead at the halfway point of the Laser Radial class with her third consecutive second placing.
Star crew Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams were also poised, sailing to a ninth then a third to sit one point behind fleet leaders the United States after three races.
- NZHERALD STAFF, with NZPA
