New Zealand’s medal chances on day nine
Niamh Fisher-Black represents New Zealand’s best medal hope overnight in the women’s road race, which begins at
midnight.
Fisher-Black stormed on to the world road scene to be awarded best young rider on the UCI Women’s World Tour in 2021. Known as a brilliant all-round rider with excellent climbing abilities, she has recorded four wins as a professional including a stage win in the Tour de Suisse and a podium in Giro d’Italia. She won the U23 title at the World Championships in Australia in 2022, a month after placing 17th in the road race at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Fisher-Black comes from a strong sporting family, with her younger brother Finn being a junior national champion and professional cyclist.
Kim Cadzow, the New Zealand Nationals road race 2024 runner-up, will also compete. Initially a swimmer and mountain biker, Cadzoe switched to triathlons in her teenage years but started specialising in road cycling in 2021.
Golf
New Zealand’s golfers face an uphill battle for medal contention with the fourth and final round taking place overnight.
Daniel Hillier, tied for 53rd at 5 over par, will be the first Kiwi in action on day nine, teeing off in the fourth and final round at Le Golf National at 7.22pm. Ryan Fox, currently tied for 23rd at -5, is scheduled to tee off at 9.06pm.
Skeet shooting
Chloe Tipple, competing in her third Olympics, will continue her qualifying rounds. So far, she has scored 23, 22, and 20 in the first three rounds, with two more rounds to go.
Hammer throw
Lauren Bruce will be hoping to improve on her performance from Tokyo 2021 and make it past the women’s hammer throw qualification. In 2021, she set an Oceania record of 74.61m in Tucson before later that year finishing 23rd at the Tokyo Olympics. Ranked 29th in the world, Bruce has a season-best of 70.59m and a personal best of 74.61m. The top 12 athletes will advance to the final on August 7.
Sailing
Tom Saunders will look to build on his strong start in the men’s dinghy event, finishing in fifth place after the opening races. The top 10 boats from the opening series go to the medal race on August 7.
In the Nacra 17 mixed event, Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson are in fourth place after three races. Nine races remain before the medal race, with boats ranked first to 10th going through.
Elsewhere, Lukas Walton-Keim is set to compete in the men’s kiteboarding event. Initially not selected for the Olympics, Walton-Keim successfully appealed the decision, earning his spot in the competition.
In the women’s kiteboarding event, Justina Kitchen makes her Olympics debut after missing selection in 2012 and 2016. Her father, Rex Sellers, is a four-time Olympian (1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996) and a two-time Olympic medallist (1984 gold, 1988 silver) in the Tornado Class.
Tomorrow at 12:35am, Greta Pilkington will compete in race seven of the women’s dinghy event. She is currently ranked 30th.
Canoe Slalom
Finn Butcher will compete in heat three of the canoe slalom, with the top two in each heat advancing to the quarter-finals. Butcher is a 2021 World Championships silver medallist in kayak cross. Butcher looks strong and purposeful, and was among the most impressive men’s paddlers today.
Luuka Jones, a veteran of five Olympic Games, is also competing. Jones made history by winning New Zealand’s first Olympic medal in canoe slalom, a silver in K1 at Rio 2016. Jones, who was fourth fastest in the opening day women’s time trial, was second in her race today, with the first two in each race progressing and the third placegetter consigned to repechage racing.
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