Olympics: Launch aims to inspire athletes

From left, Blair Tuke, Ryan Sissons, Daniel Bell and Nikki Hamblin at the Olympic Committee's campaign launch. Photo / Getty Images

Ryan Sissons vividly remembers watching Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty complete New Zealand's memorable 1-2 finish at the Olympic Games triathlon in Athens seven years ago.

"I was just getting into triathlon then. That last kilometre when it was just the two of them together, it's still an absolutely amazing moment," he said.

Now Sissons, 22, is chasing his Olympic dream to compete in next year's London Olympics and while Carter has long retired, he could have Docherty as a teammate for the big day at Hyde Park next year, depending how the qualification process goes in the coming months.

Aucklander Sissons is one of six athletes with strong Olympic ambitions who has received scholarship grants of US$29,000 ($36,000) to help prepare for London, with swimmer Daniel Bell, middle distance runner Nikki Hamblin, sailors Blair Tuke and Peter Burling and mountainbiker Rosara Joseph.

Most of them were present on Thursday night when New Zealand's Olympic campaign was launched in Auckland.

The slogan for the Games, "Making Us Proud", is a twist on the notion of athletes' deeds enabling the nation to collectively puff out its chest.

Instead, the country is being asked to help provide competitors with inspiration through nominating the moments - sporting and otherwise - which made them most proud to be a New Zealander.

None of the scholarship recipients have yet qualified for London but all have strong prospects.

In Sissons' case, New Zealand will have either two or three athletes in both the men's and women's Olympic triathlon fields.

The London leg of the International Triathlon Union world championship series on August 6-7 is the qualifying event this year. The Sydney race early next year is the final opportunity for athletes.

If New Zealand get two runners in the top 10 in London, that guarantees two spots in the Games field, but not necessarily those two athletes.

The top eight countries at the end of the world circuit around next May will get a third place in the field.

Sissons is off to France shortly to prepare for the next big race, in Madrid on June 4-5.

He's ranked No11 in the world series, albeit after only one event in Sydney this month.

Double Olympic silver medallist Docherty sits at No18, Martin van Barneveld No35, James Elvery No39 and Kris Gemmell No40.

Andrea Hewitt is world No3 in the women's rankings, with Debbie Tanner No21 and Nicky Samuels No28.

"I'm confident I can get there," Zimbabwe-born Sissons said.

"Things are going really well at the moment and I'm looking forward to August [for the London race].

"Every country is using the same race [to qualify] so the quality of the field is going to be like the Olympics. It's going to be a hard ask but that's part of the challenge and it'll be a good gauge of where you're at."

As things stand, with plenty of swimming, cycling and running before the qualifying period ends next year, New Zealand are eligible to have three men and three women in the Games.