From left: Peter Burling, Lydia Ko, Blair Tuke, Lisa Carrington, Tom Walsh and Eliza McCartney.
From left: Peter Burling, Lydia Ko, Blair Tuke, Lisa Carrington, Tom Walsh and Eliza McCartney.
The news Blair Tuke and Peter Burling have set their sights on more Olympic gold in two years prompted the thought: What is the status of New Zealand's other 16 Rio medallists? David Leggat has the answers.
HAMISH BOND AND ERIC MURRAY
Gold, rowing coxless pair
Gone from the sport,Bond into time trial cycling, Murray into retirement. The pair were unbeaten through an eight-year reign as kings of their event, including back-to-back Olympic golds.
Another two-time gold medallist, Drysdale is striving to get his single seat back for Tokyo. He took a year out after Rio and this season has challenged the incumbent Robbie Manson, without success. Drysdale will be 41 when the Games start; Manson will be 30. By mid-September, he could be the world champion. Drysdale might be in another crew by Tokyo time, or retired, but right now, he's intent on pressing on. He won't die wondering. As he put it recently: ''I don't want to be sitting on the couch watching Tokyo and thinking 'I could have been there'.''
LUUKA JONES
Silver, canoe slalom K1
Jones' performance in Rio was a major surprise, and there's a couple of reasons why she will be in Tokyo, barring unforeseen happenings. She is by a distance the country's best female white water exponent and has also doubled her repertoire, now successfully contesting the C1 disciplines on the world circuit. Qualifying starts at the world championships in Brazil in September. She will be bidding for a fourth Olympic appearance.
There's no reason why the champion New Zealand player won't be looking to repeat her result from Rio. She arrived there as a decent gold medal chance and finished up one spot back.
SEVENS RUGBY WOMEN
Silver
Certainties, having won silver at the sport's Olympic debut in 2016, and now just celebrated winning the World Cup in San Francisco a week ago
CYCLING TEAM SPRINT MEN
Silver
Sam Webster, Ethan Mitchell and Eddie Dawkins are back on the track with their sights on Tokyo. They endured a grim outing at this year's world championships in the Netherlands, finishing sixth when defending their 2017 title. They had been on the podium each of the previous six years. There have been ructions in the sport recently, with their coach Anthony Peden gone amid allegations of a culture of bullying in the track squad. That's just one impediment the trio will need to overcome.
TOM WALSH
Bronze, athletics, shot put
Tom Walsh. Photo / Greg Bowker
Certainty for Tokyo. He has won three successive world titles — indoor twice and outdoor — in 2016-18, plus Commonwealth Games gold this year. His whole focus is on standing atop the podium in Japan.
JO ALEH AND POLLY POWRIE
Silver, sailing 470
The 2012 gold medallists won't be in Tokyo. Powrie has retired and is now operations manager at Canoe Racing New Zealand, and while Aleh has not used the R word, and evidently doesn't like the term, she's unlikely to feature. She is now coaching within Yachting New Zealand and will be in Denmark for the world champs next week, as well as venturing into the business world.
They have signalled their determination to be in Tokyo and among the title contenders. The pair have not been outside the top five in any event since Rio and are aiming to qualify their boat for Tokyo at the worlds in Denmark next month.
VALERIE ADAMS
Silver, athletics shot put
Keen to be in Tokyo to chase a fourth Olympic medal when she will be 35. Making her way back into top flight competition after the birth of her first baby Kimoana.
ELIZA McCARTNEY
Bronze, athletics, pole vault
Eliza McCartney. Photo / Getty Images
As with Walsh, barring unforeseen events, a certainty for Tokyo. As the owner of the third-highest vault in women's history — 4.94m in Germany last week — and among the elite of the sport, a monty to be there. Big medal chance, too.
Neither athlete is rowing this year, Scown is overseas and neither is expected to return to the sport in time to challenge for Tokyo. Their replacements in the event, Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler, won the world title last year and are also unbeaten this year.
SAM MEECH
Bronze, sailing, Laser
In cracking form, with silvers at the Princess Sofia regatta in Palma, the World Cup in Hyeres and the Laser Europeans in La Rochelle, France, in May, all to follow his first World Cup title at Gamagori, Japan, last year. It's a keenly-contested class but Meech is a big chance.
LISA CARRINGTON
Gold, kayak K1 200m; bronze, K1 500m
Lisa Carrington. Photo / Photosport
Carrington is showing no signs of leaving the sport any time soon. She'll be chasing a third straight 200m Olympic crown and there's the K1 500m to consider, an event in which she won bronze in Rio. That's not to forget she's an integral part of a K4 crew which is making real waves in the sport, too.
One of the big surprise stories out of Rio, Rooney has had a leaner year but is drawing a bead on Tokyo. The Timaru shooter isn't about to relinquish her prime place in New Zealand women's shooting without a fight.
NICK WILLIS
Bronze, athletics, 1500m
Willis will be 37 at Games time in Tokyo. He has silver and bronze medals from 2008 and 2016. The expectation is Willis will be on the track in Japan. He recorded 3m 35.77s at the Muller Anniversary Games meet in London last week, 0.55s behind Olympic champion Matt Centrowitz.
PETER BURLING AND BLAIR TUKE
Gold, sailing 49er
Peter Burling And Blair Tuke. Photo / Getty Images
The America's Cup pair confirmed this week they are setting sail for Tokyo, full steam ahead, in defence of their title. With the Cup, too, they will be busy men in the next couple of years.
