Rio Olympics 2016: Final Kiwi in action at Olympics

New Zealand mountain bike cross-country star Sam Gaze. Photo / File

Sam Gaze has the distinction of being the final Kiwi in action at the Rio Olympics.

Gaze will saddle up for the mountain bike cross country at 3.30am with a chance of adding to New Zealand's already record haul of 18 medals.

The Tokoroa-born 20-year-old, who now lives in Cambridge, won silver in the event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

A better pointer to his current form is his victory in the under-23 title at the UCI world championships in the Czech Republic in July.

Gaze, who rides professionally for the Specialized Factory Team, won emphatically at Nove Mesto na Morave, producing the perfect ride to the perfect plan set by his coach Christoph Sauser, a former Olympic medallist.

He is the sole Kiwi mountain bike representative at the Olympics.

Gaze is in action a few hours before the Games' closing ceremony, which will take place at Rio's Maracana Stadium at 11.15am tomorrow New Zealand time.