The New Zealand Special Olympics swimming relay team, Jesse Williams, Bella Lammers (back), Haven Drinnan and Matthew Smith. Photo / Special Olympics New Zealand
The New Zealand Special Olympics swimming relay team, Jesse Williams, Bella Lammers (back), Haven Drinnan and Matthew Smith. Photo / Special Olympics New Zealand
Kiwi athletes competing in Special Olympics World Summer Games in Germany will definitely bring home bling.
The event is running until Sunday, but the Kiwi delegation has already claimed 17 medals.
The New Zealand swimming team, Te Awamutu athlete Matthew Smith, Jesse Williams of Manawatu, Haven Drinnan from North Canterburyand Bella Lammers of Selwyn, won a bronze medal in a tightly contested 4x25m freestyle relay.
Matthew also smashed out a new personal best in the 50m and 25m backstroke, and the whole team set a new best time.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand football team, including Hamilton soccer players Finn McNally and Kyle Scandlyn, have been on the field writing history.
The team won their first seven-a-side game at the World Summer Games on day three of the competition by beating an impressive Austrian team, 7-1.
The full New Zealand Special Olympics Summer Games football team. Hamilton local Finn is bottom row, second from the right, and Hamiltonian Kyle is third from the left at the top. Photo / Special Olympics NZ
Unfortunately, the team was eliminated from the tournament a day later, after a narrow 6-4 defeat to Switzerland.
Conor McCarthy from the Hutt Valley scored four stunning goals but was gracious in defeat.
“I had a great game, but we knew Switzerland would be tough and they were just a bit better than us. We are still really proud that we are the first New Zealand team at the World Summer Games to win a match [against Austria], so we are pretty happy with our performance,” Conor said.
The New Zealand Unified basketball team, led by coach Simone Kokaua of Hamilton, made their mark by beating the US team 5-1, as well as Austria, 9-1, but had to concede to Namibia and Cuba on day three of the competition.
On day four, the basketball team won a nail-biting game against Brazil 15-14 but lost on the buzzer to Germany 11-10, before Kenya proved too strong for the Kiwis, 15-6.
Powerlifter Ryan Stewart from Dunedin won one of his silver medals for lifting 102.5kg. Photo / Special Olympics New Zealand
Powerlifter Ryan Stewart from Dunedin was the first New Zealand athlete to claim a medal on Tuesday. He ended up winning not one, but four silver medals.
Ryan, 37, has been part of the Special Olympics for 18 years, but initially participated in rowing and tenpin bowling, “because in those days, Special Olympics did not do powerlifting”, said his mum Lynne, who was also in Berlin.
“We live on a steep hill and Ryan used to haul this big backpack up that street every day so we often commented that powerlifting would be the perfect sport for him.”
Bay of Plenty powerlifter Caroline Tangitau replicated Ryan’s stunning feat on Wednesday, as she also won four silver medals.
Bay of Plenty powerlifter Caroline Tangitau replicated the stunning feat of her team-mate Ryan Stewart. Photo / Special Olympics New Zealand
Caroline works as a volunteer daycare worker in Katikati and has been part of the Special Olympics for 29 years, seven of which she competed in powerlifting.
“It went great. I really enjoyed it and am pleased I got a medal for New Zealand,” Caroline says.
Head coach Sonia Manaena says Caroline absolutely deserved her success.
“Caroline has had to make some big sacrifices because her usual coach Brian Jenkins in Tauranga was unable to prepare her for nationals and the World Games so she had to travel twice a week to Morrinsville to prepare for Berlin.”
Levin bocce player Aaron Campbell claimed the first gold medal for New Zealand on Tuesday.
“It feels great. There was a bit of back and forth, but I got there. When he went 3-2 up, I got a little bit nervous, but just focused on my game,” Aaron said.
Aaron Campbell takes gold at the Special Olympics: "It feels great".
His coach Logan Amer said he was “over the moon” for Aaron.
“If you see where Aaron has come from, from a small town like Levin, and a small club, I’m so proud. He has been playing for many years and with all the work he has put in, he really deserves this moment.”
Blair Smith from Rangiora claimed a bronze in bocce, Josh Taylor from Masterton will bring home silver in the 200m at the athletics track, and fellow sprinter Natasha Chang from Howick claimed a bronze medal over the same distance.
Shanae Dean (Counties), Len Just (Tauranga), Joshua Ryan (Manawatū) and Kristy Sharp (Wellington) will bring home a bronze medal for placing third in the tenpin bowling team category. Len and Josh also won a bronze medal in the men’s doubles behind Canada and the Netherlands.
The New Zealand Special Olympics delegation at the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin on Saturday. Photo / Special Olympics New Zealand
In athletics, Taranaki’s Melissa Cash also won bronze, but was slightly disappointed about it, after being considered a gold-medal contender.
While Melissa was deflated over bronze, fellow runner Quentin Mahoney from Wellington was over the moon after holding off several rivals for a bronze medal.
New Zealand head of delegation Rowena Massey said: “All the hard work our athletes and coaches have done over the past months is shining through. It’s just fantastic to see.”
At the opening ceremony last Saturday, more than 7000 athletes with an intellectual disability from 180 countries marched into the Olympiastadion in front of 80,000 fans. New Zealand has 39 athletes and 22 support staff at the games.
