Waikato athletes shine: 13 of New Zealand’s 20 Olympic medals from Paris 2024

Black Ferns Sevens player Jazmin Felix-Hotham (middle) celebrates winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics at Stade de France, Paris. Photo / Photosport

• Waikato connected athletes contributed to 13 of New Zealand’s 20 medals at the Paris Olympics 2024.
• Dame Lisa Carrington, with family ties to Te Awamutu, won three gold medals, totalling eight career golds.
• Cambridge’s Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors won gold in women’s double sculls, defeating Romania’s champions.

Athletes with Waikato connections were involved in 13 of 20 New Zealand medals at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Granted some of these competitors moved to the region to study or to better their training, while others have family roots in the province or were born there.

According to Infometrics, a leading New Zealand economic consultancy, the Waikato population was at 522,600 in 2023. This works out to a ratio of one gold medal per 74,657 people or one medal per 40,200.

Infometrics put the New Zealand population at 5,223,100 in 2023 – one gold medal every 522,310 (almost the population of Waikato) and one medal per 261,155 people.

Paris 2024 was New Zealand’s most successful Olympic games with 10 gold and 20 medals total.

Cambridge pair Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors took home gold in the women’s double sculls rowing.

The young mother duo beat reigning Olympic and world champions Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis of Romania at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.

Hamilton Girls’ High School alumnae Jazmin Felix-Hotham, Manaia Nuku, Kelsey Teneti and Tenika Willison were involved in the gold medal winning Black Ferns Sevens side alongside Chiefs Manawa alumni Stacey Waaka (also Waikato Rugby) and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe.

It was also New Zealand’s most successful track cycling campaign (two gold, two silver, one bronze) and Te Awamutu Sports Cycling alumnae were involved in all five medals.

Ally Wollaston, bronze, and Ellesse Andrews, gold, won medals on the final day at the Paris Olympics. Photo / Photosport

Ellesse Andrews won gold in the women’s keirin and women’s sprint cycling as well as silver in the women’s sprint cycling relay; Rebecca Petch – silver women’s sprint cycling relay; Ally Wollaston grabbed silver in the women’s team pursuit and bronze in the women’s omnium and Bryony Botha was also part of the silver winning women’s team pursuit.

Dame Lisa Carrington, who has family connections to Te Awamutu, led the way with three gold medals of her own.

This took her career total to eight gold, nine medals total – both New Zealand records.

“You never start out knowing that it was going [to be our most successful Games’],” Carrington told the Herald.

“But it’s so cool to see all other athletes performing so well.

“It was really special to be a part of that.”

Carrington had many emotions when arriving home at the end of the pinnacle event.

“I guess, [it’s] a sort of sadness because you’ve been working so hard and now it’s over.

“But also just a huge amount of pride, there’s also an excitement and the opportunity after, you know, like what’s next?”

Carrington hasn’t yet committed to another Olympic cycle but said she’ll certainly think about Los Angeles 2028 considering her recent wins.

“After having such a successful Olympics and being at the level I am at [LA 28] is obviously really enticing.

“But at the moment I think it’s just kind of put my feet up.”

Paris 2024 Olympic medallists with Waikato connections:

Gold

Women’s rugby sevens: Jazmin Felix-Hotham, Manaia Nuku, Kelsey Teneti, Tenika Willison, Stacey Waaka, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe

Women’s double sculls rowing: Brooke Francis, Lucy Spoors

Women’s kayak fours 500m: Dame Lisa Carrington

Women’s keirin: Ellesse Andrews

Women’s kayak doubles 500m: Dame Lisa Carrington

Women’s kayak singles 500m: Dame Lisa Carrington

Women’s sprint cycling: Ellesse Andrews

Silver

Men’s triathlon: Hayden Wilde

Women’s single sculls rowing: Emma Twigg

Women’s sprint cycling relay: Ellesse Andrews, Rebecca Petch

Women’s team pursuit: Ally Wollaston, Bryony Botha.

Bronze

Mixed multihull Nacra: Micah Wilkinson

Women’s omnium: Ally Wollaston

Jesse Wood is a multimedia journalist based in Te Awamutu. He joined NZME in 2020.