Well, hey everybody, this is Whetu here on my Kiwiavenger blog type of thing, but first, it all comes down to this (And 3 years of hard work has been paid off) as the world's pinnacle sporting event of the Olympic Games is back after 3 years as the French capital of Paris is getting ready to host the Olympics this year (And this is going to be a hell of a story indeed when the Olympics is descended upon the capital city of France but if you think the Olympics is great? Gimme a hell yeah), but I don't know how much gold medals New Zealand will win? Because last time out it was 7 at the delayed Tokyo 2020 in 2021, & we we're one shy of the all-time record set in Los Angeles in 1984, with 8 (Including future America's Cup champion with both Team New Zealand in 1995 & 2000 & Swiss syndicate of Alinghi in 2003 of Sir Russell Coutts (Current SailGP CEO (Chief executive officer) in which the Finn boat was his least favourite when he earned international recognition of claiming a gold medal in the Finn class according to the Team New Zealand story 1995-2003 book (And also that New Zealand were late starters in 1986-87 when we first competed in the Louis Vuitton Cup, 3 years after Australia first took the Auld Mug from the Yanks in 1983 (And there was a famous remark but one-liner from the then Prime Minister of Australia at the time of Bob Hawke following Australia's triumph on the water that any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a backside).
And I mentioned my favourite Olympic memory before on my blogs was the Kiwis golden hour of London 2012 where Hamish Bond & Eric Murray claimed the gold in the rowing men's pair at their debut Olympics, an hour before Mahe Drysdale who overcame dehydration before the gold medal race began, did redeem himself of finally getting the golden touch in the men's single sculls in the same sport, 4 years after missing out in 2008 in which he won the bronze which was won by a Norwegian competitor who was the Olympic champion at the time in Beijing.
And also the legendary moments in Kiwi sport at the Olympics throught their previous generations were the late great Jack Lovelock achieving gold in the 1500 metres in Berlin 1936, then it was the late Yvette Williams in the women's long jump in Helsinki 1952, while the late great Sir Peter Snell who dominated in Rome in 1960 in the 800m athletics event as well as the also late great Murray Halberg in the men's 5000m event & before Snell did it in Tokyo in 1964 in both the 800 & 1500m event followed by the men's eight in Muenchen 1972, 4 years before John Walker dominated the 1500m in Montreal, Canada in 1976 along with the New Zealand men's field hockey team that became Olympic champions for the only time & Ian Ferguson & his heroics in both LA 1984 in which he claimed 3 & Seoul 1988 in which he became the Olympic champion not once but twice, & then Barbara Kendall for her performances in the water in Barcelona 1992.
And finally the special but honorable mentions that I did before on my blogs was Danyon Loader who is from Otago in Atlanta 1996 as he won not once but twice in the 200m & 400m freestyle (That used to one of my fave Olympic moments then back in 2016 on my blog) then the Evers-Swindell twins who dominated in the women's double sculls in both Athens 2004 & Beijing in 2008 in which was in fact a close finish reminiscent to Drysdale did in Rio in 2016, followed by Dame Valerie Adams heroics in Beijing 2008 & London 2012 in the women's shotput (Including in 2012 where a Belarussian opponent originally claimed the gold & after the games that she failed a drug test which resulted in a disqualification therefore allowing Adams to be declared by crowning the Olympic champion once more) as well as Peter Burling & Blair Tuke's gold medal winning performance in Rio 2016 & of course, Dame Lisa Carrington & her quest of dominance over the last 3 Olympics in London 2012 first, then Rio four years later & of course, the most recent one at the delayed Tokyo 2020 in 2021, same as the Black Ferns sevens led by Sarah Hirini & featuring the likes of Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (Who is in her final ever Olympics after she announced that Paris 2024 will be her last as she gears up in her final Olympic swansong), Stacey Waaka (Who is rugby league bound as she plays for the Brisbane Broncos women in the NRLW competition), the ever popular Ruby Tui (Who is now a fifteens specialist), Michaela Blyde (Daughter of Cherry & sister of Liam who hails from Taranaki) & others did when they finally claim gold which was inspired by the book, Sevens sisters that I haven't got.
So that is my 563rd blog of the year 2024 (MMXXIV) & my 39th of this year, viva Ukraine & Palestine.
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