New Zealand at the 2012 Summer Olympics
New Zealand competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's twenty-fourth appearance at the Olympics. The New Zealand Olympic Committee sent 184 athletes, 97 men, and 87 women to the Games to compete in 16 sports, the nation's largest ever delegation.
New Zealand left London with a total of thirteen medals, finishing fifteenth in the overall medal standings. This was considered one of the nation's most successful Olympics, winning the second-largest number of gold medals behind eight at the 1984 Summer Olympics, and tying with the 1988 Summer Olympics for the largest number of medals. Five of these medals were awarded to the team in rowing, three in cycling, two in sailing, and one each in athletics, canoeing, and equestrian. Among the nation's medallists were rower Mahé Drysdale, who won gold in the men's single sculls, and track cyclists Sam Bewley, Marc Ryan, and Jesse Sergent, who managed to repeat the bronze from Beijing in men's team pursuit. New Zealand also ranked highly in medal tables adjusted for country populations, placing fourth for total medals per capita, gold medals per capita and weighted medals per capita.
During the Games, New Zealand achieved its one hundredth overall Olympic medal. The gold medal was won by kayaker Lisa Carrington in the women's K-1 200 metres. However, if the three medals won by New Zealand athletes in 1908 and in 1912 as part of Australasia were included, the one hundredth medal would be the silver claimed by sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke from the open skiff class.
Originally, New Zealand won five gold medals: three in rowing, one in sailing, and the last canoeing. On 13 August 2012, however, the International Olympic Committee stripped Belarusian shot putter Nadzeya Ostapchuk of her gold medal after testing positive for anabolic steroid metenolone. On 19 September 2012, silver medallist Valerie Adams was subsequently awarded and received her gold medal at a public ceremony in Auckland.
Medallists
| Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date |
Joseph Sullivan | Rowing | Men's double sculls | ||
Eric Murray | Rowing | Men's pair | ||
| Rowing | Men's single sculls | |||
| Athletics | Women's shot put | |||
Polly Powrie | Sailing | Women's 470 class | ||
| Canoeing | Women's K-1 200 m | |||
| Blair Tuke | Sailing | 49er class | ||
| Cycling | Women's BMX | |||
Mark Todd | Equestrian | Team eventing | ||
Rebecca Scown | Rowing | Women's pair | ||
Aaron Gate Westley Gough Marc Ryan Jesse Sergent | Cycling | Men's team pursuit | ||
| Storm Uru | Rowing | Men's lightweight double sculls | ||
| Cycling | Men's keirin |
Delegation
The New Zealand Olympic Committee selected a team of 184 athletes, 97 men and 87 women, to compete in sixteen sports. It was the nation's largest delegation sent to the Olympics, surpassing the 182 athletes at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Field hockey and football were the only team-based sports in which New Zealand had representatives at the Games. For the first time in Olympic history, New Zealand did not qualify teams in basketball since its official debut in 2000. There was only a single competitor in judo, shooting, tennis, and weightlifting.The New Zealand team featured past Olympic medallists, including the defending champion Valerie Adams in the women's shot put event. Equestrian eventing rider Mark Todd, at age 56, the oldest member of the team, became the first New Zealand athlete to compete in eight Olympic games. Todd's compatriot Andrew Nicholson was at his seventh appearance, having participated in the Olympics since 1984. Meanwhile, football player Cameron Howieson, at age 17, was the youngest member of the team. Other notable New Zealand athletes featured rower and five-time world champion Mahé Drysdale in men's singles sculls, triathlete and double Olympic medallist Bevan Docherty, BMX rider Sarah Walker, who missed out of the medal standings in Beijing, and sailors Hamish Pepper and Peter Burling. Middle-distance runner Nick Willis, who won New Zealand's first Olympic track medal in Beijing since 1976, was the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony.
Originally, New Zealand officiated a total of 185 athletes to compete at the Olympics. On 20 July, middle-distance runner Adrian Blincoe, however, withdrew from the games because of an ankle injury.
The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Games. Note that reserves in fencing, field hockey, football, and handball are not counted as athletes:
| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
| Athletics | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Boxing | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Canoeing | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Cycling | 13 | 9 | 22 |
| Equestrian | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Field hockey | 16 | 16 | 32 |
| Football | 18 | 18 | 36 |
| Judo | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Rowing | 15 | 11 | 26 |
| Sailing | 9 | 6 | 15 |
| Shooting | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Swimming | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| Taekwondo | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Tennis | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Triathlon | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Weightlifting | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 97 | 87 | 184 |
Athletics
;Men;Track & road events
;Field events
;Combined events – Decathlon
| Athlete | Event | 100 m | 400 m | 1500 m | Final | Rank | |||||||
| Brent Newdick | Result | 11.10 | 7.36 | 15.09 | 1.96 | 50.22 | 15.02 | 46.15 | 4.70 | 59.82 | 4:38.20 | 7988 | 12 |
| Brent Newdick | Points | 838 | 900 | 795 | 767 | 804 | 847 | 791 | 819 | 735 | 692 | 7988 | 12 |
, Nadzeya Ostapchuk, Valerie Adams
;Women
;Track & road events
;Field events
;Combined events – Heptathlon
| Athlete | Event | 200 m | 800 m | Final | Rank | |||||
| Sarah Cowley | Result | 13.95 | 1.80 | 12.37 | 25.60 | 6.00 | 41.90 | 2:19.01 | 5873 | 26 |
| Sarah Cowley | Points | 985 | 978 | 686 | 833 | 850 | 704 | 837 | 5873 | 26 |
;Key
- Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
- Q = Qualified for the next round
- q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
- NR = National record
- N/A = Round not applicable for the event
- Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round
Boxing
Canoeing
Slalom
New Zealand has qualified boats for the following eventsSprint
;Men;Women
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A; FB=Final B; OB=Olympic best
Cycling
Road
Track
;Sprint;Team sprint
;Pursuit
;Keirin
| Athlete | Event | 1st round | Repechage | 2nd round | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Rank | Rank | Rank | Rank |
| Simon van Velthooven | Men's keirin | 2 Q | 2 Q | ||
| Natasha Hansen | Women's keirin | 3 R | 2 Q | 5 | 11 |
R=Repechage
;Omnium
Mountain biking
BMX
Equestrian
Dressage
Eventing
"#" indicates that the score of this rider does not count in the team competition, since only the best three results of a team are counted.Field hockey
As per regulations, each team was made up of 16 players, plus an additional two reserves travelling with the team but not participating.Men's tournament
;Roster;Group play
;9th/10th place game
Women's tournament
;Roster;Group play
;Semi-final
;Bronze final
Football
Men's tournament
;Team roster;Group play
Women's tournament
;Team roster;Group play
;Quarter-final
Judo
Rowing
;Men;Women
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A ; FB=Final B ; FC=Final C ; FD=Final D ; FE=Final E ; FF=Final F ; SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage
Sailing
;Men;Women
;Fleet racing
;Match racing
;Open
M = Medal race; EL = Eliminated – did not advance into the medal race;
Shooting
New Zealand has qualified 1 quota place.;Men
Swimming
;Men;Women
Taekwondo
Tennis
Triathlon
New Zealand has a total of 6 quota places – 3 each for both the men's and women's triathlon.| Athlete | Event | Swim | Trans 1 | Bike | Trans 2 | Run | Total Time | Rank |
| Bevan Docherty | Men's | 17:26 | 0:37 | 58:51 | 0:29 | 31:12 | 1:48:35 | 12 |
| Kris Gemmell | Men's | 17:26 | 0:37 | 58:48 | 0:30 | 31:31 | 1:48:52 | 15 |
| Ryan Sissons | Men's | 18:05 | 0:37 | 59:45 | 0:29 | 31:31 | 1:50:27 | 33 |
| Andrea Hewitt | Women's | 19:28 | 0:42 | 1:05:26 | 0:30 | 34:30 | 2:00:36 | 6 |
| Kate McIlroy | Women's | 19:31 | 0:41 | 1:05:26 | 0:36 | 35:14 | 2:01:28 | 10 |
| Nicky Samuels | Women's | 19:46 | 0:40 | 1:07:00 | 0:32 | 36:50 | 2:04:48 | 35 |
Weightlifting
Officials
- Dave Currie – Chef De Mission
- Gary Hurring – Swim team coach