Note: links in archived stories may have expired due to the removal of the stories from, or changes to, the websites from which they were derived.

Gold, silver and bronze fern
All-comers finished in the green and gold shadow of Australia, but New Zealand completed a successful Commonwealth Games campaign, finishing a credible 5th on the medal table, with 11 golds in rugby sevens, cycling (Sarah Ulmer above), discus, shooting, table tennis, weightlifting, squash and bowls and many notable placings: the Silver Ferns took silver in one of the match-ups of the games - an epic, extraordinary, heart-breaking, extra-time, sudden death loss to arch-rivals Australia.
(July/August 2002) 

Everest celebrations
Sir Edmund Hillary's 54-year old son Peter will attempt to ascend Mount Everest this month, as Nepal approaches 50th anniversary celebrations of Everest's first successful ascent in 1953.
(10 February 2002)
          

One Love
Anna Kournikova, "the tennis temptress whose courtships tend to garner more attention than her shot selection", completes her 99th WTA tour singles event - the Auckland Classic - in the same way she ended the previous 98. She loses. With a sense of the occasion Auckland's tennis director Richard Palmer remarks, "This is a huge day for the tournament and the sporting public of New Zealand". 
(8 January 2002)  
           

Riding High
Kiwi wonder-kid jockey Michael Walker rides  for Aussie trainer Lee Freedman at the Anniversary Cup in Queensland.
(17 July 2001)
              

Smiling Like
Smiling Like is apprentice Michael Walker's lucky horse. The Wellington Cup was her second victory with the "boom" New Zealander in the saddle.
(28 January 2001)
             

Iron birthday suits
"It was my destiny to win today," said birthday boy Kiwi Bryan Rhodes after his record-breaking 8hrs 41:53 win in the Malaysian Ironman Triathlon.
(29 January 2001)
             

Eco-racing comes home
Top eco-racing teams have registered for October's South Island race, including New Zealand's Team Fairydown. "New Zealand, being the birth place of Expedition Racing, is the perfect location for the top teams in the world to experience the race of a lifetime," says Eco-racing founder Mark Burnett.
(23 January 2001)
           

Sunshine for Sunline
It's official - Sunline is the Russell Crowe of the racing world. The New Zealand and Australian horse of the year, Kiwi Sunline is also Australasia's biggest money winner. After her December 17 Hong Kong mile win she reigns undisputed: world's top mare.
(18 December 2000)
          

Resolute squash
Ireland's "cultural aspects" have drawn New Zealander Andrew Flemming away from exercise, but regular squash is on his New Year's resolution list.
(27 December 2000)
             

1953 - Hillary's year
"It was also a year in which a white man and a brown man, held together by a light nylon rope, climbed the highest mountain. In this feat of the New Zealand beekeeper, Edmund Hillary, and the sinewy Sherpa tribesman, Tenzing, millions down in the mundane valleys felt a vicarious exhilaration--the reminder that by valor and dedication man may surmount his Everests."
(December 2000)
             

Because it's 50 years
June 2002 will see Nepal begin year-long celebrations marking a half century since Tensing and Hillary knocked the bugger off.
(27 November 2000)
 

Special league
The New Zealand team "ran out of juice" in the final, according to Frank Endacott, but they received praise from England's coach for their semi-final performance: "I thought New Zealand were a bit special," said John Kear.
(18 November 2000)
               

Southern travail 
"The temperature will drop as low as minus 10 degrees, waves will be as high as 4 meters and the wind will be as strong as 40 knots." None of which deterred winning home team Propeller Heads, who completed the  Southern Traverse Adventure Race in 96 hours.
(17 November 2000)
           

Speed + power = KO
That's the equation chalked on Kiwi David Tua's wall as the build up to the Tua-Lewis fight continues. In this interview Tua promises to put that equation into practice. He also talks about the importance of home: "People are moving away from their roots and that's bad... Samoa is where my heart is".
(8 October 2000)

Sport of Kiwis
New Zealand beat South Africa 11-10 after withstanding an onslaught in the final chukka, to win the BMW polo series 2-0 in Durban. They won the first test 10-8 and showed the benefit of professional experience, including having top-rated player Cody Forsythe (an eight goals handicap player) flown in 24hrs before the first test.
(1 August 2000)
                 

Cycling Gold
New Zealand won two gold medals in the fifth and final leg of the Track World Cup Cycling Championship. Glen Thompson won in the 30km points race and Sarah Ulmer continued her superb Olympic preparation.
(14 August 2000) 
          

Kiwi behind the scenes racing legend 
"She is perfect and I think most people agree." Efficiency, accuracy, reliability and above all loyalty are the words the Sydney Morning Herald uses to describe Sue Hutchinson, the first female to hold the position of assistant clerk of the scales and assistant racing manager at the Australian Jockey Club.
(10 July 2000) 
          

Wilson picked in All-Star Futures Game
Kiwi baseball player Travis Wilson, who is a rookie with the Atlanta Braves, has been selected to play in the US vs the World All-Star Futures Game - a strong indication that he's on track to make the Major League.
(15 June 2000)
           

World set to discover the rigours of the Southern Traverse 
"One of the world's most prestigious adventure races, and the cornerstone of global media company announce a new partnership in adventure racing.  Discovery Channel will be the exclusive media sponsor of the Southern Traverse (New Zealand), producing a four-hour prime time mini-series, documenting the real-life human drama of adventure racing. The race will be viewed around the world in 149 countries."
(8 June 2000)

Tua terminates Sullivan in Tysonesque power show
"Even Mike Tyson would have been impressed. Fighting with the savage explosiveness of the former champion, David Tua needed only 51 seconds to stop Obed Sullivan and firmly establish himself as the heavyweight division's leading challenger."
(6 June 2000)

Who says sport and politics don't mix?
US Senate Candidate John Ensign revived former UNLV basketball star Mark Dickel when the player struck his head during a pick-up game and went into convulsions. Dickel, from New Zealand, an honourable mention All-American point guard, was the nation's leader in assists last season.
(17 May 2000)

Without a fault, World Champ wins
Blyth Tait of New zealand, the reigning world and Olympic champion, rode Welton Envoy to a faultless round over all 16 fences to win the Rolex-Kentucky Horse Trails.
(1 May 2000)
              

Tua to Lewis: "It's time to face the music"
"The fans need to see David Tua destroy Lennox Lewis. He's tailor-made for me.  I Respect what he's accomplished, but I believe I have the style to knock Lennox Lewis out"
(5 May 2000)  
     

Chopper challenge 
Mount Cook National Park is to host the 2008 World Heli Challenge over two weeks in August. After a six-year hiatus the competition, deemed the most legendary freeriding and freeskiing event on the planet, has returned to the South Island. The World Heli Challenge includes three days of helicopter-accessed competition during which the Big Mountain, Backcountry Freestyle and Downhill heats will take place. Thousands of people will gather in Wanaka to celebrate the two-week competition finale at the 'Afterburner Party'. "Quite simply the world's most unique and captivatingly exclusive snow event around, the World Heli Challenge is not to be missed!" The Challenge runs from August 9 through 24. 
(25 March 2008)

Beckham fever hits Wellington 
David Beckham's Australasian tour with the LA Galaxy was a resounding success for NZ soccer. A record crowd of 31,853 turned up to see the Galaxy play newly minted NZ side the Wellington Phoenix at the city's Westpac Stadium. The Galaxy won the match 4-1, with Beckham scoring one of the goals from the penalty spot. The English star was taken with Wellington, despite his brief stay. "Even flying in on the first day was incredible - to see the sights, to see the country, was incredible," he said. "I wish I could've seen more of it, but maybe I can come back with the kids one day." Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan had high praise for the Wellington crowd: "The crowd was probably better here [than Sydney], as far as being loud, cheering and being supportive. Sydney was a bit tamer. I liked it better here." 
(3 December 2007)

Painful memories 

Trans-Tasman netball goes semi-professional 
A new trans-Tasman netball tournament will be launched in April next year, bringing together five teams each from NZ and Australia. The Tasman Trophy has secured ANZ Bank as its naming rights sponsor, and will screen on Fox Sport in Australia and Sky TV in NZ. The annual tournament will run from April to July and feature 69 games in total. "It's a really exciting point in time," said veteran Australian captain Liz Ellis, who has long agitated for higher pay for women in sport. "There's talk of it being semi-professional; if things are done well, I think the product itself is so good it has to become fully professional sooner rather than later." The Tasman Trophy has a total operating budget of around AU$20 million, with each player set to earn an average of AU$20,000 in its first year. 
(10 October 2007)

Car-boot camaraderie 
With its own spring carnival brought down by horse flu, the Sydney Morning Herald sent writer Rachel Oakes-Ash across the Tasman to check out NZ's racing season. Oakes-Ash headed south for the Christchurch Casino Cup and Show Week, where she attended the traditional car-boot picnic party held on the final day of racing. "Auckland may have its birdcage, champagne lawn and fabulous fillies in frocks," she writes, "but Riccarton Park is more country picnic race, complete with open-armed hospitality, where everything's a laugh and pretension is checked in at the door." 
(30 September 2007)

Fifth win for Warriner 

Mason wins at Raglan 
NZ surfer Airini Mason has scored her second Billabong Pro Junior Series title for 2007 by winning the girls' division of the $13,000 Raglan leg. The 18-year-old beat pre-event ratings leader Sally Fitzgibbons (Gerroa, NSW) in the semi-final before defeating Ashleigh Smith (Cabarita, NSW) by 16.75 to 12.40 in the final. "I just had so much fun in that final," said Mason. "I was lucky that those two bomb waves came my way and I'm really happy to win here in NZ. It's so good to get a first place, it is the best place in the world." Mason moved from Gisborne to Australia's Gold Coast two years ago. In 2006 she became the first NZ female to win the Australasian Junior Series, at just 16 years of age. She is now top of the Pro Junior girls' leader-board, with just four events remaining in the series. 
(1 April 2007)

Home soil advantage 
NZ has been named the new host of the 2007 world netball championships, after Fiji lost the rights following its recent military coup. The event has been moved from July to November to allow NZ time to prepare. "After due deliberation, International Federation of Netball Associations concluded that transferring the event to another country within the same region, in the same year, was preferable to postponing the event to 2008 and have therefore decided to accept Netball New Zealand's offer," said IFNA president Molly Rhone. NZ's Silver Ferns are hot favourites to win the championships, which will be held in either Auckland or Christchurch. 
(22 December 2006)

World descends on Rotorua
Rotorua's Mt Ngongotaha played host to the UCI World Mountain Bike Championships from August 23-27, the first time the event has been held in the southern hemisphere in ten years. The Rotorua cycling community had campaigned for five years and suffered three unsuccessful bids before finally convincing Union Cycliste Internationale they were up to the challenge. Dirt Rag magazine was suitably impressed with NZ efforts: "NZers are not afraid to construct structures to help their tramping or cycling tracks traverse wet or sensitive areas or simply to add interesting features. My jaw dropped in awe when I saw the 80 meter boardwalk section built especially for the lower portion of the downhill course. The boardwalk twisted and turned like a ribbon unrolled down the mountain." 
(14 August 2006)

Rowing world comes to Waikato
NZ has secured the hosting rights for the 2010 World Rowing Championships. The event will be held at Lake Karapiro in Cambridge, Waikato, with Hamilton acting as the official host city. Lake Karapiro previously hosted the championships in 1978. According to Rowing NZ CEO Craig Ross, the event is expected to inject more than $105 million into the NZ economy. "It's the biggest thing for rowing - for past rowers and for present rowers," says world champ Caroline Evers-Swindell.
(8 June 2006)

Next stop Commonwealth Games 
NZ won the New South Wales 100m Relay Championship at Sydney Olympic Park on November 19, breaking a NZ national record in the process. Led by Olympic representative Chris Donaldson, the winning team also included Dallas Roberts, David Falealilli and James Dolphin. The team's time of 38.99 broke both the previous NZ record of 39.25 (set by the same four runners two years ago) and the NSW record of 39.89. "We didn't change too well in the heat but got it together in the final," says Donaldson. "That was good enough for a Commonwealth Games final and we now hope to show a clean pair of heels to other runners in Melbourne." 
(19 November 2005)

Sugarfoot speaks up 
In a sports-mad country like NZ, how can one of its richest and most successful exponents be virtually unknown? Kickboxer Ray "Sugarfoot" Sefo has quietly earned more than $10 million from the sport and is a bona fide star in Japan and the US. He holds five world title belts and has just signed a US$1 million a year three-year deal with K-1, the kickboxing's premiere fighting circuit. As is apparent in an interview with the Sunday Star Times, Sefo is keen to publicise himself and, more importantly, his sport of choice in his home country. He has established the Ray Sefo Academy in Auckland and is pleased with the growing recognition for the sport: "It makes me happy inside to see that, when for so long we have tried to push the sport and educate the public, and finally, it is recognised as what it is today - it's awesome."
(October 2005)

Wundercoach
Richard Tonks has been named 2005 FISA Coach of the Year by the International Rowing Federation. Tonks, himself a silver medallist for NZ at the 1972 Munich Olympics, is the man behind a spate of recent rowing successes for the national team, including four gold medals at this year’s World Rowing Championships, the Evers-Swindell sisters’ Olympic gold medal in Athens and World Championship golds in 2003 and 2002, and Rob Waddell’s Sydney Olympic medal in 2000 and two World Championship titles in 1999 and 1998.
(25 October 2005)
   

Wilding at heart (1)
Roger Federer became the eighth player in Wimbledon championship history to win three consecutive men's singles titles. Federer joins William Renshaw, the Doherty brothers: Reggie and Laurie, New Zealander Anthony Wilding, Fred Perry, Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras to have won the singles title three years in a row. Meanwhile the University of Canterbury Press has published the biography of Anthony Wilding written by Christchurch historians Len and Shelley Richardson. Anthony Wilding: A Sporting Life tells the story of one of our greatest sporting champions. Wilding won the Wimbledon men’s lawn tennis title in 1910 and remains the only New Zealander to have done so. In the years that remained before the Great War, he dominated the international tennis world by defending his Wimbledon title at three successive championships. In 1913 he won world titles on clay, grass and wood, and was thought invincible. The handsome, athletic New Zealander, given to motorcycling around Europe, became the matinee idol of a sport keen to widen its popular appeal, until his death in a bombardment that took place near Neuve Chapelle in Belgium in 1915. (7 July 2005)

Hat-trick plus one
"Not only do Kiwis like winning our major horse race, they are also becoming fond of winning our major car race." Greg Murphy took top honours for Holden with his fourth Bathurst victory at Mt Panorama. He now ranks sixth on the all-time winners' list behind legends Peter Brock, Jim Richards and Larry Perkins.
(11 October 2004)

Rhodes beats the heat
Brian Rhodes won the men’s open category of the Desaru International Triathlon in sweltering Malaysian conditions, beating last year’s winner Jason Shortis of Australia by nearly five minutes. Fellow Kiwi Stephen Sheldrake finished third. The annual event comprises a 2km swim, 90km cycle and 21km run.
(19 September 2004)
    

Pure gold
NZ’s Olympic team kept viewers at home on tenterhooks, waiting until the second week of the Games to begin the medal haul. Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell took gold in the double sculls rowing, Sarah Ulmer beat her own world record (twice) to take gold in the 3000m individual cycling pursuit, 2003 World Champion Ben Fouhy won silver in the K1 1,000m canoeing, and Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty won gold and silver respectively in the men’s triathlon. The triathlon victory was NZ’s first one-two finish at the Olympics since 1996. “I didn't come away with gold but who better to lose to than my teammate Hamish,” said Docherty, the reigning Triathlon World Champion. “We were fantastic, both of us. Hamish had a fantastic day and he deserved the gold.”
(August 2004)
 

Top 6 for Black Sticks
The NZ women’s hockey team’s strong showing at the Athens Olympics earned them the final place in November’s six-team Champions Trophy in Argentina. The Black Sticks went to Athens ranked ninth in the world and finished in sixth position.
(24 August 2004)
   

Ferns end 15-year drought
The Silver Ferns crushed traditional rivals Australia in a historic 3-0 series win - their first clean sweep against Australia since 1989. The Ferns won the final match 53-46, after trailing for much of the game. Australian shooter Cynna Neele: "You never want to lose to the Kiwis once, let alone three times in a row."
(7 July 2004)
   

Jack Foster, 71
Legendary marathoner Jack Foster died after a cycling accident south of Rotorua. He was the marathon silver medallist at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, where he set his personal best time at the age of 41.
(6 June 2004)

Ulmer, Henderson, cycle to victory. 
New Zealand cyclist Sarah Ulmer took control of the hotly contested 300m individual pursuit when she broke the world record by two 10ths of a second in 3:31.157, to win the World Championship. Gary Henderson also won gold in the 15km scratch race. In other sports news, NZ Sevens win 5th world series crown, Black Caps bow 3-nil to England, and the All Whites crash out of 2006 World Cup contention.
(2004)

Stars in the making
NZ athletes contributed to an international domination of America’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Indoor Championships in mid-March. Kim Smith – running for Providence - lapped all but one of her competitors in the 5,000m, breaking a collegiate record which had held for 13 years. Rising star Nick Willis - who represents NZ at this year's Olympic Games in Athens - was the driving force behind the University of Michigan’s record-breaking win in the men’s distance medley relay.
(13 March 2004)
  

Catch me if you can Merriman
NZer Stefan Merriman won the 250cc two-stroke class riding for Australia at the 2003 International Six Days' Enduro in Fortaleza, Brazil. "The three-time world champion was an intimidating force on his Honda CRE250 two-stroke machine, easily outpointing Frenchman Arnaud Demeester to win his intra-class battle and overall honours. 
(3 November 2003)
    

Natural high
Sydney Morning Herald journo-cum-adventurer recommends NZ as the perfect training ground for would-be mountaineers: “It's close, cheap, the inhabitants speak English, and the mountains are world-class.” Particularly highly regarded is the NZ Mountain Safety Council’s 2-day advanced snowcraft course (NZ$120). A non-profit, volunteer-run organization, the MSC was established in 1966 “to encourage the enjoyment of the mountains, and to promote safety through more effective techniques, responsible attitudes and sound judgement.”
(6 September 2003)

One of our originals
NZ's oldest Olympic athlete, javelin thrower Stan Lay, has died aged 96. Lay finished in seventh place at the 1924 Athens Olympics, and two years later won gold at the Empire Games in Canada. He was a 12-time NZ javelin champion.
(13 May 2003)
   

The woman with the whistle
Kirstin Daly has been made the first woman in Australasia to coach a men's basketball team at national level. The former NZ women's captain is to take the helm at Hawke's Bay. Says club management; "[The players] have practised under her during the pre-season and while we were holding back, wondering if this was the right move, they were urging us to run with it."
(5 March 2003)
   

Sir Ed reflects
Sir Edmund Hillary is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his Everest climb with a round of fundraising for The Himalaya Trust. "When I look back over my life, I have little doubt that the most worthwhile things I have done have not been standing on the summits of mountains or the North and South Poles, great adventures though they were. My most important projects have been the building and maintaining of schools and medical clinics for my good friends in the Himalayas."
(17 February 2003)
     

Running man
Lower Hutt born Nick Willis is the University of Michigan's latest star athlete. Still in his freshman year, he is already the No. 2 cross-country runner on campus. The best seems yet to come; according to local sports-writers "track is where the 4-minute 2-second miler will make the most noise." Nick took an athletics scholarship to the university this year and hopes to be accepted for its prestigious business school.
(14 October 2002)
       

"It's all about that fern"
The Cinderalla New Zealand Tall Black's sensational hoop dreams soared as they hustled and impressed their way into the semi finals of World Championships (Indianapolis). Sports Illustrated calls them the 'thunder from down under': "During the Sydney Olympics a picture of the team doing the haka ran in an American newspaper under the headline 'They can't play, but they sure can dance.' Sweetheart, get me rewrite." Respect. Pride. Coach Tab Baldwin: "There is nothing better than a celebration in New Zealand and we want to give them some more ... to say we're thrilled only highlights the inadequacy of the English language." Los gringos son locos. ANZAC spirit. Captain Pero Cameron joins the greats: named All-Tournament forward.
(August/September 2002)
          

Granted respect
"About a third of the 96 professional sailors competing in the Volvo Ocean Race are New Zealanders. But only one, Grant Dalton, commands instant recognition and awed respect from his international peer group as well as his Kiwi fans." As well he deserves - Dalton has sailed around the globe seven times, a record that demands respect.
(22 September 2001)
           

Van Dyke taken to heart
Former South African International Netballer Irene Van Dyck picks up public choice player of the year as New Zealand fans claim her as one of their own.
(15 July 2001)
   

Tri-series netted
New Zealand wins over it's down under rivals to win tri-nations series.
(18 June 2001)
 

Runner's trots
An urgent need for the toilet is the most common reason long-distance runners pull out mid-race, according to a New Zealand Medical Journal study.
(7 April 2001)
 

Still the best
Leilani Joyce remains squash #1, trailed by New Zealand-based world champion Carol Owens.
(3 April 2001)
  

Les of Arabia
Crusading fitness guru Les Mills takes his gyms to the Middle East.
(10 March 2001)
           

Tua again
"A crunching left hook has put Tua back in the heavyweight championship picture. "
(25 March 2001)
               

Wonderboy
New Zealand apprentice jockey Michael Walker 16 years old, 18 months riding, 224 winners, 100 this half-season. Phenomenal.
(3 February 2001)
              

Sixties icon
Check out Sixties Motor Racing for Bruce McLaren shots, including New Zealand's greatest driver salon racing in a Jaguar (choose Catalogue on Palawan website). McLaren is also featured in British Esquire's quarterly sports supplement.
(January 2001)
             

Ed for heights
"I was frequently scared and often tired, but there were few moments I would have willingly missed," says Sir Edmund Hillary in the biography for children, Triumph on Everest. 
(27 January 2001)
           

Running tragedy
New Zealand's world record runner and Olympic gold medallist John Walker's Parkinson's highlights the increasing incidence of the disease.
(8 January 2001)
 

Because it's there
Slovenian Davo Karnicar, the first person to ski down Everest, now plans to slalom Aoraki (Mt Cook).
(8 December 2000)

Tabloid corner
Reports of a Mandy Smith-Dean Barker romance cause international consternation as dreams of a super-child assail NZ sport fans.
(30 November 2000)
             

Muscling in
Wellington will host the 2002 World Bodybuilding Championships in 2002. The influx of talent should put paid to the brain-drain hysteria. 
(21 November 2000)
 

Tua much
It wasn't his destiny this time. Pre- and post-fight opinion on Tua-Lennox.Pre in the Sunday Times, New York Daily News, USA Today and the Scotsman. Tua's toxic hair at News24. Post in Las Vegas Sun, New York and Daily News.
(November 2000)
              

Home Brew
New Zealand horse takes out the Melbourne Cup. "Brilliantly ridden by 20-year-old South Australian jockey Kerrin McEvoy, the regally bred Brew made light of 49kg when scoring a two-length victory after starting from the outside barrier."
(8 November 2000)
          

Going cold Kiwi
The League World Cup Lebanon V NZ match was played in bitter weather. Three Lebanese players became hypothermic, but the New Zealanders seemed to cope OK. "The New Zealanders were probably used to it," said Lebanese coach George Elias.
(31 October 2000)
               

His way
Road cyclists usually compete in teams for strategy and support. Not Hastings 18-year-old Jeremy Yates, the new Junior Men's Road Cycling World Champion. Yates beat 166 international riders, sprinting the last 4kms of the 127km race in Brittany. 
(14 October 2000)  
               

League of their own
The Aotearoa Maori League team is "modelled on the Maori battalion," says John Tamihere. "It will be a team of origin not of residence. And that's great, it doesn't matter if they're on Mars, they're still Maori."
(26 October 2000) 

Home Run
Shane Hunuhunu plays baseball for the Ashland (Ohio) Bombers'. The fireplug slugger imported from New Zealand features in "Fastpitch", a new film by first-time film-maker Jeremy Spears. The footage was shot over a summer Spears spent playing for the team. Hunuhunu seems to have settled into Ashland, even marrying a hometown girl.
(08 September 2000)
           

Reed races for US 
Palmerston North-born Matt Reed is 6-foot-5 and the world's tallest triathelete. Two weeks ago Reed, 32, won the US men's team trials in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and secured a place on the American Olympic team. "It was total exhilaration, a total dream," he says. Reed suffers from severe asthma, and after racing in Beijing in September 2007 doctors determined he had been using less than 50 per cent of his total lung capacity. However he says he never thinks about quitting. "Not once." Reed lives in Boulder, Colorado. His brother, Shane, also a triathelete, is to compete as part of the New Zealand Olympic contingent. 
(2 May 2008)

Alaskan war chant 
Taranaki basketball player Jeremiah Trueman, 19, has introduced New Zealand's haka to his Alaskan team, the UAA Seawolves, and the crowds love it. Trueman, a junior transfer to the Seawolves, said he was trying to tell them something about himself. "It kind of blew them away a little bit. I was pretty excited to do it," he said. The haka is now an integral part of the Seawolves' pregame ritual and reflects the team's international flavour. Trueman formerly played for the Nelson Giants and the Tall Blacks. 
(15 March 2008)

NZ makes a dash 
Seachange is primed to be the first ever New Zealand-trained horse to race at Royal Ascot. She will contest the Group Two Windsor Forest Stakes over a mile in June, if she wins the $6.5 million Group One Dubai Duty Free at Nad Al Sheba in late March. Seachange won New Zealand's $250,000 Telegraph Handicap at Trentham this year, recording a cracking 1min 6.66sec, just outside the national record. "She usually takes four or five starts to find her best, so she'll be ready for Dubai and all going well, England," said trainer Ralph Manning. 
(4 February 2008)

Hall takes out Huntsman
Paralympian ski racer Adam Hall has become the first New Zealander to win the United States' prestigious Huntsman Cup. The 20-year-old from Outram won seven gold medals in a row to claim the Cup, which is the culmination of the NorAm (North American) disabled alpine ski racing series. The 21st annual Huntsman Cup was hosted by the National Ability Center in Park City, Utah. 
(8 January 2008)

NZ proposes Winter Games 
An interim board is developing a proposal to launch the inaugural New Zealand Winter Games in 2009. The aim of the Winter Games is to provide elite winter athletes from Pacific Rim countries with off-season training and competition ahead of the Vancouver Winter Olympics the following year. "New Zealand can offer winter athletes with superb facilities and conditions during the European summer and we hope the event will become a regular event on Winter Sport Calendar," says Eion Edgar, interim board member and president of the NZ Olympic Committee. "While we can benefit athletes, we believe the event will establish New Zealand as a highly credible winter sports destination bringing significant sporting, social and economic benefits." The NZ Winter Games concept has the support of the NZ Olympic Committee and the National Olympic Committees of the Pacific Rim, including Canada, the United States, Japan, China, Korea, Mexico and Australia. 
(27 November 2007)

Beckham boots up for Wellington 
Soccer star David Beckham will join his team Los Angeles Galaxy in a $2 million exhibition match against Wellington Phoenix. "We as the club are bearing most of the costs," said Phoenix owner Terry Serepisos. "It's crucial David Beckham takes the field and plays. If for some unforeseen circumstance he gets injured prior to the game then the game will be rescheduled at a later date to be confirmed." Phoenix season memberships have risen from 100 to around 2300 as a result of the Beckham announcement. The match is scheduled for December 1 at Wellington's Westpac Stadium. 
(24 September 2007)

Taipei gold rush 
NZ athletes have won seven gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the 2007 IWAS World Wheelchair and Amputee Games in Taipei, Taiwan. Christchurch swimmer Sophie Pascoe topped the medal haul, winning four gold medals in the women's 100m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley. Cameron Leslie of Whangarei won gold in the men's 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle and150m individual medley, as well as silver in the 50m freestyle. Out of the pool, Wellington runner Katie Horan won bronze in the women's 200m race and Aucklander George Taamaru won bronze in powerlifting. "This is a fantastic result one year out from the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games," said Paralympics NZ acting CEO Fiona Allan. "All athletes have been preparing hard for these World Games and will be extremely pleased with their results." 
(18 September 2007)

Marathon medal prospect
Auckland runner Nina Rillstone finished third in the New York City Half-Marathon, just seconds behind Kenyans Hilda Kibet and Catherine Ndereba. The NZ record holder made a career best time of 1:10:35 - three seconds behind the winner. "I didn't get the practice running in heat and humidity today that I was expecting," she said on the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) website. "But I'm really happy to get a national record." Rillstone will compete in the marathon at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka next month. 
(6 August 2007)

1,3 NZ finish in Austria
Christchurch Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Andrea Hewitt has won her first World Cup triathlon title at Kitzbuhel, Austria. The 25-year-old beat Austrian Eva Dollinger by three seconds in a sprint finish, after leading the field in both the swim and bike legs. Hewitt's NZ training partner, Nicky Samuels, earned her first World Cup podium placing by finishing third, just 14 seconds behind Hewitt. "Conditions were good," said Hewitt of the ninth race in the 2007 World Cup triathlon series so far. "With a temperature of about 20 degrees and a little humidity, it was almost a typical New Zealand-type day."
(23 July 2007)

NZ triathletes dominate at Ishigaki
NZ athletes dominated at Japan's Ishigaki Island World Cup series triathlon, despite their lack of a gold medal finish. Bevan Docherty, Kris Gemmell, Shane Reed and Andrew Hewitt finished second, third, fourth and sixth in the men's race, while Debbie Tanner and Samantha Warriner finished third and fourth in the women's. The men's and women's races were won by Courtney Atkinson of Australia and Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal. In the overall 2007 World Cup standings, Docherty and Gemmell are currently in second and third place behind series leader Atkinson. Tanner is third in the women's rankings. 
(16 April 2007)

Double victory in Pakistan 
NZ cyclists Robin Reid and Justin Kerr have completed a 1-2 victory in the annual Tour de Pakistan road race. Reid won the gruelling 1,648km rally with a time of 44 hours, 59 minutes and 33 seconds. "It was amazing to see Pakistan from one end to the other," he told the Associated Press of Pakistan. The Tour de Pakistan, which is based on the famous French race, started from Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi on March 4 and concluded at Chamkani in Peshawar on March 18.
(18 March 2007)

Victory in Hong Kong 
NZ horse trainer Paul O'Sullivan has leapt to second place on the trainer's premiership table thanks to a stunning feature win in Hong Kong. Together with Australian jockey Brett Prebble and NZ-bred horse Vital King, O'Sullivan won the NZ$2.91 million Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin. "We had a lead-up that was free of interruptions and it was helped by a brilliant ride from Brett," said O'Sullivan. Next on the agenda for the successful team is the QEII Cup on April 29. 
(18 March 2007)

Impossible is nothing to Lomu 
All Black legend Jonah Lomu is one of 21 elite athletes to feature in the latest advertising campaign by Adidas. Titled Impossible is Nothing, the series shows internationally recognised sports figures discussing how they overcame adversity in their lives. "The campaign is all about athletes telling their story about finding themselves at a cross-road and having to make a decision," said Lomu on his website. "Mine was about my transplant ... and whether I could play again." Lomu joins stars such as David Beckham and US basketball player Gilbert Arenas in the global television campaign, which was created by Omnicom Group's 180 in Amsterdam. 
(5 March 2007)

Billiards hall of famer 
NZ billiard legend Rocky Lane has made the sport's Internet Hall of Fame thanks to his undefeated world record in jump shooting. In October 2005 Lane cleared all 15 balls off the table in 14.16 seconds on NZ national television. Despite efforts by the sport's top players at last year's World Pool Championships in the Philippines, the record has remained intact. "Yes, I heard they tried to defeat my record and am humbled that those star players would even consider my record to be something. For me, I do this for our great nation and can only keep on trying my best to do better," said Lane on Billiards Forum. "I figure if Kiwis like Michael Campbell can get out there and do it, then there has to be room for other Kiwis, to try and do the same."
(January 2007)

Superstar in waiting 
Kiwi basketball sensation Jessica McCormack, 17, has signed with the University of Washington in Seattle. The 1.94m teenager won a Commonwealth Games silver medal this year with the Tall Ferns, for whom she has played since the age of 15. "[Jessica] is a player with a multitude of skills and experience and may quite easily be the most talented post player for her age of 17 in the world," says Washington Huskies coach June Daugherty. Tall Ferns assistant coach Sean Dennis describes her as "a superstar in the making ... She has the potential to be NZ's version of Australian Lauren Jackson." McCormack graduates from Auckland's Northcote College this month and will enrol at Washington in January, in time for the winter quarter. 
(9 November 2006)

More medals for Vili and Willis
NZ athletes won two medals at the IAAF World Cup of Athletics in Athens this month. Valerie Vili followed up her Commonwealth Games gold by winning the women's shotput event, with a throw of 19.87m. Fellow Commonwealth gold medallist Nick Willis won a bronze medal in the men's 1500m final. Held every four years, the World Cup brings together continental teams from Oceania, Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe, as well as the United States, the host country and the top two teams from the European Cup. 
(18 September 2006)

Ka mate Ka mate gets 
an American accent
American College football team, the Brigham Young University Cougars have adopted their version of the haka Ka mate Ka mate. Lead by American-born Maori Bryce Mahuika, Utah's Cougars have adopted the practice of performing the haka before games, much to the delight of Amercian crowds. Mahuika said it was an honour to share his culture with American fans and is confident the haka will become a tradition for the team.
(17 September 2005)

Rising star
The Scotsman hails Kiwi Ryan Nelsen as one of the British Premiere League’s hottest signings. “Nelsen has proven an unbridled success since his arrival from Major League Soccer side DC United in January on a free transfer, to such an extent current employers Blackburn are already in talks with regard to extending his contract.” Nelsen, who is tipped to be the next All Whites captain, hopes his success will encourage players back home to hone their skills abroad: “Hopefully I’ve opened up some doors for other people coming over because there are a few young guys coming through the ranks that have actually got a lot of talent.”
(12 April 2005)
  

Double All Black
The Age profiles Eric Tindill; the world’s oldest living Test cricketer, NZ’s oldest living All Black, and one of the hallowed few to represent the country in both sporting disciplines. “The elderly gent watching the TV isn't your average 94-year-old retiree … Tindill's story is remarkable - from dismissing Don Bradman at the Adelaide Oval to tackling a Russian prince at Twickenham.”
(18 March 2005)
  

Golden year for Silver Ferns 
2005 has proved an incredible year for NZ netball, with the Silver Ferns winning all eight of their international tournaments. The latest came with a definitive Tri-Series victory over Jamaica and Barbados. "We certainly wanted to finish strongly because it was our last test of the year," said an elated NZ coach, Ruth Aitken. The Silver Ferns are now favourites to win gold at next year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. 
(15 November 2005)

One to watch
16-year-old Rebecca Spence is shaping up to be one of NZ’s star triathletes. The Rangitoto College student won the elite junior title at the ITU Duathlon World Championships in Newcastle, Australia, just two weeks after claiming silver at the Triathlon World Champs in Japan. “It’s been a dream month for me for sure,” said Spence. “It’s really special.” NZ won 11 medals, 4 of them gold, in Newcastle.
(25 September 2005)
  

Citizen Baker
World record holding British swimmer Zoe Baker has switched allegiance to NZ, where she has lived and held citizenship since 1999. “I'm hoping to swim for NZ at the Berlin leg of the World Cup in January,” she says. “I won't be swimming for anyone else.” Baker currently holds the world 50m breaststroke record.
(17 December 2004)
  

A year in review
Canadian Runners Web featured an email from Kiwi triathlete Bevan Docherty in its news section. “It's been one of the most amazing years for me, a World cup Win, a World Championship Win, Taking the No.1 ranking on the World cup, and of course a Silver medal at the Olympics … Now I'm looking towards Beijing and hoping to get a collection of medals, different colours of course…”
(24 October 2004)
    

Wyatt makes it four
Jonathan Wyatt won his fourth mountain running world title at Sauze d'Oulx in northern Italy only a week after competing at the Athens Games. His previous victories were in France (1998), Germany (2000), and Austria (2002). Next year’s championship will be held on Wyatt’s home soil: Mt Victoria, Wellington.
(6 September 2004)
    

Triumph for edge adventurers
NZ team Seagate and US team Nike were joint winners of the Subaru Primal Quest adventure race, held in Washington. The event involved six days of trekking, mountaineering, biking, running, orienteering and kayaking. It was shortened from its original length of 400 miles after the death of veteran Australian competitor, Nigel Aylott. Seagate team-mates Nathan Fa'ave, Kristina Anglem, Hadyn Key and Richard Ussher took home US$100,000 in prize money between them.
(25 September 2004)
    

Precious metal keeps on coming
NZ athletes did us proud at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, netting a total of six gold medals, one silver, and three bronze. The Wheel Blacks won gold in the wheelchair rugby final against Canada, Matt Slade won gold in the 200m sprint, Peter Martin dominated the men’s field events, winning gold in both javelin and shot put and bronze in discus, Tim Prendergast won gold in the 800m, Michael Johnson gold in the standing air rifle, Paul Jesson bronze in the LC3 road race/time trial, Daniel Sharp bronze in the 100m breaststroke, and the BC1-2 team won silver in the boccia final against Portugal.
(22 September 2004)
   

Kiwis clean up
NZ riders took top honours at the first British Championship motorcycle race, with Josh Coppins winning the title and 19-year-old Ben Townley finishing in second place. “It was a smooth run all the way and I can't complain,” said Coppins of his first ever win on the Desertmartin track.
(24 July 2004)
  

Ironwoman
Lynley Allison won her first Ironman title at the 2004 Ironman USA Coeur d'Alene triathlon in Coeur d'Alene. She finished a full 10 minutes ahead of second place getter Heather Gollnick (US), after taking an unshakeable lead in the cycle leg. Allison was runner-up in the event last year.
(27 June 2004)
   

Docherty takes on the world ... and wins
Bevan Docherty won gold at the 2004 Triathlon World Championship in Funchal, Madeira. Fellow Kiwis Hamish Carter and Shane Reed came in at 6th and 7th place, respectively, with Samantha Warriner finishing 13th in the women's event. Debbie Tanner came 5th in the women's under-23 race.
Link expired
(9 May 2004)

Sticking it to the competition
Both the NZ men’s and women’s hockey teams have qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. It will be the fourth time the women’s team (the Black Sticks) have competed at the Games. Says goalkeeper Helen Clarke, a veteran of the last three challenges: “To go to one is very special. To make a third is fantastic.”
(25 March 2004)
(link expired)
    

Over but not quite out
No.1 women's squash player, Carol Owens, retired from her professional career on a high note by winning her second World Open title in December. Owens may still represent NZ at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne: "I don't think I can completely retire from the sport yet because it's given me so much. Ending your career is always a hard decision to make, but it's been a successful one and I think it's time to get out on top."
(10 January 2004)    

‘Queen of the Green’ will be missed
Millie Khan, one of NZ’s best-loved and most successful sportspeople, died unexpectedly of a heart attack in Rotorua aged 65. Khan took up lawn bowls at 38 and was representing NZ 9 years later. She won silver in the singles at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, bronze in the same event at Kuala Lumpur in 1998, and held 12 national bowls titles in singles, pairs and fours. NZ Herald: “Most gracious in defeat or victory, ‘Magical’ Millie Khan was one of sport’s great characters.”
(23 November 2003)

Galloping Grylls
NZ jockey Gary Grylls won the AU$90,000 Geelong Classic astride Penitentiary, despite lagging nearly 20 lengths behind leader North Face rounding the home turn. Grylls on his steed: “He was travelling well and I could see they were starting to fan out and he just took the runs one by one and eventually we got the money. I've got a bit of time for this bloke.”
(23 October 2003)
   

Desaru medal haul
NZ athletes dominated the field at this year’s Desaru Long Distance International Triathlon in Malaysia. Lynley Allison and Stephen Farrell won the women’s senior and men’s veteran events, respectively, and Brent Sheldrake won the men’s junior event as well as coming second in the men’s open.
(13 September 2003)

Cycling success
NZ athletes made a strong showing at the track World Cup held in Sydney last month - boding well for the coming world championships. Cycling star Sarah Ulmer won the women's 3,000m individual pursuit, and the men's team took first place in the 4,000m. The "lanky legs and flying acceleration" saw Greg Henderson win gold in the men's 15km scratch race.
(18 May 2003)
   

Owens squashes the competition
NZ's Carol Owens has won her sixth Kuala Lumpur Open Squash Championship, taking her world title count to an impressive 21. Owens crushed Australian rival Natalie Grinham 9-3 9-0 9-2 in the women's final in Malaysia.
(17 February 2003)
     

Young man and the river
Fly-fishing enthusiast Andy Pietrasik raved about his recent trip to the rivers of the South Island. Following his guide up the river in search of fish made him feel like "Ernest Hemingway's shadow," so perhaps culture and the outdoors can be united in New Zealand after all.
(25 May 2002)
       

Nadal's NZ predecessor
Christchurch-born and educated Anthony Wilding was a world tennis champion from 1911-1914, and up until this week held a 90-year undefeated consecutive record for winning four titles in Monte Carlo. Overall, Wilding was a five-time winner at the Monaco tournament before dying in the trenches of WW1, 15 months after securing his final victory. Spanish sensation Rafael Nadal has became the first man since Wilding to claim those four titles, beating the current world number one, Roger Federer at the Masters Series Monte Carlo. Wilding won two Australian Open titles, the second in 1909, and the same year qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor at the Supreme Court of New Zealand. He then won the Wimbledon singles title for four straight years between 1910 and 1913. Wilding was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1978. 
(28 April 2008)

Gold in Manchester 
New Zealander Hayden Godfrey has won the men's omnium title at the track cycling world championships in Manchester. The omnium was introduced at world championship level last year and includes five events: the 200m flying start sprint, scratch race, pursuit, points race and kilo time trial. The results of all five races are turned into points, and the rider with the lowest number is pronounced winner. Godfrey was delighted with the outcome. "When I first heard about this event a couple of years ago I knew it could suit me," he said. "I'm not really a specialist in anything, more a jack of all trades." For the past seven years, Godfrey has raced in the United States. 
(30 March 2008)

Skier continues streak 
Otago paralympian Adam Hall has slalomed to yet another victory at the Wells Fargo Disabled Invitational at Winter Park in Colorado, climbing to the top of the medal table winning gold, his seventh medal this season. Hall, 20, was ecstatic with the results. "It was an awesome way to finish the season. This has been by far my busiest and successful season to date. There is only one way to keep going and that is up!" he said. Hall's final overall world ranking is 2nd in Slalom and 7th in Giant Slalom. His victory marks the third time he has held the title. 
(4 March 2008)

Home-grown steeds sweep Melbourne
NZ-bred horses made an extraordinary clean sweep of this year's Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne. Last year's Victoria Derby champion, Efficient, was the surprise winner of the Melbourne Cup, streaking past European entries Purple Moon and Mahler in the final seconds of the race. Efficient's win was the third Melbourne Cup victory for his sire, Zabeel, following Might And Power in 1997 and Jezabeel in 1998. Zabeel has now equalled his own sire Sir Tristram's record of producing three Melbourne Cup winners. NZ racehorses also won the Caulfield Cup with Master O'Reilly, Cox Plate with El Segundo and Victoria Derby with Kibbutz. "We've had an enormous profile this spring and another Melbourne Cup just tops it off," said Zabeel owner, Sir Patrick Hogan. "What the New Zealand-breds have achieved hammers it home that we've got the stallions, we've got the mares and we can foot it with the best." 
(9 November 2007)

Triathlon success in Rhodes 

Keeper scores ManU tryout
NZ soccer goalkeeper Jacob Gleeson flies to England next month to trial for two major Premier League clubs. The 17-year-old Wellingtonian so impressed scouts at the U-17 World Cup in South Korea last month that he secured an all-expenses paid trip to try out for both the Manchester United and the Everton youth squads. "It's what all young footballers aspire to, a professional contract," said Gleeson. "But the way I'm approaching it, I'm just going over there to do my best and gain experience. If anything else comes of it, it's a bonus." 
(12 September 2007)

Golden Vili 
Shotput star Valerie Vili has won gold at the IAAF Athletics World Championships in Osaka, Japan. Vili threw a personal best of 20.54 meters, beating defending champion Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus by six centimetres. "It's pretty hard to knock the All Blacks off the front page in New Zealand," said the 22-year-old. "Rugby is our national sport. But I suppose for one day, you'll have athletics on the front page. I'm very happy to do this for my little country." Vili dedicated her gold medal to her father, who died of cancer in May. 
(27 August 2007)

Golden axes 
NZ athletes dominated at the 48th annual Lumberjack World Championships in Hayward, Wisconsin. Jason Wynyard beat fellow New Zealanders David Bolstad and Dion Lane to win his ninth All-Around Lumberjack title. The Aucklander described the 2007 event as "a good competition, with a couple new faces" in the Sawyer County Record, and praised the efforts of Bolstad in particular. Alistair Taylor won the master's underhand chop event and Sheree Taylor finished third in the All-Around Lumberjill title race. 
(30 July 2007)

Fourth World Cup for Docherty 
NZ Olympic silver medallist Bevan Docherty has won his fourth International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Cup at Edmonton, Canada. Docherty's win is the culmination of seven straight top-eight finishes and boosts him to second place on the World Cup rankings halfway through the ITU series. "I don't have the sort of young drive anymore, the young sort of hunger," said Docherty, 30, in the Taipei Times. "Now I just sort of race with the brain a bit more and I think I race a lot smarter. And on a day like this, it certainly paid off." NZ athletes enjoyed great success in the men's event at Edmonton, with four competitors finishing in the top ten. Kris Gemmel finished fourth while Terrenzo Bozzone and Shane Reed came sixth and ninth respectively.
(25 June 2007)

Wet win in Vancouver 
Whangarei triathlete Samantha Warriner has won the US $100,000 BG Triathlon World Cup in Vancouver, clawing back from 20th place to beat American Sarah Haskins and Australian Erin Densham in wet and cold conditions. "The rain coming down made it quite tricky on the bike, especially on the S-bends but it has the hill in it and the technical corners so it's a good course," said the 35-year-old teacher. "The crowds lined the route and on the run I heard 'go Kiwi' so I was stoked." The Vancouver course will host the ITU world championships next year. 
(11 June 2007)

New era for NZ Golf Open 
Jeweller Michael Hill's private golf club has been unveiled as the NZ Open venue for the next three years. Designed by landscape architect John Darby, the Hills Golf Club covers 202 hectares of land in Arrowtown, just out of Queenstown. "In my opinion it's in the top five [courses] in New Zealand," said golfing legend Sir Bob Charles who, along with Phil Tataurangi, Greg Turner and Michael Campbell, is one of the few to have played the course so far. NZ Golf has handed over the financial risk or reward of this year's event to Australian promoter Tuohy Associates NZ. The tournament will be held from 29 November to 2 December, with NZ No.1 Michael Campbell on board as its official ambassador. 
(1 May 2007)

Phoenix on the rise 
A Wellington-based franchise is to replace Auckland's NZ Knights in the Australian A-League soccer competition beginning in August. Wellington Phoenix will be the eighth team in the 2007-2008 series, which runs for 21 rounds up until next February. Franchise owner Terry Serepisos named the team after a week of public consultation through Wellington's Dominion Post newspaper. "It's quite spiritual, it's a rebirth, and hence I went with the public feeling and my own gut feeling," he said in the Post. The team will play home games at Wellington's Westpac Stadium and will be coached by current NZ national coach, Ricki Herbert. "I know the city will embrace it because, apart from the Hurricanes, what else have we got," said Serepisos. "Not only will we have a soccer team of our own but we're going to get to see some of the top players in Australia and top international players in Wellington." 
(22 April 2007)

Another title for Kitchen 
NZ's Shelley Kitchen has won her twelfth Women's International Squash Players Association (WISPA) title, beating Tegwen Malik of Wales 3-1 in the World Tour's Oslo Open in Norway. Adding to the pleasure, it was Kitchen's 27th birthday on the same day. 
(4 December 2006)

The money's on Efficient 
NZ-bred horse Efficient has been dubbed "racing's next big thing" in the Australian press after winning the AU$1.5 million Victoria Derby at Flemington. The three-year-old gelding's win earned him the right to enter the Melbourne Cup, but trainer Graeme Rogerson was forced to pull him from the race after he strained a knee during the morning warm up. The last horse to complete the Derby-Cup double was Skipton in 1941. While not trained in NZ, Efficient was bred there, is trained by an ex-pat Kiwi, and is part-owned by four NZers (the managing owner is Australian multi-millionaire and former Crown Casino head Lloyd Williams). "This horse can really level out, he makes [the rest] look second rate," said jockey Michael Rodd in the Age. "It's just unbelievable what this horse has done." Efficient has won five of just six starts in his career to date. 
(6 November 2006)

History maker remembered
International archery associations and Olympic committees have paid tribute to Neroli Fairhall, who has died aged 61. Fairhall won a gold medal in archery for NZ at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, a Paralympic gold, and was a national champion and record holder in NZ throughout her career. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics she made history by being the first paraplegic athlete to compete at the Games, placing 35th. She was awarded an MBE for services to sport and continued coaching archery in Christchurch long after her retirement. "[Neroli] inspired all who came into contact with her," said Archery NZ president Colin Mitchell in the NZ Herald. 
(13 June 2006)

Return to peak form
Commonwealth Games medallist and Olympian, Greg Henderson, marked his return to form with a convincing win at the inaugural Commerce Bank Reading Cycling Classic in Philadelphia, USA. Riding for the Health Net-Maxxis team, Henderson beat Uzbekistan's Sergey Lagutin in photo finish. Henderson had a disappointing run at this year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, finding out after the event he had been racing with a broken femur. 
(9 June 2006)

Records broken, legends born 
New Zealand won 31 medals - 6 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze - at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. 200m butterfly victor Moss Burmester became the first NZ man to win gold in the pool since Danyon Loader in 1994 (sparking a spontaneous haka from his team-mates), Valerie Vili set a new Games record with her gold-winning 19.66m shot put throw, the rugby 7s team won their third consecutive Games gold, Graeme Ede won the men's trap shooting, and the world champion Silver Ferns netball side beat Australia to take gold in the final event of the Games. But the most rhapsodic media response came after Nick Willis' dramatic victory in the men's 1500m track event. NZ Herald: "Willis is no longer the promising athlete. He is no longer the boy who could follow in the footsteps of Lovelock, Snell and Walker. He is now the man chosen to follow that path. And he is acutely aware of his place in history."
(15-26 March 2006)

Twin peaks
Sir Edmund Hillary and Sir Roger Bannister are the inspiration behind Sports Illustrated writer Frank Deford's new feature film – Four Minutes. According to Deford, “the pinnacle of athletic achievement in the 20th century was not to be found on the basketball court or baseball diamond, or even in the boxing ring … the 20th century could be summed up in two events: the ascent of Mount Everest in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay and, less than a year later, the breaking of the four-minute mile by Sir Roger Bannister.” Deford has adapted his article (originally written for Sports Illustrated in 2000) for the silver screen, with Hillary’s Everest ascent serving as an inspirational backdrop to the central character of Bannister.
(2 October 2005)
   

First win the sweetest
NZ triathlete Samantha Warriner enjoyed her first major victory, taking out the women’s title at the ITU World Cup in Japan. Warriner finished the event in 2 hours 39 seconds, ahead of Japanese competitors Kiyomi Niwata and Akiko Sekine.
(16 May 2005)
   

Godley’s Own Country

Underdog soon to be top dog?
With Jamaican bobsled comparisons the order of the day, NZ’s curling team was the underdog favourite at this year’s Ford World Championship in Canada. ‘While many Canadians curl out of plush clubs, [captain Sean] Becker's home ice ‘is a wee dam about 100 yards from the back door’ at his farm.” NZ qualified for the world event after winning the Pacific Curling Championship in Korea. Two rinks dedicated to the sport are set to open in Naseby and Dunedin later this year.
(4 April 2005)
  

Paradise for polo players
Polo-playing Indian MP, Navin Jindal, recommends NZ as a destination for players and holidaymakers alike. For obvious reasons, Clevedon in South Auckland (NZ’s polo centre) is given particular attention. “Although it hasn’t to date been a destination city dwellers think of as a retreat, South Auckland is evolving into a distinctly attractive getaway, thanks to a small number of well-run private enterprises … Located close to Clevedon are beaches, vineyards, Te Papa Equestrian Centre, Karaka Horse Complex, golf courses, Auckland Kennel Club grounds and the Pukekohe Park Raceway.”
(30 December 2004)

Need for speed
NZ claimed two world titles at the mountain bike world championships in Le Gets, France, with Vanessa Quin (26) winning the open women’s downhill race and Scarlett Hagen (17) the junior women’s. Hagen’s time was second only to Quin’s overall.
(14 September 2004)
     

Grand Slam thank you ma’am
Rising Kiwi tennis star Marina Erakovic has added two major titles to her belt, winning both the Canadian and US Open’s junior girls’ doubles event with Dutch partner Michaella Krajicek. Earlier this year the pair made the Australian Open semifinals and the final at Wimbledon. 16-year-old Erakovic is only the second NZ woman in history to win a Grand Slam title; Judy Chaloner won the Australian Open senior women's doubles title in 1979.
(5 September 2004)
    

Down but not out
Greg Henderson won the 6.25 mile New York City Cycling Championship in miserable conditions, despite suffering a crash half way through the race. “Anything can happen in a crash. It all depends on how you land,” said Henderson. “The first thing we saw today was the rain, and you're two weeks out from the Olympics so you don't want to crash. And what happens? 30 km into the race I crash.” Five other Olympians, including fellow Kiwi Hayden Godfrey, competed in the prestigious event.
(1 August 2004)

Pre-Games victory
Auckland athlete Nathan Richmond won his first ITU World Cup triathlon in Newfoundland, Canada. The Corner Brook event is regarded as one of the toughest on the international circuit. "This win proves that I am a worthy member of the NZ Olympic team," said Richmond in the NZ Herald.
(19 July 2004)
    

A race of extremes
John O’Loghlen (NZ investment banker at Goldman Sachs, NY) and Rosa Volz (Wellington IT worker) were the first non-Mongolian man and woman respectively to finish the 42km Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset Marathon, “one of the toughest and most unusual [races] in the world.” Fellow Kiwis John Peterson and Paul O'Connor also took part, with Peterson the first non-Mongolian veteran to cross the finish line. The race’s difficulty lies in its altitudinal extremities: runners climb to 1650m above sea level, to 2300m, back to 1700, up again to 2100 and back down to about 1650. Read O’Loghlen’s account of his experience in the Listener.
(14 June 2004)
   

Black sticks blitz
The NZ women's hockey team emerged victorious from its 4-Test series against India in May. The Kiwis took an unbeatable lead by drawing the third Test after winning the first two. 
(9 May 2004)
 

Crumpton Chicago-bound
Shireen Crumpton won the 42.2km Canberra Marathon in impressive style, crossing the line a full 16 minutes before second place-getter Helen Verity-Tolhurst of Queensland. Crumpton’s victory earns her a starting place at the prestigious Chicago Marathon in October.
(19 April 2004)
   

Quality export
Former Wellington Saints player, Calum MacLeod, is the latest Kiwi basketballer to be snapped up by the US college league. The 20-year-old - who stands a fraction under 7 feet - has been accepted at Seattle's Gonzaga College, where he will play for the Bulldogs.
(2004)

Supertramp
13-year-old Christchurch schoolgirl, Kimberley Shea, won gold at the 2003 Trampoline and Tumbling World Age Group games in Hanover, Germany. Shea came first in the 13-14 Women's Double Mini Trampoline discipline. Her routine included the single most difficult move of all competitors - a forward twisting double somersault with a half twist followed by a double back somersault. Team-mate Emily Laing came fifth in the same event.
(23 October 2003)
    

Silver Ferns strike gold
The New Zealand Silver Ferns netball team emphatically shrugged off a decade of being netball's bridesmaids to beat arch rivals Australia 49 - 47 and win the World Champion title in Jamaica. "Finally," said relieved Silver Fern's veteren Lesley Nicol. "It's absolutely bloody brilliant." Captain Anna Rowberry: "It feels absolutely amazing." Australian coach Jill McIntosh: "I think on the night we were just beaten by a better side, slightly better in all aspects of the game."
(21 July 2003)

Big win for dark horse
NZ trainer Katrina Alexander shocked bookmakers and delighted racing fans when her "lightly raced" mare Honor Babe won the $800,000 Sydney Cup. The Matamata-based mother of two - who describes herself as "falling into racing by accident" - is aiming for a repeat performance by Honor Babe at the Caulfield-Melbourne Cups.
(4 May 2003)
   

Captain Kirk
Aucklander Kirk Penney is one of the brightest stars on the American college basketball circuit. Penney captains and is the highest point-scorer for the Wisconsin Badgers, a team he has lead into the top 16. A NZ representative (2000 Sydney Olympics, 2002 World Champs), Penney won a basketball scholarship to the States four years ago.
(24 March 2003)
   

Joining the hoop
A NZ team is to join Australia's National Basketball League next year, in a move sure to raise the sport's profile even higher in this country. The Auckland-based franchise is yet to announce its name and colours, but numerous Tall Blacks seem certain to sign. The inclusion will provide a vital training ground for the 2004 Athens Olympics, where it is hoped the Tall Blacks will continue their phenomenal winning streak.
(6 March 2003)
   

Miles ahead
NZ athlete Nick Willis continues to run rings around his American college-mates. The University of Michigan student clocked the nation's fastest 3,000m time for the year to date at January's Red Simmons Invitational. Ironically, it was Willis' first and last attempt at the distance for the season, as he specialises in the mile.
(26 January 2003)
   

Elevator not included
NZ runners Jonathan Wyatt and Melissa Moon won the men's and women's categories at the World Towerthon in Malaysia. The event involves an 800m run from the Kuala Lumpur Tower entrance, followed by a grueling climb of some 2,058 staircases to reach the Mega View Banquet Deck. Wyatt and Moon won the event for the fourth and third time respectively.
(27 October 2002)
         

Snell still streaks ahead
Sebastian Coe reminisces about the grand days of athletics, when athletes focused on ambitious all-round feats. For a middle-distance runner, "no championship season was complete without a tilt at the 800m-1500m double." He cites NZ legend Peter Snell as being the best example of what is now a rare achievement: "Snell's success was born of the New Zealand landscape, his immense natural strength - in full flow he could have been wearing the silver fern of the All Blacks - and the training schedules of Arthur Lydiard…" (22 July 2002)
       

Chop till you drop
NZ axemen Jason Wynyard and David Bolstad came out ahead in the points race at the 8th Annual Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival in Memphis, Tennessee. Over 72,000 people attended the Festival, with the Stihl Timbersports stage on which the Kiwis chopped their way to victory reportedly steeped in "the intensity and drama of close athletic competition".
(June 2002)
         

Kiwi success not so ethereal in Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup winner Ethereal continues a proud tradition of winning New Zealand horses as well as opening a new chapter in Cup history. For the first time a female trainer, Shelia Laxon from Cambridge, is behind the winning horse. "Some people thought I couldn't do it," says Laxon, "so I'm glad to have vindicated everyone who kept faith in me."
(6 December 2001)

Blyth Spirit
"Blyth Tait headed a clean sweep for New Zealand when he rode his Olympic and world champion, Ready Teddy, to win the Burghley Pedigree Horse Trials."
(3 September 2001)
       

Hoop Dream
The Tall Blacks NZ Basketball Team has shocked Australia, winning their 3-game series to earn a place among the world's top basketball nations at the World Titles next year. Says NZ coach Tab Baldwin: "Today, it's a bloody good day to be a Kiwi, mate!"
(24 September 2001)
           

Big jump
"New Zealander St Steven completed a rare double and put himself in contention to be named Australia's champion jumper for 2000-01 with his win in the $120,000 A.V.Hiskens Steeplechase at Moonee Valley yesterday."
(29 July 2001)
              

Gentleman amateur
Mourning the days when tennis players had urbanity and looked like professors, Howard Jacobson, first time Wimbledon-watcher turns to the past for solace: "Bored with it, I take a turn around the museum and spend a long time admiring a sepia photograph of New Zealander Anthony Wilding (champion 1910-1913), dressed in flannels and what looks like an on-court smoking jacket."
(29 June 2001)
               

Bugger knocked off for nearly fifty years
It's 48 years since Sir Edmund and Tensing put themselves on the roof of the world.
(22 May 2001)
 

Captain Cayless 
Sydney laments 22-year old Nathan Cayless's decision to follow his Maori heritage home and captain the New Zealand league side.
(18 May 2001)
               

Majors story (almost)
The amazing story of Travis Wilson: "A New Zealander needing only four years to reach the highest level of America's national pastime? That would have been a made-for-TV movie." Also, Wilson has a "huge future," says Sports Illustrated.
(4 April 2001)

Vagana bio
New Zealander Joe Vagana, "one of the best packmen in the world", is set to be a star with English club Bradford Bulls.
(3 March 2001)
                 

Winter bid
Christchurch and Wanaka are launching a bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
(25 January 2001)

Adventure on air
The mini-series of the Discovery Channel World Championship Adventure Race, run in the South Island last November, will air on the Discovery in late April, showcasing some of the New Zealand's toughest terrain.
(21 February 2001)
          

Sydders running
The Sydney Half-Marathon turns ten. Back in 1996, New Zealand woman Nyla Carroll won the women's section so fast the official nearly missed her dash over the finish line.
(19 February 2001)
               

Super Sonic Sean
The Seattle SuperSonic sign Sean Marks, New Zealand's biggest b-ball boy.
(18 January 2001)
              

Tennis ace
Since coming to New Zealand six years ago, 19 year old Ilke Gers has developed into a potential tennis champion, currently aiming to break into the world top 400.
(29 December 2000)
             

Shears, mate
Among elections, space-stations and UFO conventions, Masterton's 40th annual Golden Shears competition rates a mention.
(21 December 2000)
              

Walker chases health
1976 Olympic 1500m champion John Walker was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three years ago. "I would give up all my medals and all the world records for my health," says the New Zealander who cracked 100 sub-four minute miles.
(15 December 2000)
          

Minus fours
Nude golf will be swinging at the January Mackenzie Muster naturist festival near Lake Tekapo. Hole in one?
(27 November 2000) 

One love
Bob Brett used to correct Boris Becker's backhand. Now he's formed a Paris academy to coach young stars, including fourteen- year-old New Zealander Eden Marama.
(17 November 2000)
           

Kiwi-Pom Oggie i
Ron Knox, originally of England, now New Zealand, introduced the stadium-filling "Oggie, Oggie, Oggie, Oi, Oi Oi" chant to the ockers. "I wonder if they will send me a gold medal," says Ron.
(25 October 2000)
              

Jumpin' Jai
With a name like Taurima, he must be one of us. Jai Taurima, the Queensland-born son of a Maori father, just missed the gold in the long-jump, but a personal best of 8.49 metres was enough to land him on the silver podium.
(29 September 2000)