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 $1 million from the sport and is a…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
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…
Ka Mate Ka Mate gets an American Accent
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…
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…
Marks Takes a Bow
Tall Blacks star, Sean Marks, has announced his retirement from NZ basketball, after helping the San Antonio Spurs to victory in the NBA final. “I’ve given it a lot of thought and it was a tough decision…
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…
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,…
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, Becker’s home ice…
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…
Godley’s Own Country
Godley Lake, NZ, features amongst the Observer‘s crème de la crème of international ski touring routes. “Described as a ‘Symphony on Skis’, this tour involves a traverse of the Southern Alps from east to west via some…
Paradise for Polo Players
Polo-playing Indian MP, Navin Jindal, recommends NZ as a destination for players and holiday makers 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…
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,”…
Iron-will an Inspiration
The inspiring story of Napier mother-of-four, Tracey Richardson, has made headlines around the world. Two of Richardson’s children have cystic fibrosis and, in 2002, she decided to create awareness for the disease by competing in the…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Inline Edge
NZ athletes excelled at the world inline speed skating championships in Italy, racking up six bronze medals, a silver, and a gold. Shane Dobbin won gold in the 5000m men’s points road race, with brother Kalon…
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 (200), and Austria (2002)….
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…
Riding High
Sydney Morning Herald profiles 20-year-old Kiwi, Michael Walker; “the best jockey to emerge from across the Tasman since Jim Cassidy and Shane Dye.” Since his 1999 debut, Walker has ridden more than 100 winners in each of…
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…
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,”…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Jumping Off Point
Billionaire US adventurer Steve Fossett continues to attempt to break the world glider altitude record from his South Island base in Omarama. Wind levels have been unsatisfactory so far.
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…
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…
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…
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. Greg Henderson also…
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.
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…
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….
Multi-tasker
“Double internationals – people who represent their country at more than one sport – are rare. Someone who represents his country on the sports field and also stands on it to sing the national anthem is…
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…
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…
Black Sox Sock it to the World’s Best
The NZ Black Sox beat Canada 9-5 to win the World Softball Championships for the third year running. Mark Sorenson came out of retirement to earn his fourth gold medal, leading his team to victory with a…
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…
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…
‘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…
Where Angels Tread
Time magazine special on exotic bike tours recommends Butterfield & Robinson’s NZ adventure, ‘Cloud Walk.’ After cycling Fox Glacier, participants are ferried to Mt Cook via helicopter: “There, from above the cloud line, visitors can look down…
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…
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…
Break In
Coach Jeff Green is confident that the NZ Breakers’ status in Australia’s National Basketball League will be similar to that currently enjoyed by rugby league team, the NZ Warriors. “One team, one country … The country’s…
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…
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…
Legendary Lance Hangs up the Saddle
Champion NZ jockey, Lance O’Sullivan, has announced his retirement from racing at age 39. O’Sullivan has ridden over 2,470 winners and has been crowned NZ champion rider a record 12 times. His international achievements include…
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…
Cameron Brown: Man of Steel
Three-time NZ Ironman champion, Cameron Brown, has won the Utah Half-Ironman Triathlon, beating Sweden’s Bjorn Andersson by just 6 seconds. Says Brown; “I didn’t think I was going to win it, but I just put my…
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…
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…
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”…
