Rio top five: Invincible Bond and Murray look unstoppable
Ahead of the Olympics we tip the New Zealand teams best-placed to deliver gold medals
New Zealand’s brightest hopes for Rio aren’t all about individuals with team sports promising to contribute to the medal haul.
Here are five combinations that look certain to be on the podiums with a good chance of having gold draped around their necks.
Hamish Bond and Eric Murray (Rowing – coxless pair)
This might be the biggest certainty among any gold medal at Rio. Form suggests only illness, injury or a technical disaster with their boat can stop the seemingly unstoppable pair of Kiwi world beaters. The defending Olympic champions and six-times world champions haven’t lost since teaming up at the end of 2008. Collectively they are one of modern sport’s marvels, recording 66 consecutive race victories at Olympic, world championship and World Cup level. Don’t worry about any lack of focus or motivation, these guys are the ultimate athletes, driven by a desire for never-ending success and between them having the perfect chemistry to achieve that.
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (Sailing – men’s 49er).
The decorated pair head to Rio knowing they can’t have done anything more in their bid to turn silver into gold. Since claiming second in London four years ago, they went on an unprecedented run of 27 consecutive regatta wins at locations around the globe, proving their versatility and meticulous planning. Under the guidance of coach Hamish Willcox, they have taken a psychological stranglehold on this tricky class. They are the Bond and Murray of sailing. In a one-class design, they know how to tune their boat and tweak their techniques to squeeze everything out of the flying skiff. That they have managed to totally dominate the 49er while taking on America’s Cup duties with Team New Zealand speaks volumes about their maturity and professionalism. Their greatest worry will be falling at the final hurdle but they have the mental strength to cope with Olympic pressures.
Men’s sprint cycling
This is a team oozing confidence and not afraid to display that. It’s a macho world of speed and power and the Kiwis have flexed their muscles in the leadup to Rio. They enter as world champions and have welcomed the attention that comes with that. Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster and Eddie Dawkins are an increasingly slick machine. They have worked hard on smoothing their technical changeovers over the past year after having the heartbreak of losing the 2015 world title by disqualification. Dawson’s power and temperament in the anchor role has proven phenomenal. The Kiwis have European powerhouses France, Germany, the Netherlands and Great Britain scratching their heads.
Julia Edward and Sophie MacKenzie (Rowing – Lightweight double scull)
These women have dominated their division for the last two years, winning world titles in 2014 and 2015. They are motivated by pressure and there’s plenty on them. There is only one lightweight class at the Olympics and their selection saw Zoe McBride, the world lightweight single scull champion, miss out on Rio. Three into two doesn’t work. There was a theory of breaking up the double scull combination to include McBride. But the selectors have stuck with Edward and MacKenzie. Now it’s up to them to prove that right. If this deadly duo can’t do the business, don’t despair - there’s an alternative. The rowing ranks include Zoe Stevenson and Eve Macfarlane in the double scull who also appeal as gold medal prospects.
Men’s rugby sevens
A year or two ago, this title looked a virtual certainty for Sir Gordon Tietjens’ team, such has been their dominance of rugby’s abbreviated game. But adding the sport to the Olympics has seen their rivals inject massive resources, excited at the prospect of exposure on sport’s biggest stage and the realistic prospect of a medal. That means an increasingly even field for Rio. New Zealand bolstered their squad with some 15s stars but it’s the core dynamics of sevens that gives them their best hope. They have the experience of 12 world series titles, an ability to sneak out of tight situations, a defensive system the envy of their rivals and a coach who knows this game better than anyone.