Local Sporting Stars Celebrate NZ Olympic Story

For Immediate Release
17th June 2009

Local Sporting Stars Celebrate Nz Olympic Story

Sporting heroes and local dignitaries will gather in Wellington on Wednesday 24th June to celebrate 1111 New Zealand Olympians.

The 2008 Olympic Games marked 100 years of New Zealand Olympic history and at Beijing the 1000th Olympian wore the silver fern. This year, the New Zealand Olympic Committee together with the Olympians Club of New Zealand will honour each of these athletes through a series of sixteen functions around New Zealand.

More than 50 of the Wellington region’s Olympians and supporters will gather on Wednesday 24th June, 5.30pm at the Renouf Foyer, Michael Fowler Centre, including Danyon Loader (aquatics, 1996 Atlanta), Trevor Manning (hockey, 1976 Montreal), Dick Joyce (rowing, 1972 Munich) and Rebecca Perrott (aquatics, 1976 Montreal). Each of the Wellington region’s Olympians will be presented with an exclusively designed Olympic pin featuring the rings and fern and the Olympian’s unique number. Olympians will also receive a commemorative certificate signed by IOC President Jacques Rogge and the NZOC Secretary General, Barry Maister.

New Zealand Olympic Committee Secretary General Barry Maister says honouring our Olympians is timely and important. “In 100 years of Olympic history just 1000 New Zealanders have been able to call themselves an Olympian. These special people have created history and inspired generations of New Zealanders. Sir John Walker, Mahe Drysdale, Danyon Loader and others make up the fabric of our society and we’re proud to honour them within our communities.”

A New Zealand Olympian is an athlete who has been both selected into the New Zealand Olympic Team and has been accredited into the team at the Olympic Games.

The function in Wellington takes place as around the world communities celebrate Olympic Day on June 23. Olympic Day is a celebration of the Olympic Movement and its values of excellence, friendship and respect. In New Zealand school children have been invited to participate in the Olympic Day Run and a series of lectures about the Olympic Games are being held in Auckland and Wellington. A New Zealand Olympians Wall of Honour will be unveiled in the Olympic Museum Gallery in Wellington.

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