Lydia Ko, the world’s No 1 golfer, begins her Olympic campaign on Day 12.
Ko, who has made no secret of how much she has been looking forward to her Olympic experience, heads a particularly strong field that includes all the best women’s players.
The 19-year-old New Zealander is amazingly composed and seems able to put pressure aside to enjoy the occasion. She’ll be hoping to join men’s winner Justin Rose as the first Olympic golf champions in more than a century.
It is a day of reckoning for the New Zealand women’s hockey team. After their conclusive quarter-final win over Australia, they have earned a semi-final against Great Britain. It was the British who denied them a medal at the London Olympics four years ago, so there is a lot on the line for Kayla Whitelock and her team.
Women’s 470 sailors Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie begin their medal race in second place, quite a distance from first, but with several challengers snapping at their heels. In truth, Aleh and Powrie have looked the best women’s 470 team in Rio, but two earlier disqualifications have severely dented their chances of retaining their Olympic crown. They need a great race tomorrow and for other results to go their way. The other New Zealand sailors in action are Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox in the men’s 470.
Lisa Carrington, fresh from retaining her Olympic K1 200 title, lines up against other K1 500 paddlers in the heats, and then, hopefully, the semi-finals.
Two New Zealand track and field athletes have qualifying rounds. Javelin veteran Stuart Farquhar and 800m runner Angie Petty will be in action.
Two other New Zealanders make their Olympic debuts.
Andrea Kilday competes in the women’s 49kg taekwondo and Trent Jones in the cycling BMX.