Golden Day for Kiwi Olympians

At the rowing it was the women’s double sculls duo of Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell who won New Zealand’s first gold of the night with a heart stopping one hundredth of a second win over the highly rated Germans in a photo finish that saw the twins keep their title of Olympics Champions earned four years earlier in Athens. Recovering from a slow start and a fierce pace from the highly favoured Chinese pair, the Kiwis powered back from a boat length down in the final 250m to snatch victory and grab the gold from the devastated German’s.

Earlier in the year Caroline and Georgina had been criticized for poor form after a series of losses that included not even making the A final in the Polish round of the tour. But the golden haired sisters peaked at exactly the right time in Beijing and entered the record books as one of only four New Zealand Olympians to back up a gold medal from the previous Olympics.

3 Time World Champion and favourite for the gold medal just a fortnight ago, Mahe Drysdale had to be stretchered from his boat and attended to by 12 paramedics after a heroic performance in the men’s single sculls after battling the Beijing flu right up until the race. Drysdale stormed into the lead with 500m to go but couldn’t hold off the fierce challenge and finished third. He had to be assisted to the podium to collect his medal after being re-hydrated intravenously.

Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater also picked up a medal in the rowing gaining a bronze in the men’s pairs. Well beaten to the line for first and second, the pair got to the bronze without a challenge from the rest of the field.

History was made at the Birdcage in the women’s shot put where Valerie Vili picked up gold with her first throw of the night heaving the weight a huge 20.56m becoming only the second New Zealand woman to win a gold medal in a field event. The last was Yvette Williams some 40 odd years ago. Only one other throw looked to challenge Vili when the Belarusian reached 20.28m but it was never going to be enough. An elated Vili had to be restrained by Chinese officials in her bid to run across the track and grab the New Zealand flag after her champion effort.

The fifth medal was picked up by road cyclist turned track cyclist Hayden Roulston in the men’s individual pursuit. Up against World Champion Bradley Wiggens from Great Britain, Roulston got of to a great start leading the Brit by 2 seconds half way through the race. But the freakishly good Wiggens came back to win the gold and hand Roulston a well deserved silver. All this with a heart condition that could cripple him at any moment, Roulston has entered heroic status in the sports mad land down under.

The greatest day in Olympic history for New Zealand will be remembered for an age and go down as one of the great sporting moments for the Land of the Long White Cloud.