Athletics: NZ Olympic team finalised at 185

Decathlete Brent Newdick. Photo / Getty Images

The New Zealand Olympic Committee has announced the selection of the final two members of the Athletics team for the London Olympic Games.

Decathlete Brent Newdick and Heptathlete Sarah Cowley were selected overnight. The two athletes have been confirmed following confirmation that no other athletes reached the selection standard during the qualification period, which ended yesterday.

London will be the first Olympics for both athletes. Newdick competed at both the 2006 Melbourne and 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, winning the silver medal at Delhi. Cowley represented New Zealand at Melbourne in 2006.

The 8th of July was the final date for athletes to qualify for selection to the Olympic Team with names being submitted to LOCOG for entry tomorrow.

At 185 athletes, the London 2012 team equals that of Beijing 2008 in size and is a far cry from the team of seven athletes which represented New Zealand at the London Olympic Games in 1948.

New Zealand Olympic Committee secretary general Kereyn Smith was delighted to have named the full Olympic Team named. "London will be a significant games for New Zealand," she said. "We anticipate that with 185 athletes we'll be among the top twenty largest teams at the games. We have our 100th Olympic medal in our sights and I'm confident New Zealand's athletes will make Kiwis in both the UK, and back home in New Zealand, proud."

The five largest New Zealand Olympic Teams prior to London 2012 are 185 Beijing 2008, 149 Athens 2004, 151 Sydney 2000, 140 Barcelona 1992, 135 Los Angeles 1984.

Beijing opened with 182 athletes but this number grew to 185 as reserves were called into the team.