Olympics: Waipa proud of its champions

1.00pm

Waipa is proud of its Olympic champions. So proud that Waipa District Council's vivid new "Welcome" signs will carry the tagline: "Home of champions past, present and future".

All of New Zealand's Athens gold medallists to date live in Cambridge.

Hastings-raised rowers Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell have been Cambridge-based for about five years, and former Aucklander Sarah Ulmer moved there two years ago.

Piopio-born Rob Waddell, New Zealand's sole Sydney Olympics gold medallist, lives there, and double gold medallist Mark Todd farms locally.

Cambridge already has bronze plaques for the Evers-Swindell twins in its Duke St Sports Walk of Fame.

One will shortly be added for Ulmer, though Waipa Mayor Alan Livingston wants to go further and name the Te Awamutu velodrome after her.

"What could be a more appropriate way of acknowledging her world and Olympic championship status?"

Deputy mayor Peter Lee laid a bouquet next to the twins' plaques yesterday, and the public followed suit.

- NZPA