Single sculler Emma Twiggis on fire, and our women's eight are the current world champions. Whisper it, but could we be in for the best hour in New Zealand Olympic history since 2 September, 1960, in Rome, when Peter Snell won the 800 metres, and Murray Halberg followed up with 5000 metres gold?
My favourite story from that day comes from shot putter Val Young who managed to finish a brilliant fourth in a drug riddled field. In a van on the way to the stadium with Halberg and Snell she said, "Gee Murray, I'm pretty nervous." So am I, replied Halberg. She then asked, "What are you thinking Peter?" Snell, a deeply modest man, was so buried in his own moment, he blurted out, "I'm just wondering if they'll run fast enough for me to break the Olympic record." They didn't, but his gold announced an all-time great.
Live updates: nzherald.co.nz. Live commentary: Newstalk ZB. Watch live: SKY Channel 58, TVNZ.
Full Kiwi schedule below. Click on a name to see athlete's bio, upcoming events, past Games performance and medal chance.
2) Love, sweat and tears
Women's shot put qualifying, 10.25pm
In the circle Dame Valerie Adams wears what she calls her "South Auckland don't mess with me face". In recent years, as she's become more relaxed with the media, and taken on campaigns, like encouraging Pasifika couples to embrace IVF treatments, the warm, kind, thoughtful woman my wife and I fell in love with 10 years ago during the writing of her book has emerged in public. I'm massively biased, but when she throws in Tokyo who in New Zealand won't be wishing her anything but success? She's sweated through months of training, cried at missing her husband and two children, but came to Japan after two weeks with her wonderful coach in Switzerland, Jean-Pierre Egger, who once brilliantly said, "After all, what is coaching but an act of love?"
Live updates: nzherald.co.nz. Live commentary: Newstalk ZB. Watch live: SKY Channel 56, TVNZ.
3) A family affair
Equestrian dressage, team and individuals, 11.30am
Starting with the amazing Sir Mark Todd (two golds, a silver and two bronze medals) the record of New Zealand equestrian competitors at the Games is astounding. The equestrian team of three in Tokyo has a Games first for New Zealand with Tim and Jonelle Price co-leaders, joined by Jesse Campbell. The Prices feel their balance is right. Tim, says Jonelle, is more talented. Tim says Jonelle is more competitive. We know they're both world class.
Live updates: nzherald.co.nz. Watch live: SKY Channel 602, TVNZ.
4) A bounce back for bronze?
Bronze tennis playoff, 6pm
Michael Venus and Marcus Daniell were possums in a Mack truck's headlights yesterday against the ferocity of Croatia's Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig. But the Kiwis' campaign has earned them a playoff for bronze against a less fearsome duo, Americans Austin Krajicek and (I am not making this man's first name up) Tennys Sandgren.
Live updates: nzherald.co.nz. Watch live: SKY Channel 602, TVNZ.
Like so many Kiwi kids, Christchurch's Maddie Davidson started out bouncing on a backyard tramp. She struggled for control at first, so her mother arranged her to go to classes, and now she's ranked 12th in the world. It's the bravery that astounds, given that I speak as someone who took all the skin off a shin as a 13-year-old when tramps were brutal contraptions with hard metal edges, and never went near one again. Davidson will only concede that "some courage is needed" but swears that "When you hit the perfect routine, and it feels effortless and like you're weightless, like zero gravity, it's something everyone should experience because it's truly amazing."
Live updates: nzherald.co.nz. Watch live: SKY Channel 59, TVNZ.
