A total of 90 medals have been won by New Zealanders since the first in 1908 (89 summer, one winter) and there are high hopes London will be one of this country's most successful Games. The 1988 Olympics in Seoul returned 13 medals and nine were won in Beijing in 2008.
The best chance of success is likely to come from athletes who sit down for a living, with rowing, cycling, canoeing, equestrian and sailing likely to be at the forefront.
Valerie Adams is coming under considerable threat from long-time rival Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus in the women's shot put but is still favourite to retain the gold she won in Beijing four years ago.
Rowers Hamish Bond and Eric Murray have been undefeated in the men's pair since teaming up in 2009 and their chances of success increased after the British duo of Andrew Triggs-Hodge and Peter Reed raised the white flag and switched to the men's four.
New Zealand will send a strong team of 26 rowers to London and expectations are world single sculls champion Mahe Drysdale, Rebecca Scown and Juliette Haigh (women's pair), Storm Uru and Peter Taylor (men's lightweight double sculls), Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan (men's double sculls) and even the impressive new combination Louise Ayling and Julia Edward (women's lightweight double sculls) will be fighting for a spot on the podium.
The New Zealand track cycling team is the strongest it has been, and a number are vying for medals - men's and women's team pursuit, Simon Van Velthooven (keirin), men's team sprint, Shane Archbold (omnium) - and three-time world championships medallist Linda Villumsen (time trial) is a strong chance on the road.
Sailing has been one of New Zealand's best Olympic sports but has not returned the number of medals it should have in recent times. It's an unpredictable sport but there is considerable optimism Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie (women's 470), Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (men's 49er) and JP Tobin (men's RS:X boardsailing) will be near the head of the fleet and others like Andrew Murdoch (Laser) and Jason Saunders and Paul Snow-Hansen (men's 470) have the potential to medal.
World K1 200m champion Lisa Carrington is the main hope in canoe racing, Andrea Hewitt one of the favourites in triathlon and two-time Olympic champion Mark Todd and world No 2 Andrew Nicholson head a strong equestrian team.
The men's and women's hockey teams and BMX riders Sarah Walker and Marc Willers are outside chances of a medal.
