'It’s amazing': NZ biggest ever Olympic medal haul

New Zealand athletes have bagged more gold medals at Paris 2024 than at any other Olympic Games in history.

The 10 golds claimed across the two weeks of competition have smashed the previous record of eight won at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

The Kiwis also bagged seven silver and three bronze medals to take the total number to 20 and finish 11th on the medal table, between Germany and Canada.

The weekend's success began with Dame Lisa Carrington, Lydia Ko and Hamish Kerr topping the podium in their respective events within eight hours of each other in Paris to etch their names in glory.

And overnight two more medals were won - Ellesse Andrews bagged her third medal of the Paris Olympics - a gold in the women's sprint cycling, her 'bonus' event.

Shortly afterwards, Ally Wollaston came from behind to win a bronze medal in the women's omnium - the last cycle race of the Paris Olympics. It was her second medal of the games having won silver in the women's team pursuit earlier in the week.

It was a remarkable achievement that began with New Zealand’s most decorated Olympian. Carrington, who has already won double kayak gold in Paris, never looked in doubt on her way to winning gold in the women’s K1 500m.

It brings her tally to a scarcely believable eight gold medals, and cements her already impressive legacy in New Zealand’s sporting history.

"It’s amazing ... I feel so privileged to be in this position", Carrington told Sky Sport.

Ko finished with a birdie on the 18th hole to become the women’s golf Olympic champion.

Ko, who won silver in Rio and bronze in Tokyo, became the youngest golfer to qualify for the LPGA hall of fame off the back of the win, aged 27.

It was a "Cinderella ending to this week" for the Olympic champion.

"It’s definitely a career highlight for sure", Ko said.

"To be able to medal in all three ... it’s a dream come true."

Kerr won gold in the men’s high jump yesterday in dramatic fashion.

Kerr, who was born in Dunedin, and Shelby McEwan, of the United States, battled in a jump-off that lasted more than 30 minutes before Kerr finally cleared the bar at 2.34m on his fourth attempt to be crowned champion.

He became the first New Zealand man to win gold in an Olympic field event.

"I was just so at peace with the fact that if that [the jump-off] happened, even if I was to come second, I would be adding to history", Kerr said.

"To come away with a gold in that is just absolutely remarkable ... it’s such a special feeling."

Adding to the sparkling weekend was shot putter Maddi Wesche, who won silver with her personal best throw of 19.86m.

At the velodrome Andrews, who was a student at Wānaka's Mount Aspiring College, faced off against German rider Lea Friedrich in a best-of-three format, taking the the lead in the first race and never relinquished it, slicing home to beat Friedrich by 0.095 seconds. 

She then started her second medal race sitting behind Friedrich, but raised the pace with two laps to go and blasted past the German for the win.

In the omnium, Woolaston finished behind Jennifer Valente of the United States and Daria Pikulik of Poland. Valente had 144 points, Pikulik 131 and Wollaston 125.

NZ’s best Olympics gold medal tally

Paris 2024:   10 gold, seven silver, three bronze
Los Angeles 1984:   Eight gold, one silver, two bronze
Tokyo 2021:   Seven gold, six silver, seven bronze
London 2012:   Six gold, two silver, five bronze
Rio 2016:   Four gold, nine silver, five bronze
Seoul 1988:  Three gold, two silver, eight bronze

- additional reporting RNZ