The New Zealand Team for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has been confirmed, with a record percentage of women to represent New Zealand at the Games.
The team includes 233 athletes, from 19 sports and two Para-sports. 125 (54%) of the athletes are female and 108 male (46%). At 54% the female portion of the team ranks as the highest female representation in New Zealand Commonwealth or Olympic history.
The team members come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, including athletes with Samoan, Tongan, Cook Islands, Fijian, Filipino, Chinese, Australian, European and African heritage. Māori athletes make up 20% of the team (46 athletes).
New Zealand’s youngest athlete heading to Birmingham is 16-year-old diver Maggie Squire who is in year 12 at Auckland’s Takapuna Grammar School. At 75-years-old, B2-B3 lawn bowler Sue Curran will become our oldest ever Commonwealth Games athlete.
Auckland has produced the largest number of the Commonwealth Games athletes with 57 of the team. Canterbury comes in second with 32 athletes, the Waikato third with 29 and Bay of Plenty fourth with 17 athletes.
140 of the athletes will be attending their first Commonwealth Games, while the other 93 have already competed at one or more Games. Misha Koudinov (Gymnastics) and Val Smith (Lawn Bowls) are the most capped athletes, heading to their fifth Commonwealth Games.
The New Zealand Team Facts
233 athletes
125 Female, 108 male (54% female, our highest ever female % representation)
Sue Curran (B2-B3 lawn bowls) is our oldest athlete at 75, Maggie Squire (diving) is our youngest at 16
Average athlete age of 27
Misha Koudinov (Gymnastics), Val Smith (Lawn Bowls) are our most capped athletes, heading to their fifth Games
20% of the team is Māori.
