Photo credit: Kirby Lee/USA Today
New Zealand has officially had their best Olympics ever.Tomas Walsh - a builder from Timaru - claimed bronze in the male shot put event at Estadio Olimpico in Rio de Janeiro this morning, taking New Zealand overall medal total to 15.They have a total of four golds, eight silvers and three bronze, to put New Zealand 14th on the overall medal table.That's only four places behind Australia, and ahead of hosts Brazil and massive sporting nations such as Argentina, Canada and athletics superpowers Kenya.Fifteen is the most ever medals by New Zealand at an Olympics, topping their 14-podium finishes in Seoul in 1988, and London in 2012.New Zealand's most gold medals came in Los Angeles in 1984, when they took home eight.Walsh's bronze – the first ever by a Kiwi male in an Olympic field event - topped a superb day for New Zealand in Rio.The best results came on the water. Kiwi flag-bearers Peter Burling and Blair Tuke snared gold in the male 49er class, while Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie took silver in the women's 470 class.Alex Maloney and Molly Meech also took out a silver in the women's 49ers, only just missing out on a gold.Meanwhile, world champion kayaker Lisa Carrington – who won gold in the K1 200m two days ago – took a bronze in the women's K1 500m.Before the Olympics, High Performance Sport New Zealand's goal for Rio was 14 overall medals.That figure has been cleared now, and there is a chance for further podium finishes.Runner Nick Willis has made the final of the men's 1500m, while world no 1 women's golfer Lydia Ko is still in the mix.
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