New Zealand Team chef de mission Nigel Avery is keeping a reserved opinion about Olympic medal prospects next year with the 2024 Games now one year away.
It's a condensed, three-year cycle after Covid forced the postponement of the Tokyo Games but Kiwi Olympians and officials are still just as excited, throwing multiple events today to make the milestone.
In amongst the French flair though was a cautious Avery who told 1News topping the highs of Tokyo, which saw Aotearoa finish 13th on the medal table with seven golds amongst 20 total, will be a tough ask — but not impossible.
"We've done super, super well in recent editions of the Olympics and so there’s got to be a point where you just can’t keep doing better and better for a nation of our size," Avery said.
"And there are swings and roundabouts, ebbs and flows for who does well and who doesn’t so I expect we will have our fair share of success but it may not be as good as Tokyo.
"[But] it might be better."
Sports like rowing and sailing no longer have favourites for the Olympics' highest honours, leaving the likes of Dame Lisa Carrington as one of our surest bets for gold despite her most dominant event, the K1 200, no longer on the Olympic programme.
The champion Black Ferns Sevens team will also be among the bigger hopes to go back-to-back after bouncing back from a bronze at last year’s Commonwealth Games to dominate the Sevens World Series this year.
"I kind of love the pressure side of knowing that when you're wearing a black jersey you should perform," Black Ferns Sevens captain Sarah Hirini said.
Current world champions also include trampolinist and Tokyo bronze medallist Dylan Schmidt who wants to go one, or two, steps further in adding to his collection.
"Third games coming in with a medal and looking to take the win," he said.
Currently training in Montreal, Schmidt is managing the change in expectations that comes from being an outside hope to a genuine contender for gold.
"I do feel a little bit of extra pressure coming into Paris but at the same time I’ve been there before and I’m in a really good spot mentally."
It that’s positivity that has Avery believing he could be proven wrong.
"It's one of those things where the stars are in alignment whichever way," he said.
"We've just got to make sure we give everybody the best chance they can to be as good as they can be on the day."
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