Athletes in action: Pole vault, sailing, cycling medals beckon at Paris

Pole vaulter Eliza McCartney, our Nacra sailors and our women's pursuit team loom as New Zealand's best medal hopes over night at the Paris Olympics.

Rio 2016 bronze medallist McCartney will head the three-prong Kiwi contingent in the vault, with teammates Olivia McTaggart and Imogen Ayris sneaking through to a bumper 19-athlete field through qualifying. McCartney was one of 11 to clear 4.55m to cement her place, and will benefit from the absence of world leader Molly Caudery, Tokyo bronze medallist Holly Bradshaw and US trials winner Bridget Williams.

Biggest challengers remaining are likely American Katie Moon, Aussie Nina Kennedy and Canadian Alysha Newman.

At Marseille, Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson enter the Nacra double-point medal race level with Great Britain in the bronze medal position and just six points adrift of second-placed Argentina. Gold appears beyond them, but a lower step on the podium is well within their reach.

At the velodrome, the track cycling foursome probably surprised many with their leading qualifying time in the team pursuit, taking four seconds off their previous national record. They will now race off against Italy and victory would see them contesting gold tomorrow morning.

The NZ women were three seconds faster than their rivals in qualifying, but if they lose, they must then clock one of the next fastest times to land in a bronze-medal contest.

Several other Kiwis will begin their medal campaigns across a broad range of events. High jumper Hamish Kerr will take his outstanding recent form into qualifying rounds at Stade de France, while golfer Lydia Ko — silver medallist at Rio and bronze at Tokyo — will tee off in the women's strokeplay at Le Golf National.

Track cyclist Ellesse Andrews will hope to build on her silver in the team sprint, when she races the first round of the kerian, an event where she finished second at Tokyo and is the reigning world champion.

At the kayaking, the rivalry between Olympic legend Dame Lisa Carrington and teammate Aimee Fisher takes centrestage, as they contest heats of the K1 500. Carrington is defending champion, Fisher has the world record.

7.30pm

Canoe/kayak: Aimee Fisher in women's K1 500 at Vaires sur Marne Nautical Stadium

7.35pm

Canoe/kayak: Lisa Carrington in women's K1 500 at Vaires sur Marne Nautical Stadium

8.05pm

Athletics: Hamish Kerr in men's high jump qualifying at Stade de France

8.25pm

Athletics: Tori Peeters in women's javelin qualifying at Stade de France

9.55pm

Athletics: James Preston in men's 800m qualifying at Stade de France

10.06pm

Golf: Lydia Ko in women's strokeplay at Le Golf National

10.13pm

Sailing: Justina Kitchen in women's kitesurfing races 8-16 at Marseille Marina

10.23pm

Sailing: Lukas Walton-Keim in men's kitesurfing races 8-16 at Marseille Marina

10.45pm

Track cycling: Sam Dakin in men's sprint qualifying at Saint Quentin en Yvelines Velodrome

11.26pm

Track cycling: Ellesse Andrews in women's keirin first round at Saint Quentin en Yvelines Velodrome

11.29pm

Track cycling: Rebecca Petch in women's keirin first round at Saint Quentin en Yvelines Velodrome

11.30pm

Canoe/kayak: Women's K1 500 quarterfinal (Carrington and Fisher) at Vaires sur Marne Nautical Stadium

11.52pm

Track cycling: Botha/Shearman/Shields/Wollaston in women's team pursuit first round at Saint Quentin en Yvelines Velodrome

12.30am

Track cycling: Men's sprint 1/32 finals (Dakin) at Saint Quentin en Yvelines Velodrome

12.43am

Sailing: Erica Dawson/Micah Wilkinson in mixed Nacra medal race at Marseille Marina

1am

Diving: Lizze Roussel in women's 3m springboard at Aquatics Centre

1.10am

Track cycling: Women's keirin repechage(Andrews and Petch) at Saint Quentin en Yvelines Velodrome

1.13am

Sailing: Thomas Saunders in men's dinghy medal race at Marseille Marina

1.30am

Track cycling: Men's sprint 1/32 repechage (Dakin) at Saint Quentin en Yvelines Velodrome

3.30am

Track cycling: Men's sprint 1/16 finals (Dakin) at Saint Quentin en Yvelines Velodrome

4.13am

Track cycling: Gate/Stewart/Sexton/Hornblow in men's team pursuit 5th/6th rideoff at Saint Quentin en Yvelines Velodrome

4.15am

Athletics: Eliza McCartney, Olivia McTaggart and Imogen Ayris in women's pole vault final at Stade de France

4.42am

Track cycling: Men's sprint 1/16 repechages (Dakin) at Saint Quentin en Yvelines Velodrome

5.15am

Athletics: Ethan Olivier in men's triple jump qualifying at Stade de France

5.17am

Track cycling: Women's team pursuit bronze medal final (Botha/Shearman/Shields/Wollaston) at Saint Quentin en Yvelines Velodrome

5.28am

Track cycling: Women's team pursuit gold medal final (Botha/Shearman/Shields/Wollaston) at Saint Quentin en Yvelines Velodrome

5.38am

Track cycling: Men's sprint 1/8 finals (Dakin) at Saint Quentin en Yvelines Velodrome