1,500 Kiwis registered for World Masters Games

MEDIA RELEASE

Friday 7 August 2009

More than 1,500 Kiwis registered for Sydney World Masters Games

New Zealanders will be the second biggest international group at the Sydney 2009 World Masters Games this October after more than 1,500 Kiwis registered for what will be a record-breaking seventh edition of the world’s largest multi-sport event.

With approximately 25% more New Zealanders making the trip to Sydney for the 2009 Games than travelled to Melbourne for the 2002 Games, only Australians (19,826) and Canadians (2,777) will outnumbers Kiwis (1,517).

Dunedin swimmer Giulia Airoldi, 27, will be the youngest New Zealand competitor at the Games. Hamilton badminton player Sydney Cooper, 81, will be the oldest Kiwi competitor going all out for gold at the Games, while there are two Australian centenarians – lawn bowler Reg Trewin and athlete Ruth Frith – signed up.

While the Games are open to everyone rather than just elite athletics, the 10-18 October event has attracted more than 200 Olympians, including world champion rower Philippa Baker-Hogan, who competed in Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996).

“The popularity of masters sport continues to grow in New Zealand, with more than 1,500 Kiwis among the record 29,000-plus Sydney 2009 World Masters Games registrations from 106 countries,” Games Chair Margy Osmond said.

“We’re focusing our considerable energies on delivering the best-ever Games, something Sydney did for the Olympics at the start of the decade and something Sydney will do again at the end of the decade, this time for the World Masters.

“There’s still time for people not to let the Games begin without them because we’re accepting late entries in some competitions to enable as many people as possible to grasp the extraordinary opportunity that this event provides sports enthusiasts.”

This week, Turin in Italy was announced as the host city for the 2013 Games.

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