Misha Koudinov
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Misha Koudinov will compete in the men s artistic competition while Dylan Schmidt will compete in the men s trampoline.
Koudinov and Schmidt are the first New Zealand gymnasts to be selected to two Olympics both having competed at Rio in 2016.
Koudinov has competed at four Commonwealth Games and was the first New Zealander to make a gymnastics World Cup final.
His specialty apparatus are the parallel bars and the high bar where he is currently ranked 9th and 19th in the world, respectively.
Schmidt is ranked 9th in the trampoline while Maddie Davidson is the first New Zealand woman to compete at the Olympics in the trampoline.
Selection for the Tokyo Olympics hasn t come easily for trampolinist Dylan Schmidt
Selection for the Tokyo Olympics hasn t come easily for trampolinist Dylan Schmidt 2 July 2021
The 24-year-old is going to his second Games alongside men s artistic gymnast Misha Koudinov .
Rounding out the team is 22-year-old trampolinist Maddie Davidson, who will be New Zealand s first female to compete in the event at an Olympic Games.
Schmidt went under the knife in 2018 after suffering a knee injury, and he s grateful his rehab went to plan.
“It was something we were really pushing for and hoping it would happen. And it did. “My selection to the New Zealand team means everything.” She had been training more than 22 hours a week in preparation for the Games, working alongside a sports psychologist to get her mentally prepared. She said her biggest challenge was “nerves”. “It’s the biggest competition I’ve ever been to, so trying to keep that under control and make sure I’m concentrated on what I’m doing. but I’m sure it will be mostly excitement,” she said. “It’s about making sure I stick to my processes, and it will go fine.”
Blues and All Blacks winger Caleb Clarke has narrowly missed the cut for the New Zealand Sevens team for Tokyo
Blues and All Blacks winger Caleb Clarke has narrowly missed the cut for the New Zealand Sevens team for Tokyo 2 July 2021
Clarke s been named as a travelling reserve, and coach Clark Laidlaw says a mixture of time spent in 15s along with the impact of Covid cancellations of the Sevens circuit has just left him a little short.
Over half of the women s team were part of the silver medal winning team from Rio.
Co-coach Corey Sweeney says it was good to finally gauge themselves against quality opposition recently in Auckland and Townsville.
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