THE OPENING CEREMONY
For the first time in Olympic history, the opening ceremony wasn't in a stadium but instead on the River Seine. And the boat on which team Cook Islands found itself couldn't have had a better name - 'Excellence". It may only have been a team of two but both of the Islands' Olympians were proud to represent the nation. Swimmer Lanihei Connolly was the flag bearer
WOMEN'S 100M BREASTSTROKE
18 year old LANIHEI CONNOLLY from Mauke started swimming at the age of nine months and she's already a multiple medal winner. She won gold in the 50 metres breaststroke and silver in the 100 metres breaststroke at the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands and, most recently, silver in the 100 metres breaststroke at the at the Oceania Championships in Australia, Competing at the Olympics also runs in the family... her cousin Zachary (Tepaia) Payne represented the Cook Islands in the 50m freestyle at the 2012 Olympics in London. She's been training at a new World Aquatics Development Centre on Australia's Gold Coast under one of the country's top coaches and says she wants to put swimming on the map in the Cook Islands.
RESULT: Failed to make it to the semi-finals. At the end of the five heats, Lanihei was 32 in a field of 37 swimmers and only the top 16 go through to the next round. She finished in 1 minute 10.45 seconds shaving 0.42 seconds off her time at the world championships in Doha earlier this year and setting a new personal best and Cook Islands record
Speaking to ABC Pacific, Australia after the race, Lanihei said she was proud of her part in the Paris Olympics
"I'm just really happy to represent the Cook Islands on the world stage and I was so, so privileged to carry the flag, and in the family group chat I had so many messages and there was so much love coming in. It was really nice"
800M TRACK
ALEX BEDDOES so impressed Athletics Cook Islands with his performances on the track that he was not only their Sportsman of the Year in 2023 but they also gave him the title of Supreme Athlete of the Year. He's represented the Islands in the 800m at the 2016 and 2020 Games and recent achievements include winning two gold medals (800m and 1500m) at the Pacific Games in Samoa and a bronze in the 1500m at the Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands. Alex holds the national records in the Cook Islands for the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m. He was born in New Zealand and competes for the Cook Islands because of his family connections to Mauke. And when he needs to calm down before a race the 29 year old says he likes "a cheeky dessert like a carrot cake". Photo: Cook Islands News
DID NOT COMPETE DUE TO INJURY. Alex pulled out after an injury during his final training session in Paris. The Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee said they supported the decision after their medical team advised against racing to prevent further damage
The team was accompanied by Chef de Mission, Mark Short, national swim coach Horst Miche, and Vaughan Craddock who provided the Olympians with support and guidance. Completing the Team Cook Islands line up were the team attache Raukura Ellison, and team physio Tanya Browne. The President of the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee, Hugh Graham cheered them all on
THE CLOSING CEREMONY
There may have been no medals for Team Cook Islands at the Paris Olympics, but there was a double honour for 18 year old swimmer Lanehei Connolly from Mauke. At the spectacular closing ceremony on 11 August, she was proudly bearing the Cook Islands flag in the parade of nations as she did at the opening ceremony on 26 July