NZ’s first Olympic Gold Medal returned

New Zealand’s first Olympic gold medal has been returned after 112 years.

The medal, won by swimmer Malcolm Champion in 1912, was found in Australia and returned to New Zealand. Champion’s great-niece, Anne Dillon, expressed her joy at its return.

Champion won the gold as part of a combined Australian-New Zealand team in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, competing in the 200-meter freestyle relay. The medal had been missing for decades, believed to be lost, stolen, or discarded.

After Champion’s death in 1939, his widow took the medal to Australia. It stayed with her family until a younger relative discovered it in a sock drawer. Recognising its significance, they contacted the New Zealand Olympic Committee, which facilitated its return.

The medal was recently presented to New Zealand’s current Olympic swimming team in Auckland. Steve Johns, NZ Swimming’s chief executive, announced that the Champion family had donated the medal to the NZOC to inspire future athletes.

Team member Hazel Ouwehand appreciated the gesture, while fellow swimmer Kane Follows described getting “goosebumps” thinking about the historic medal.

Champion, who learned to swim in Norfolk Island lagoons, had humble beginnings. Despite lacking formal training initially, he became a successful swimmer with the help of a kind competitor who taught him essential techniques.

The NZOC plans to take the medal to future Olympic and Commonwealth Games as a symbol of inspiration. It will also be displayed at the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame, which is set to open next year in Cambridge.