Glasgow - Gold and Glory

There could scarcely have been a better introduction to the Commonwealth Games for Silver Fern Carys Stythe. The Saint Kentigern alumna helped New Zealand netball reclaim Commonwealth gold in Glasgow for the first time since 2010.

The young defender contributed throughout the campaign, claiming four intercepts against Trinidad and Tobago before stepping into extended court time when teammate Catherine Hall was injured. The medal was a well-deserved cap in Stythe's rapidly rising career.

Fellow alumna Tui-Alofa Patolo (née Tipene) also impressed on debut, narrowly missing the podium in the women’s +86kg weightlifting. She finished fourth with a combined 245kg, setting a new Oceania snatch record with a personal-best 115kg lift.

At the other end of the career spectrum, track cyclist Sam Dakin rode his final lap for New Zealand. The two-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games medallist had announced Glasgow would be his last competition, bringing to a close a career spanning more than a decade at Olympic, Commonwealth and World Championship level, defined by commitment, consistency and excellence.

As Carys and Tui-Alofa’s careers begin, Sam’s is written in full.