Collins JudithHon JUDITH COLLINS (Leader of the Opposition): Thank you Mr Speaker. I rise to support the notice and also the comments after it. Isn't it wonderful: in the Olympics we all become experts in sport. It's amazing the people who have told me all about the finer points of gymnastics and swimming—synchronised that is. It is one of those ones which draws us together and particularly when we're winning. We see about seven gold six silver and seven bronze—that's an extraordinary effort from a team of athletes and their supporters from a little country at the bottom of the world. And it is right to acknowledge the people of Japan and the Government that showed leadership and withstood all of the pressures that they had to not carry on with the games. Our athletes all those who got to the games—you think about what they have actually gone through to get there. I think it is important to acknowledge the mental toll on athletes who have to compete train compete win lose get bronzes don't get bronzes. Those people what they go through and their families—I think it is extraordinary the effort that they put in. I am now fast reading everything that I already haven't read about Lisa Carrington. My goodness! Well I have friends in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and they are always full of telling me as we pass through Ōhope That's where she comes from you know. That's where she comes from. That's our girl." And it is easy when things are going right in the Olympics and athletics for people to say "Oh that's great we know her." Born in Tauranga grew up in the Ōhope area training with the Eastern Bay Canoe Racing Club—wow. Isn't that amazing? And there she is—not just one but just a whole collection of golds. I also think it's important to acknowledge those athletes who having trained so hard were not able to join the Olympics team. It's easy to forget that they have all tried their very best too. We hear about how tough it is for them and particularly if they don't make that team so I do want to give a big shout-out to them because out of all of those people others will come through to represent their country. Also you know Lisa Carrington known as "GOAT"—which is a GOAT in a boat—"greatest of all time" a tremendous accolade: three golds to become our most successful Olympian. Dame Valerie Adams third in the shot-put: this is her fourth time in the Olympics. Unbelievable: continuing to do this a mother of two able to get back into the training get back into her focus and getting it done. Our rowing eights the men's eight winning gold for the first time since Munich in 1972 and our women winning silver—extraordinary. The cycling—I mean everything was just fantastic and every one of our athletes did us proud whether they won they got second they got third or they weren't successful in the medal tally. They all did us proud not only on the track and in the pool and everywhere else but actually in their behaviour in Japan. We never heard one thing about that. The only thing I did hear was that some of them might have had a drink or two on the way back and so what? Why wouldn't they and good on them. I just think it's important that we understand that these are Kiwis—to me many of them are very young people and I would think to many New Zealanders. We can be so proud of them but the people who should be most proud of them are themselves because they have been part of a team that did us proud. This is something that New Zealanders wanted to see. I will also shout out to our women athletes. It's OK guys that you didn't get quite as many as the girls. Maybe you should try a bit harder next time. Oh! Ha ha that is so unfair. They all try so hard. Thank you Mr Speaker a great honour to be able to congratulate our Olympian team their managers their coaches their families and everyone who gave up so much for them to do their job. Thank you."