The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, which consists mostly, but not exclusively, of territories of the former British Empire. The event was first held in 1930 as the British Empire Games and, with the exception of 1942 and 1946, has successively run every four years since. The event was called the British Empire Games from 1930 to 1950, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from 1954 to 1966, and the British Commonwealth Games from 1970 to 1974. The event removed the word British from its title for the 1978 Games and has maintained its current name ever since.
New Zealand competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. For the first time at the Olympics, God Defend New Zealand was played instead of God Save the King/Queen. The New Zealand Olympic Committee was represented by 89 competitors, 82 men and 7 women, who took part in 63 events in 14 sports.
Dame Valerie Kasanita Adams is a retired New Zealand shot putter. She is a four-time World champion, four-time World Indoor champion, two-time Olympic, three-time Commonwealth Games champion and twice IAAF Continental Cup winner. She has a personal best throw of 21.24 metres (69.7 ft) outdoors and 20.98 metres (68.8 ft) indoors. These marks are Oceanian, Commonwealth and New Zealand national records. She also holds the Oceanian junior record (18.93 m) and the Oceanian youth record (17.54 m), as well as the World Championships record, World Indoor Championships record and Commonwealth Games record.
Blair Robert Hopping is a field hockey player from New Zealand, who earned his first cap for the national team, nicknamed The Black Sticks, in 2000 against Pakistan. He competed for New Zealand at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Bradley Shaw is a field hockey player from New Zealand, who earned his first cap for the national team, nicknamed The Black Sticks, in 2004 at the Champions Trophy against the Netherlands. He competed for New Zealand at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where New Zealand narrowly missed out on a bronze medal, losing a shoot out to England. He scored the winning goal against Argentina in the 2008 Olympic qualifying tournament.
New Zealand competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The New Zealand Olympic Committee was represented by 80 athletes, 71 men and 9 women, and 29 officials. The flag bearer at the opening ceremony was wrestler David Aspin.
The Gambia has sent athletes to every Summer Olympic Games held since 1984, although the country has never won an Olympic medal. The Gambia is yet to compete at the Winter Olympic Games.
El Salvador first competed in the Olympic Games at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico. It has participated in every Games of the Olympiad since that time, excluding those held in 1976 and 1980, when the nation joined the American-led boycott in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The nation has never participated in the Olympic Winter Games and has not earned a medal at any Games of the Olympiad.
Sushil Kumar Solanki is a former Indian wrestler and two-time Olympic medallist. His 2008 Olympic medal was only the second for India in wrestling, and the first since Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav's bronze medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics. In July 2009, he received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna – India's highest honour for sportspersons. On 3 October 2010, Kumar handed the Queen's Baton to Prince Charles in the Queen's Baton Relay for the 2010 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. He carried the Indian flag at the opening ceremony of 2012 London Olympics. Sushil won the gold medal in the 74 kg division at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Sushil won the gold medal in the 74 kg division at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He is the first and only Indian to win a gold medal at World Wrestling Championships.
Nigel Seton Avery is a New Zealand former weightlifter.
Robin Douglas Tait was a discus thrower representing New Zealand at two Summer Olympics: 1968 and 1972.
Robert John Steckle was a Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestler from Canada who competed in three consecutive summer Olympic Games, starting in 1952. He carried the Canadian flag at the opening ceremonies of the 1956 Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, the only Canadian wrestler ever to do so. He was born in Kitchener, Ontario.
Paul James Kingsman is a swimmer and Olympic medalist from New Zealand. He participated at the 1988 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal in 200 metre backstroke. He also competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Hugo Inglis is a New Zealand field hockey player who plays as a forward for the New Zealand national team.
Lawrence John Woolley, known as John Woolley, is a sport shooter from New Zealand who has represented New Zealand at three Olympic Games and four Commonwealth Games.
Garry David Bell is a former New Zealand cyclist, cycling administrator and coach.
New Zealand competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, from 23 July to 3 August 2014. It was the nation's 20th appearance at the Commonwealth Games, having competed at every Games since their inception in 1930. The New Zealand Olympic Committee registered the complete team on 8 July 2014, with 239 athletes competing at the Games across all 17 sports. The team was reduced to 238 prior to the opening ceremony, after judoka Patti Grogan withdrew due to an unspecified health issue.
Kiribati competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 5 to 21, 2016. This was the nation's fourth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics.
