Paris Olympics end on a very sour note for one country that suffered a shocking snub at the closing ceremony
- Countries of the world celebrated the Paris Games
- Were honored by the organizers with a worldwide work of art
- One country found the gesture disrespectful
New Zealanders went from celebrating their most successful Olympic Games ever to receiving an outright rejection at the closing ceremony in Paris.
Thousands of athletes remained in France to celebrate their achievements in the French state and entered the arena in celebration on Monday morning (Australian time).
So too did the New Zealand contingent, who had an unforgettable Olympic campaign only to find themselves forgotten by the organisers.
In memory of all the athletes at the last Games, an artistic representation of a world map was rolled into the stadium.
The problem? New Zealand lagged behind.
It is a thorn in the side of Australians across the ditch, who are regularly missing from world maps.
There has even been a tourism campaign launched called ‘Get NZ on the Map’, featuring comedian Rhys Darby and former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
New Zealand supporters were furious when their country was left off a world map displayed at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics
It comes after the Kiwis enjoyed their best Olympic Games to date, including gold and bronze in women’s track cycling for Ellesse Andrews (right) and Ally Wollaston
However, the New Zealanders failed to see the humor in the latest rejection.
“The French are leaving New Zealand off their ‘world map’, will they ever stop insulting us?” someone asked on social media.
‘Yet another world map where New Zealand disappears,’ posted another.
“No, that’s us, on the podium at four o’clock, neatly cut off from the rest of the world by a very large sea,” said another with a wink.
Others called on New Zealanders to slow down, but only the continents were represented. Many countries, including Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, did not participate.
Others pointed out that the map was hardly a model of geographical accuracy. The United Kingdom was nothing more than a dark blob, and Australia looked very different from how most Australians remembered the map.
New Zealand performed above expectations at the Paris Olympics, winning 20 medals, including 10 gold. It achieved an 11th place, its best result ever.
New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews celebrates her victory in the women’s track cycling sprint final, but is quickly forgotten by the Paris Olympics organisers
That result means the country of just over 5 million people would have finished fourth if the scoreboard had been based on medals per capita, behind the small nations of Grenada, Dominica and Saint Lucia.
Australia would have finished in ninth place, with Bahrain, Jamaica, Cape Verde and Hungary even higher.
“I hate to tell all those Australians they talk about population per capita, but the Kiwis have us beat on that front,” wrote one Kiwi fan.
‘New Zealand’s 10 gold medals equate to about 1 per half a million people. Australia’s 18 gold medals equate to about 1 per 1.5 million people.’
New Zealand’s Chef de Mission Nigel Avery praised the athletes for their performances and conduct during the Games.
“I am extremely proud of the way our athletes conducted themselves both on and off the field,” he said.
‘Our team has shown tremendous manaaki to the other countries and it is great to see how they demonstrate our values and culture.
“We also want to thank the New Zealanders for their support of our team. We felt it from here and we look forward to returning home to share the success and continue to inspire the next generation of athletes.”