Defending Paralympic Women’s 100m Backstroke S8 champion, Tupou Neiufi, has earned selection to the New Zealand Paralympic Team for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
The 23-year-old Auckland-based Para swimmer boasts outstanding international pedigree and is all set for her third Paralympic appearance, where she will compete in the Women’s 100m Backstroke S8 and the Women’s 50m Freestyle S8.
Neiufi was hit by a speeding car as a two-year-old resulting in left sided hemiplegia, caused by a traumatic brain injury. The eldest of seven children, she was identified by Paralympics NZ as part of the Para Swimming Talent Identification programme in 2011 and at the age of 15 made her Paralympic debut at Rio 2016.
Neiufi earned her first global medal with a silver medal in the Women’s 100m Backstroke S8 at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London before enjoying her finest success by memorably climbing the top of the podium in the Women’s 100m Backstroke S8 at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Tupou says, “It has been a challenging lead up to the Games but since nationals in April everything has started to click and I’m both happy and relieved to make my third Paralympic team.
“I want to be in my best racing condition in Paris, trust in the process and hopefully I will be able to deliver my best when it counts.”
Greg Warnecke, Paralympics New Zealand Chief Executive Officer, says, “We are ecstatic to add Tupou to the NZ Paralympic Team for Paris 2024. She is an experienced Paralympian who has continued to excel on the international stage. Her presence is a huge boost for the Team and we look forward to seeing how she performs in the pool in Paris.”
