AUT student wins gold at Paris 2024
AUT Bachelor of Sport & Recreation student and Olympic debutante, Tara Vaughan, has won a gold medal in the K4 canoe sprint final in Paris overnight.
AUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Damon Salesa says the astonishing achievement of the 20-year old athlete, is a dream result.
“Tara’s outstanding first-time Olympic result is a very special moment for the University - as the official university partner of the New Zealand Team - and today we celebrate her with enormous pride.
“The whole AUT whānau congratulates Tara and her teammates, Dame Lisa Carrington, Alicia Hoskin and Olivia Brett for their remarkable performance at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium,” he says.
Speaking to Sky Sport immediately after the race, Tara was asked what it meant to her to be part of the gold medal-winning crew.
"Oh my gosh, these girls are everything to me. I'm so, so grateful for all that they do and being part of this team is absolutely the best."
Tara and her K4 team won the 2023 World Championships, the first New Zealand team ever to do so.
A number of AUT alumni are also part of the 200-strong support team behind the New Zealand Team competing at Paris 2024, whose roles span sports performance physiology, performance analysis, nutrition, physiotherapy and strength and conditioning to name a few.
AUT is proud to be the official university of the New Zealand Team at Paris 2024 and was recently ranked equal 28th globally for sports related subjects in the 2024 QS World Rankings by subject.