Top 10 Most Powerful Athletes In New Zealand Today

Photo KnowInsiders

If there’s one domain New Zealand absolutely excels in, it’s sport. The country has brought us many noteworthy athletes across various disciplines, from rugby to track and field and beyond. Here are 10 of the most poweful names who have made their mark in the sporting world.

1. Kane Williamson (cricket)

2. Lisa Carrington (canoeing)

3. Israel Adesanya (MMA)

4. Chris Wood (football)

5. Steven Adams (basketball)

6. Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (yachting)

7. Lydia Ko (golf)

8. Sam Cane (rugby)

9. Sophie Pascoe (swimming)

10. Scott Dixon (motorsport)

1. Kane Williamson (cricket)

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The Black Caps are world test champions. That still feels extraordinary. And at the top of this special team is a special man, destined (if he is not already) to be regarded as our greatest batsman and possibly (gasp) to go past Sir Richard Hadlee as our greatest cricketer. He should have years left in him yet but do not take Williamson for granted.

2. Lisa Carrington (canoeing)

Photo Pinterest

Flatwater canoeist Lisa Carrington won gold at the Women’s K-1 200 metres events at 2011 Canoe Sprint World Championships as well as in the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. Alongside fellow athlete Teneale Hatton, she also won a bronze medal at the 2009 World Cup regatta in Hungary, the 2010 World Cup event in France and the 2010 Oceania Canoe Championships. Carrington was chosen as New Zealand’s flag bearer at the 2016 Olympics closing ceremony, after becoming the first Kiwi woman to gain multiple medals in a single Olympic event.

3. Israel Adesanya (MMA)

Photo BBC

Many, like me, are not particularly fond of the sport, nor of the classlessness shown by so many of its fighters. But the UFC is huge, and Adesanya is the most famous Kiwi athlete on the planet.

4. Chris Wood (football)

Photo NZ Herald

Under-rated by many but NOT under-rated by these prestigious rankings. Wood is a generational talent and it never gets boring seeing him score in the Premier League.

READ MORE: Which Sports Are Suitable to You By Zodiac Sign?

5. Steven Adams (basketball)

Photo NZ Herald

Basketball player Steven Adams currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and is the first New Zealander to be selected in the first NBA draft. One thing you might not know about the young athlete is that he once had his sights set on being s shot putter — just like his famous older sibling, Valerie — until he was beaten at a national level by Jacko Gill. Adams relocated to the United States after high school to pursue his sporting career, and was selected for the NBA draft in 2013.

6. Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (yachting)

Photo NZ Herald

The dazzling duo just missed out on a second Olympic gold in Tokyo but their star has not dimmed. Led the defence of the America's Cup in March and now they are in the SailGP competition.

7. Lydia Ko (golf)

Photo golfnews

Professional golfer Lydia Ko became the number one ranked woman in February 2015 when she was only 17 years old. That makes her the youngest player of any gender to reach the highly-coveted top position. Later in the same year, when she had turned 18, Ko became the youngest woman to win a major championship. Before embarking on her international, record-breaking career, Ko had already earned her spot as the top-ranked woman amateur golfer — a title she held tightly onto for 130 weeks.

8. Sam Cane (rugby)

The All Black captain - a job second in importance only to the Prime Minister - all the way down at No 8? Cripes. Cane might not have the status of a McCaw or a Read, but he will show his value when he returns from injury.

9. Sophie Pascoe (swimming)

Aged just 15, Sophie Pascoe was the youngest member of the New Zealand team at Beijing 2008 where she won three gold and one silver medal in the Water Cube.

Her success in Beijing earned her four awards at the 2009 Canterbury Sportsperson Awards, including the prestigious Sportsperson of the Year Award.

Photo paralympic

At London 2012 she did even better than in Beijing taking home three gold and three silver medals in front of 17,000 people.

"I'm incredibly rapped to finish the games off like that. My ultimate goal was to get on the podium and that's what I've done. I'm finished and had a great campaign," she said after the final race of her second Paralympic Games.

10. Scott Dixon (motorsport)

Scott Ronald Dixon is a New Zealand professional racing driver. Dixon had already won the IndyCar Championships four times while competing for Chip Ganassi Racing.

Still charging hard in the IndyCar series, though he has had a frustrating season. The six-time champion brought up 50 race wins this year. If it looks like he is about to be eclipsed by fellow Kiwi Scott McLaughlin, who joined IndyCar this year after winning three Supercars titles, that does not mean Dixon should go quietly into the night.

For his contributions to running, he was named a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit and received the New Zealand Sportsman of the Year award in 2008 and 2013. Net worth is estimated at $ 11 million.

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