Tayla Ford is based in Adelaide where she coaches wrestling. Photo: photosport
Tayla Ford will become the first New Zealand woman to wrestle at the Olympics after winning selection for this year's Games in Paris.
The Adelaide-based 30-year-old will cap 20 years in the sport, which has previously taken her to three Commonwealth Games, where she won bronze models at both Glasgow 2014 and Birmingham 2022.
"It's a dream come true and it still feels pretty surreal at the moment," Ford said.
"I've always wanted to make the Olympics, and to become the first female wrestler from New Zealand to do so is pretty special.
"Back in Glasgow, I made history as the first New Zealand woman to win a Commonwealth Games medal in wrestling. It's always been a goal of mine to make history, it's part of what motivates me so it's pretty amazing."
Tayla Ford of New Zealand wins bronze in the Womens 58kg bronze wrestling final. Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Photo: Photosport
Ford secured her Olympic qualification last month, winning her pool in the under-68kg division at the Africa / Oceania qualifying event in Egypt.
She began wrestling when her father heard that women's wrestling had been added to the sport programme at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
"He wrestled in high school so he got back into it and I joined him," she said.
"We had a mat in the garage where we'd train and we had a video tape of wrestling at the Sydney Olympics which we'd just play constantly while we were training."
The Nelson-born, Christchurch-raised, athlete is based in Adelaide where she coaches wrestling.
NZOC Nicki Nicol was delighted history would be made in Paris.
"I know a huge amount of work has gone in to get to this point and I'd like to congratulate Tayla for her perseverance, and for showing a generation of young New Zealand wrestlers what's possible when you put your mind to it," Nicol said.
The Olympic wrestling programme will be held from 5-11 August at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in Central Paris.