Tauranga's Julian David and Sarah Tetzlaff have become the first New Zealand climbers to ever be selected to an Olympic Games team.

The two speed climbers have been officially named to the New Zealand Team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this morning with a function to held at their training base in Tauranga later today. 

The pair are the first athletes to be named to the team for Paris and say they're thrilled to be selected.

“This means a huge amount to me,” says 19-year-old David.

“I couldn’t be more excited and can’t wait for this great opportunity I’ve been selected for.

“I’ve dedicated my life to being the best athlete and speed climber I can be, because going to the Olympics is something I’ve dreamed of since I was seven.”

David is the current Junior World Champion and won the emerging talent award at this years’ Halberg Awards.

“Back when I was watching the 2012 London Olympic Games, I knew then that I really wanted to be an Olympian. I didn’t have any idea which sport, I just knew I wanted to be at the Olympics one day.”

The pair last year competed in World Cups around the globe before qualifying their spots for Paris by winning their divisions at the Oceania qualification tournament in Melbourne in late 2023.

Speed climbing is a form of sport climbing where athletes compete for the fastest time to the top of the climbing wall.

Sarah Tetzlaff, right, receiving the Waikato Regional Council Prize in Water Science for 2023. Read more here.

The competition takes place on a standardised 15m high climbing wall, and the same holds and route are used each time for consistency across competition.

Climbing NZ High Performance Director, Rob Moore says a huge amount of work has gone into getting the athletes to this point.

“I am so incredibly proud of Sarah and Julian,” says Moore.

“They have worked tirelessly, trusted the process and trusted me. It may be an individual sport, but we have definitely achieved this through teamwork! We have an incredible group of coaches and support staff around us and together we have all made this happen.”

NZOC CEO Nicki Nicol extends her congratulations to the athletes.

“We’re thrilled to be celebrating this historic naming with our first ever climbers selected to the Olympic team,” says Nicol.

“We wish them all the best for the rest of their preparation and look forward to watching them wear the fern and compete for the New Zealand Team in a just under six-months time.”

Speed climbing at Paris 2024 will be contested at Le Bourget Climbing Venue from August 5th to 8th.