Last updated 14:02, August 18 2016


As the Olympic Games wind down the clock it's time to examine the McCaw Curse, an unexpected head-high tackle that has sent New Zealand tumbling down the medal table.

Kiwi Olympians must be viewing Richie McCaw as a sports watching Grim Reaper, muttering `uh, oh, I'm doomed' if they spot him, or swiftly realising what went wrong when they learn he was a spectator.

Such is the strength of the curse, you wouldn't blame athletes in black for going into a cold sweat in his presence.

Even world golf No 1 Lydia Ko is not immune from his all black hand; and she didn't even know the great man was watching.

Ko, 19, was horrified to learn Richie McCaw watched her first six holes at Rio when she was at her worst.

When McCaw left to go watch fiancee Gemma Flynn in the hockey semifinals, Ko holed out from 130m, in a charge home.

Meanwhile with McCaw at the hockey ... Great Britain 3, New Zealand 0.

Such is the power of the curse, it simply shows how magnificent rowers Hamish Bond and Eric Murray are, as they won their second consecutive Olympic gold with McCaw watching on.

Shot putter Valerie Adams - gunning for three golds in a row - couldn't overcome Ruining Richie.

She was leading comfortably with only one throw left that could beat her, and American Michelle Carter produced a monster to soar to gold.

McCaw was in the stands to watch the men's sevens team lose to Japan in pool play - the first win ever by the Rising Sun over the sinking sevens.

And he was on hand for the women's sevens 17-24 final loss to Australia.

And saw the women's Black Sticks lose 2-1 to Germany, their only pool play defeat.

If the curse had been lifted, what medals might we have won:

* Adams: gold instead of silver

* Men's sevens: bronze instead of zilch, by avoiding Fiji in the quarters (let's not get greedy)

* Women's hockey: at least a silver. Let's hope the curse will lift for the bronze medal match.

* Women's golf: it's not too late, but it's cost Ko vital shots.

Canoeist Lisa Carrington, triathlete Andrea Hewitt, shot putter Tom Walsh, Ko, and yachties Polly Powrie and Jo Aleh will be about as happy to see McCaw arriving as any number of international rugby halfbacks once were.

But let's face it, it took McCaw two World Cups to get the knack of winning them -- he'll be on fire at the 2024 Olympic Games.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympic...-medals-vanish


How the hell do we get Richie to Sydney for Saturday