NZ-born Rebecca Parkes has won an Olympic bronze medal in water polo for Hungary.
Parkes’ side won 11-9 against the Russian Olympic Committee in the playoff for third after going down to Spain in the semifinals in Tokyo.
The 26-year-old from Tauranga was pivotal in Hungary's campaign, including scoring a hat trick in their group-match win against two-time defending Olympic champions USA.
The centre forward, who switched allegiances five years ago to go professional, grew up playing water polo in Tauranga.
Parkes is now just one of two New Zealanders to win an Olympic medal in water polo after Victor Lindberg won a gold at the 1900 Paris Olympics, competing for a British side.
Neither the Kiwi men’s nor women’s national teams have ever qualified for the Olympics, with Australia normally taking the regional Oceania spot.
However, that could change come the 2032 Brisbane Games should qualification rules remain the same.
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