Kiwi wunderkinds- NZ teens who took the sports world by storm

RNZ News

29-04-2025

High achieving young Kiwi sportpeople (clockwise from top left) Sam Ruthe, Amelia Kerr, Lydia Ko and Jonah Lomu.
Photo:
Photosport
Greatness does not discriminate by age - India's Vaibhav Suryavanshi has proven that with a spectacular record setting century in the IPL, scored at just 14-years-old.
Aotearoa has also had its fair share of prodigies who have lit up the sports world at a tender age.
RNZ takes a look back at some of New Zealand's greatest teenage achievements in sport, often before they can legally crack a bottle of champagne to celebrate.
Lydia Ko - major winner at 15
The golfing maestro won her first major - the Canadian Open - at just 15 years and 120 days old in 2012, still the youngest ever winner of an LPGA Tour event. It would be the first of many successes for Ko, who last year became the 35th inductee into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 2024.
Sam Ruthe - world record at 15
Sam Ruthe stunned the running world earlier this year when he became the youngest person in the world to break a four minute mile, at just 15 years 341 days. In 2025 Ruthe ran 3 minutes 41.25seconds.
Zoi Sydowski Synott - Olympic medalist at 16
At age 16 years 353 days, Sadowski-Synnott became New Zealand's youngest ever Olympic medallist, winning bronze in the Big Air at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. It marked New Zealand's first medal in 26 years. She would be usurped later that same day by....
Nico Porteous - Olympic medalist at 16
Won a bronze medal at Winter Olympics in 2018 at 16 years 91 days in the halfpipe, becoming the first Kiwi male to win a medal at a Winter Olympics. Nico also landed a triple cork 1440 at just 14, the youngest to land the trick at the time.
Nico Porteous 2022 Winter Olympic champion
Photo:
PHOTOSPORT
Amelia Kerr - double centurion at 17
The cricketing superstar didn't take long to make her mark on the international stage, blasting a record 232 not out against the Irish in 2018 when she was just 17 years and 243 days old, to this day the highest ODI score in women's cricket.
Danyon Loader - Olympic silver medalist at 17
The unknown lad from Timaru became a household name in Aotearoa in 1992 when swam his way to Olympic silver medal at Barcelona in the 200 metre butterfly, aged just 17 years, 60 days old.
Margaret Forsyth - Silver Fern at 17
A legend of New Zealand netball, Forsyth first took the shooter's bib for the Silver Ferns in 1979 at the age of 17, while still a student at Hillcrest High School. She went on to play 64 tests, including two World Cup victories in 1979 and 1987.
Danny Lee - US Amateur golf champion at 18
In 2008, Kiwi golfer Danny Lee became the youngest ever winner of the US Amateur golf championships, aged 18 years and one month. This eclipsed Tiger Woods' record, as Lee was six months younger than Woods when he won the event in 1994.
New Zealand golfer Danny Lee
Photo:
PHOTOSPORT
Jonah Lomu - All Black at 19
The biggest name to ever emerge from New Zealand rugby, the late, great Jonah Lomu became the youngest All Black in history in 1994, when he took the field against the French aged 19 years and 45 days. While a slightly inauspicious introduction, at the following year's World Cup in South Africa, he became a global icon of the game.
Dan Vettori - Black Cap at 18
First equal for most tests matches for New Zealand with 112, Vettori's esteemed career began at 18 years and 10 days in 1997, with an innings loss to England in Wellington. He would take two wickets in the loss.
Cooper Vuna - Warrior at 17
The Tongan flier became the youngest Warrior in history to make his NRL debut, coming in 2004 when he was aged 17 years and 47 days, coming off the bench in a loss to the Eels.
Braxton Sorensen McGee - Super Rugby Champion at 18
A prodigy touted for the top since her high school days, Sorensen-McGee didn't take long to live up to the hype, scoring a crucial try in the Blues women's Super Rugby Aupiki title defence earlier this year, followed by a brace in the inaugural trans-Tasman Super finals.
Braxton Sorensen McGee.
Photo:
Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
Charlotte Harrison - Black Stick at 16
Harrison was scouted by the Black Sticks while still in the fifth form at Whangerei Girls, playing her first test against Australia in 2005 at 16 years old and remains the youngest player to make her debut for New Zealand.
Mitch Evans - Grand Prix champion at 16
The Kiwi driver set what is believed to also be a world record, when he won the NZ Grand Prix in 2011 aged 16 years. He remains the youngest driver to win an international Grand Prix anywhere in the world.
Tai Wynyard - Tall Black at 16
Wynyard became the youngest Tall Black in history when he took the court against South Korea in Wellington in 2014 at 16 years and 160 days. Played college ball in Kentucky and recently returned home to the Breakers after a stint in China.
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