Basketball and field hockey were the only team-based sports in which New Zealand had its representation at these Olympic Games.

Thirty-four athletes from the New Zealand team had previously competed in Sydney, including Olympic bronze medallist Barbara Kendall in women's Mistral windsurfing, equestrian eventing rider Blyth Tait, sprint kayaker and former breaststroke swimmer Steven Ferguson, table tennis sisters Chunli and Karen Li, and discus thrower Beatrice Faumuina, who was appointed by the committee to carry the New Zealand flag in the opening ceremony.

While Tait shared the same age with Nicholson at 43, and served as the oldest member of the team by a month difference, breaststroke swimmer Annabelle Carey, aged 15, was the youngest ever New Zealand athlete to compete at the Olympics since 1976.

[2] Four New Zealand athletes won Olympic gold medals: Hamish Carter in men's triathlon,[3] track cyclist Sarah Ulmer in women's individual pursuit,[4] and twin sisters and rowers Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell in women's double sculls.

[10] Head coach: Kevin Towns The following is the New Zealand roster in the women's field hockey tournament of the 2004 Summer Olympics.