The New Zealand Olympic Committee sent 184 athletes, 97 men, and 87 women to the Games to compete in 16 sports, the nation's largest ever delegation.

On 13 August 2012, however, the International Olympic Committee stripped Belarusian shot putter Nadzeya Ostapchuk of her gold medal after testing positive for anabolic steroid metenolone.

[6] On 19 September 2012, silver medallist Valerie Adams was subsequently awarded and received her gold medal at a public ceremony in Auckland.

The New Zealand team featured past Olympic medallists, including the defending champion Valerie Adams in the women's shot put event.

Equestrian eventing rider Mark Todd, at age 56, the oldest member of the team, became the first New Zealand athlete to compete in eight Olympic games.

Other notable New Zealand athletes featured rower and five-time world champion Mahé Drysdale in men's singles sculls, triathlete and double Olympic medallist Bevan Docherty, BMX rider Sarah Walker, who missed out of the medal standings in Beijing, and sailors Hamish Pepper and Peter Burling.

Middle-distance runner Nick Willis, who won New Zealand's first Olympic track medal in Beijing since 1976, was the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

[13] Head Coach: Shane McLeod Reserves: The following is the New Zealand roster in the women's field hockey tournament of the 2012 Summer Olympics.