New Zealand at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics
# New Zealand at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics

New Zealand competed at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics held in Athens, Greece. The team won one medal, a gold, which was won by Beatrice Faumuina in the discus, which placed them equal 22nd on the medal table. This was New Zealand's first medal at a World Athletics Championships.

## Entrants

### Key

* Q = Qualified for the next round by placing (track events) or automatic qualifying target (field events)
* q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser (track events) or by position (field events)
* AR = Area (Continental) Record
* NR = National record
* PB = Personal best
* SB = Season best
* - = Round not applicable for the event
* x(y): x = placing in heat/group; y = overall placing

### Individual Events

| Athlete | Event | Heat/Qualifying | Heat/Qualifying | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Nyla Carroll | Women's 10,000m | DNF | N/A | — | — | — | — | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance |
| Chris Donaldson | Men's 100m | 10.43 | 3 (50) Q | 10.40 | 8 (40) | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance |
| Chris Donaldson | Men's 200m | 20.75 | 2 (22) Q | 21.04 | 3 (24) Q | 20.92 | 8 (15) | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance |
| Beatrice Faumuina | Women's discus | 64.58m | 2 (4) Q | — | — | — | — | 66.82m | |
| Joanne Henry | Women's heptathlon | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6601 | 15 |
| Toni Hodgkinson | Women's 800m | 2:02.21 | 3 (15) q | — | — | 2:00.25 | 4 (9) Q | 2:00.40 | 6 |
| Glenn Howard | Men's high jump | 2.15m | 15 (31) | — | — | — | — | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance |
| Gavin Lovegrove | Men's javelin | 75.62m | 10 (21) | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gus Nketia | Men's 100m | 10.41 | 5 (45) | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance |
| Doug Pirini | Men's decathlon | — | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | N/A |
| Mark Tonks | Men's 800m | 1:48.85 | 6 (36) | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance |

Note: Doug Pirini completed three events in the decathlon, but withdrew after failing to record a height in the high jump.

### Team Events

| Event | Athletes | Heat/Qualifying | Heat/Qualifying | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Event | Athletes | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Men's 4×100m | Gus Nketia, Chris Donaldson, Paul Gibbons, Donald MacDonald | 39.66 | 7(17) | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance |
