New Zealand competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's twenty-second appearance at the Olympics since its debut in 1908 as part of Australasia. The New Zealand Olympic Committee sent a total of 148 athletes, 81 men, and 67 women to the Games to compete in 18 sports, surpassing a single athlete short of the record from Sydney four years earlier. Basketball and field hockey were the only team-based sports in which New Zealand had its representation at these Olympic Games. There was only a single competitor in archery, boxing, and fencing.
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. Tait's compatriot Andrew Nicholson participated in his fifth Olympic appearance since the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles (except 2000, in which he was not chosen), as the most experienced athlete. 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.
New Zealand left Athens with a total of five Olympic medals, three golds and two silver, finishing twenty-fourth in the overall medal count. Four New Zealand athletes won Olympic gold medals: Hamish Carter in men's triathlon, track cyclist Sarah Ulmer in women's individual pursuit, and twin sisters and rowers Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell in women's double sculls.
One New Zealand archer qualified for the men's individual archery through the 2004 Open New Zealand Championships.
New Zealand athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard).
New Zealand nominated a spot in the mixed doubles.
New Zealand sent a single boxer to Athens.
Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify to final; q = Qualify to semifinal
"#" indicates that the score of this rider does not count in the team competition, since only the best three results of a team are counted.
New Zealand qualified a men's and a women's team. Each team had 16 athletes with two reserves.
New Zealand rowers qualified the following boats:
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; R=Repechage
New Zealand sailors have qualified one boat for each of the following events.
M = Medal race; OCS = On course side of the starting line; DSQ = Disqualified; DNF = Did not finish; DNS= Did not start; RDG = Redress given
Two New Zealand shooters (one man and one woman) qualified to compete in the following events:
New Zealand swimmers earned qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the A-standard time, and 1 at the B-standard time):
Two New Zealand table tennis players qualified for the following events.
New Zealand has qualified a single taekwondo jin.
Three New Zealand triathletes qualified for the following events.