Kiwi sports fans shouldn't fret at New Zealand's medal haul - or lack thereof - after the opening days of the Tokyo Olympics, according to veteran broadcasters Brendan Telfer and John McBeth.
On day three of the Games on Monday, New Zealand finally broke its duck in Tokyo, as triathlete Hayden Wilde took bronze in the men's race - the first Kiwi medal of the Games so far.
Wilde's bronze means New Zealand sits 46th on the medal table entering Tuesday's competition.
However, even though New Zealand trails the likes of table topping Japan (13 medals), the US (14) and China (18), Kiwi fans shouldn't fret, with plenty more medals to come, Telfer tells the AM Show.
"The nature of the Olympic Games, and particularly the teams that we send to the Olympic Games means the medals don't come through until deep into the second week," he says.
"[That's] because all of these preliminary rounds, round robins, quarter-finals, semi-finals and repechages.
"We shouldn't panic that we're four days into the Olympics and have only won one medal.
"The medals will come."
Despite medal contender Lewis Clareburt missing the podium in his 4 X100m relay in the pool, New Zealand can at least bank on the likes of Lisa Carrington, the Black Ferns sevens, and world champion rowing crews to boost the medal tally.
Telfer even goes as far as predicting just how many medals New Zealand can expect, in comparison to efforts in Beijing, London, and Rio de Janeiro.
"Remarkably, when you look back at the history of New Zealand in recent Olympics, we have won 40 medals at the last three Olympic Games. It seems extraordinary, 13 gold, 13 silver and 14 bronze. So the medals will come.
"On that basis we should at least win 10 medals at this Games, and we've won one."
McBeth adds that Kiwis can expect more medals to follow in the coming week, as New Zealand's traditionally strong events begin.
"The schedule is such that sports that we do well in, traditionally, don't peak until the second week of the Games.
Despite the lack of a medal though, McBeth points out arguably the biggest Kiwi story of the games so far, 17-year-old Erika Fairweather, who contested the women's 100m freestyle final, alongside some of the sport's all-time greats, including American icon Katie Ledecky.
"For me, no matter what happens, the highlight is going to be Erika Fairweather, 16 [17] year-old student from Dunedin, rocks into the 400m freestyle with expectations of maybe creating a personal best time, and the look on her face was one of absolute amazement, that she'd broken Lauren Boyle's long standing record, had got through to the final, one of the top four qualifiers.
"She couldn't believe it. To see a youngster get amongst top competition and produce something that she'd never done before.
"It was amazing."
