Paul Kingsman is a swimmer who has competed for New Zealand. He competed at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympic Games.
Kingsman started his Olympic career in 1984, but he missed the finals of the backstroke double, finishing tenth in the B-finals of the 100 and twentieth in the 200.
Four years later in Seoul, Kingsman returned to his second Games with the higher chances of improving his marks from Los Angeles. Though he failed again to attain a single medal in the 100, he entered the 200 metres backstroke final as the twentieth fastest swimmer in the world. Swimming the race in lane one, he moved from behind at the final turn to surge past Serguei Zabolotnov for the bronze with a New Zealand and Commonwealth record of 2:00.48, barely cracking the 2-minute threshold. With this feat, Kingsman became the first male swimmer from New Zealand to win an individual Olympic medal.
Olympic Results[]
| Year | Event | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Men's 100m backstroke | 10th |
| Men's 200m backstroke | 20th | |
| Men's 4x100m medley relay | 9th | |
| 1988 | Men's 100m backstroke | 19th |
| Men's 200m backstroke | 
| |
| Men's 4x100m medley relay | 11th |
1984[]
| Discipline | Round | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 metres backstroke | Heats | 58.33 | |
| B Final | 58.19 | ||
| 200 metres backstroke | Heats | 2:06.87 | |
| Final | Did not advance | ||
| 4x100 metres medley relay | Heats | 3:50.56 (58.73 split) |
NR |
| Final | Did not advance | ||
1988[]
| Discipline | Round | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 metres backstroke | Heats | 57.80 | |
| Final | Did not advance | ||
| 200 metres backstroke | Heats | 2:02.20 | |
| A Final | 2:00.48 | NR | |
| 4x100 metres medley relay | Heats | 3:48.93 (57.73 split) |
|
| Final | Did not advance | ||