Anna Grimaldi's bagged New Zealand's first gold medal of the Paralympic Games in Paris.
The 27-year-old sprinted to an unexpected victory - and an Oceania record - in the T47 200 metre final.
NZ Paralympic Games Chef de Mission Raylene Bates says the Olympic victory was 'amazing' to watch.
"She ran so well in her qualifying heat this morning - the fastest qualifier - and we just knew that she had a great finish on her."
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
It is the second to last day at the Paralympics.
Well was the second to last day at the Paralympics overnight,
and New Zealand has its first gold medal. Anna Grimaldi
has won the two hundred me T forty seven final
setting in oceany record. Joining me from Paris is New
Zealand chif Mission Railing Baits. Good morning, Raylene, good morning.
How are you. I'm very good. How's the voice?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Yes, as somewhat not as good as what it was
a couple of hours ago.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
How was that race with Anna? Oh?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
It was amazing where we're all sitting in the stand
and you know, she ran so well on her qualifying
hate this morning, fastest qualifier and just knew that she was.
She had a great finish on her and the two
hundred when you come off the band and so she's
gonna wint it, just gonna win, It's gonna win it.
So no, it was amazing, absolutely amazing event. And you know,
(01:05):
obviously her in a Mikey Jacobs are very very happy,
which is great.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Have you seen and spoken to her how she feeling.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Yeah, well, I saw straight off the race when she
did her lap and gave her a big hug, and
she's very very happy. Mikey's equally happy, and yeah, she's
just been presented with her medal now, and yeah, you
can't wipe the smile off your face and me this
should you? Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
No, I love watching her compete because the expression and
the emotion that comes out, especially when she crosses the
finish line. It's just infectious, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Absolutely, absolutely, yeah, it makes us very very proud.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Am I right that this wasn't Anna's favorite favorite event either?
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Oh no, you're absolutely right. In fact, you know, it
took her quite a week while to qualify for this event,
so you know, she didn't qualify easily for it was
it was a late addition to the program, but being
the last event on the program, she decided to have
her go at it, and just as well she did.
Sudanya has reripped the benefits of it.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
And it must be really satisfying. I'm sure that she
was disappointed of not being able to defend her long
jump title yesterday.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yeah, I mean, obviously there's a lot of pressure when
you're defending champion and you know this games has shown us,
you know, all the fourth place givings that New Zealand
team has had, a lot of those performances would have
actually been silver and potentially gold medals and Tokyo and Rio.
So it just shows you the standard of performances come
(02:36):
up across all the sports. The amount of world records
that have been on the valodrome, world records in the pool,
and so many world records at the athletics stadium shows
won the increase in depth across the sports. I think
a government investment around the world has been a contributing factor,
(02:57):
but also a lot of integrated programs now so a
lot of countries have fully integrated programs power and able
body together the best coaches, these athletes and certainly the
performances have indicated that you know that has been a
success of that.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
So, yeah, you're the athletics New Zealand national para lead.
Are you Are you happy with what we're putting into
our Paralympian athletes.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Oh, we're really lucky. I mean we're athletes. New Zealand
one of the leaders as far as integration goes. Along
with snowsports, New Zealand. And you know, we've got a
great program here in New Zealand. It's supported really well
within the NSO and around the coaching, so you know,
our athletes are fully immersed within the program and we
(03:49):
get a lot of majority of our athletes compete with
the able bodied athletes to give them extra competition, et cetera.
So yeah, I mean we've got to still go and
rebuild our program across all the sports in New Zealand.
And you know we're now looking for our next I
suppose cohort of athletes come through for LA twenty twenty
eight in their Brisbane twenty thirty two.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
What have you made of the overall Kyi achievement in Paris?
So for eight golds, we've got the one gold, for silver,
three bronze, it is short of the twelve from Tokyo.
How are you feeling about the Paralympics.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Well, it's not over yet. We've still got Scott and
Pete to compete tomorrow and but no, I think, you know,
people just need to understand that it's not always just
about the medal. As I said, you know, the amount
of fourth places we've had by one centimeter or points
zero one of a time and things like that, and
those performances what have been medals in the past. It
(04:46):
just shows how how much the standards have increased. And
I think, you know, our athletes have performed, you know,
with distinction. They've made finals. You know, our young athletes,
debutantes who have made finals and swum pbs and broken
national records. They are our future. They're they're the LA
(05:08):
twenty eight athletes. So they've all got to start somewhere,
and I'm very, very proud of each and every one
of them all.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Raylen, thank you so much for your time this morning
and for all the inspiring performances from the athletes. It's
been fantastic to watch and follow.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Oh thank you so much. And I'd just like to
say thank you to the key we nation for supporting everybody,
because it's meant the world to the athletes, knowing that
everybody back home is behind them here in Paris as well.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to news talks that'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
It is the second to last day at the Paralympics.
Well was the second to last day at the Paralympics overnight,
and New Zealand has its first gold medal. Anna Grimaldi
has won the two hundred me T forty seven final
setting in oceany record. Joining me from Paris is New
Zealand chif Mission Railing Baits. Good morning, Raylene, good morning.
How are you. I'm very good. How's the voice?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Yes, as somewhat not as good as what it was
a couple of hours ago.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
How was that race with Anna? Oh?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
It was amazing where we're all sitting in the stand
and you know, she ran so well on her qualifying
hate this morning, fastest qualifier and just knew that she was.
She had a great finish on her and the two
hundred when you come off the band and so she's
gonna wint it, just gonna win, It's gonna win it.
So no, it was amazing, absolutely amazing event. And you know,
(01:05):
obviously her in a Mikey Jacobs are very very happy,
which is great.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Have you seen and spoken to her how she feeling.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Yeah, well, I saw straight off the race when she
did her lap and gave her a big hug, and
she's very very happy. Mikey's equally happy, and yeah, she's
just been presented with her medal now, and yeah, you
can't wipe the smile off your face and me this
should you? Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
No, I love watching her compete because the expression and
the emotion that comes out, especially when she crosses the
finish line. It's just infectious, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Absolutely, absolutely, yeah, it makes us very very proud.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Am I right that this wasn't Anna's favorite favorite event either?
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Oh no, you're absolutely right. In fact, you know, it
took her quite a week while to qualify for this event,
so you know, she didn't qualify easily for it was
it was a late addition to the program, but being
the last event on the program, she decided to have
her go at it, and just as well she did.
Sudanya has reripped the benefits of it.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
And it must be really satisfying. I'm sure that she
was disappointed of not being able to defend her long
jump title yesterday.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yeah, I mean, obviously there's a lot of pressure when
you're defending champion and you know this games has shown us,
you know, all the fourth place givings that New Zealand
team has had, a lot of those performances would have
actually been silver and potentially gold medals and Tokyo and Rio.
So it just shows you the standard of performances come
(02:36):
up across all the sports. The amount of world records
that have been on the valodrome, world records in the pool,
and so many world records at the athletics stadium shows
won the increase in depth across the sports. I think
a government investment around the world has been a contributing factor,
(02:57):
but also a lot of integrated programs now so a
lot of countries have fully integrated programs power and able
body together the best coaches, these athletes and certainly the
performances have indicated that you know that has been a
success of that.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
So, yeah, you're the athletics New Zealand national para lead.
Are you Are you happy with what we're putting into
our Paralympian athletes.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Oh, we're really lucky. I mean we're athletes. New Zealand
one of the leaders as far as integration goes. Along
with snowsports, New Zealand. And you know, we've got a
great program here in New Zealand. It's supported really well
within the NSO and around the coaching, so you know,
our athletes are fully immersed within the program and we
(03:49):
get a lot of majority of our athletes compete with
the able bodied athletes to give them extra competition, et cetera.
So yeah, I mean we've got to still go and
rebuild our program across all the sports in New Zealand.
And you know we're now looking for our next I
suppose cohort of athletes come through for LA twenty twenty
eight in their Brisbane twenty thirty two.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
What have you made of the overall Kyi achievement in Paris?
So for eight golds, we've got the one gold, for silver,
three bronze, it is short of the twelve from Tokyo.
How are you feeling about the Paralympics.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Well, it's not over yet. We've still got Scott and
Pete to compete tomorrow and but no, I think, you know,
people just need to understand that it's not always just
about the medal. As I said, you know, the amount
of fourth places we've had by one centimeter or points
zero one of a time and things like that, and
those performances what have been medals in the past. It
(04:46):
just shows how how much the standards have increased. And
I think, you know, our athletes have performed, you know,
with distinction. They've made finals. You know, our young athletes,
debutantes who have made finals and swum pbs and broken
national records. They are our future. They're they're the LA
(05:08):
twenty eight athletes. So they've all got to start somewhere,
and I'm very, very proud of each and every one
of them all.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Raylen, thank you so much for your time this morning
and for all the inspiring performances from the athletes. It's
been fantastic to watch and follow.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Oh thank you so much. And I'd just like to
say thank you to the key we nation for supporting everybody,
because it's meant the world to the athletes, knowing that
everybody back home is behind them here in Paris as well.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to news talks that'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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