July 26, 2024 • 11 mins
The 2024 Olympics are officially underway.
With the Opening Ceremony complete and the Olympic torch lit, it’s time for the Games to begin proper.
New Zealand’s Chef de Mission Nigel Avery joined Piney to discuss the team’s expectations, and how they’re feeling heading into the Games.
He told him that everyone’s very excited, as now is the crunch time and the competition is definitely on for many of the athletes.
“This is what they’ve been training and preparing for, physically and mentally, for such a long time.”
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let's get you to Paris as the Olympics are set
to get underway properly tonight. Heaps of kiwis in action
on day one. I'll run through some of those in
a moment, but Schef the mission, Nigel Avery is standing
by and joins us now from Paris. Nigel, we've got
the opening ceremony out of the way. How much of
a successful Olympics is about actually getting to the start line?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Well, you all, Het, Hey, Jason, thanks for your time.
Thanks for inviting me on the show. You know it's
giving us that line is pretty important clearly, and in
the B shape possible ultimately is what we're trying to achieve.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
So tell us about the shape that you arrive and
are you happy with where you are as the games
proper are about to begin?
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Yeah, I think so. You know, he's very excited clearly,
you know, now sort of crunch time where you know,
the competition is definitely on for most of the team,
more for many and this is what they've been training
and preparing for physically and mentally for such a long time.
So you know, it's a very very exciting time for everybody.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
You're shift a mission at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham
two years ago. Can you compare and contrast for us
how much bigger is an Olympic Games? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:28):
I think you know, physically, obviously the size is the
scale as massive, you know, the village, although geographically it's
quite compact. You know, it goes up quite a lot
as well, so it's quite dense. And it's the population obviously,
many more nations, there's there's more at stake, so it's
just it's bigger. But I suppose functionally, you know, we
(01:49):
just need to do the same things as we did
for Birmingham. Get those rights, you know, get the ethics
to the start line at the right time, the right place,
in the right frame of mind and everything, and let
them perform.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
As the Games get underway and get going. What will
take up most of your time.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yes, at the moment, we kind of we're still welcoming
teams and so that's a really important part of our
our team cultures, making sure we get that right. It's
been really amazing with the team so far, so we're
going to continue doing that. Obviously, then supporting athletes and
teams as they start progressing through into the competitions and
then you know, really sadly we're we're fear welling teams
(02:31):
as they have finished and they carry on with either
back to New Zealand or into their their competition season
throughout throughout the world. So it's you know, we're only
just started and some some some teams that they're getting
ready to go on.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Soon indeed, and I guess also this is the pinnacle
for the athletes and they are putting the very final
finishing touches on their preparation. Are you just aware that,
you know, to not get in their way even though
you want to make a connection with them and make
sure that they've got everything they need.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
One hundred percent, So on the gym at the moment
with the S and C guy, because it's only time
we can get in here and without the team's being present.
So if I love it, so yeah, so you know,
we're definitely staying in our own lane, and you know
we're there if they need them. You know, the view
here is it's an opt in situation, you know, so
(03:21):
we will help them as much as they as they
want or need, and we work closely with team management
to make sure you know, that's the case, you know,
and it is delicate, you know, because you know there's
a fear amount of anxiety and nerves going on, and
we just have to be careful that we're not trying
to be you know, wind people up overly too much
or not engage either. So it's it's a real balance
and something we've reminded mindful of to make sure we
(03:43):
get right.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
From your experience, Nigel, how much of what happens in
the next three weeks will be stuff that you hadn't expected.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I don't know. You have to ask me, ask me
about about three weeks.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Well, but are you are you ready for example, are
you ready to fight fires or just to just are
you expecting the only speak to just in case.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Yeah, so we we sort of have some scenario type planning,
you know, what if planning and just to say, well, look,
you know, what would our prices look like if something happened,
and so you know wherever that happening might be. If
that should happen, then at least we've got to here's
a frame of reference we can look to to help
manage that. And yeah, I guess you've just got to
expect the unexpected and plan for what we can control.
(04:33):
And because that's what we ask the athletes to do,
you know, work on what they can control themselves and
the rest just has to happen around them.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Apart from metals, what other metrics do you use to
judge the success of the games from a New Zealand perspective.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Yeah, so we we survey at the end of the
games and you know, one of the questions is, you know,
you know, what did the environment have to your to
your important to your performance? Did a dad or not?
You know, we're we're happy with the management and things
like that, so you know, we hopefully will score highly
on that. That's what we try to do because what
(05:10):
we can't do is run on the field of play
and help the athletes out in the pool on the
tracker in the field. That's up to the end. But
what we can do is try and provide an environment
where they feel happy, safe, secure, welcomed, a real try
sense of belonging and that just aids obvious the icing
on the cake, as it were, from their performance.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
How important do you perceive it to be that you
were a former Olympian or an Olympian, yourself a former
elite athlete, as was your predecessor Robodell. How important do
you perceive that to be in the role of shift mission.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Yeah, I guess it's important because you have an understanding
of what the athletes are going through, so you can
really emphasize with how they're going and you know what
they might be feeling or thinking. But ultimately, we've got
an amazing team here, some of which I have been
Olympians also, but others who haven't, but they're contributing as
(06:06):
much and and it's it really is a team effort
of the team behind the team. And I guess the
amazing thing is as the athletes start arriving, as they
have in the last week or so, particularly, you know,
the Olympians who have been there before, are kind of
meeting and greeting that team behind the team. Hey has
a gun, you know, so they walk into a familiar
environment and there's such an amazing thing. You know. They
(06:29):
just love being part of a wider New Zealand team,
not just the you know, the rowing team or the
cycling team for example. There there there with others and
it's it's an amazing environment to.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Be part of do you still get a buzz as
well from seeing seeing the wide eyes of a first
time Olympian?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
You do, because you know, we've all been there and
and so you know exactly what they're going through, and
so you know, for me that's actually, you know, I've
been a bit more time with them and sending a
few chats and whatnot, because you know they are a
bit wide eyed. But we've also got an amazing group
of athletes support who have I think they have all
(07:09):
been Olympians, four of them, and we've got a wellness
team and whatnot, and so we are really cognizant that
we want to make sure that they're not being overwhelmed
by the occasion because it can be quite overwhelming, and
obviously reminding them and they're here to compete, but just
also reminding them that, you know, it's they're good at
(07:30):
what they do and they've obviously been been very successful
to get to where they've got to, which is here,
and they need to try and replicate that in the
field to play here and and go for it as
best they can.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
We've had the opening ceremony, of course, how nice a
job is it telling the flag bearers that they're going
to be flag bears.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Well, I mean, it's the privilege being in my role
full stop. But to ask those questions of our team
and those two people, it's an amazing privilege and huge
honour to be able to do that and very very special.
So both of them are amazing people, very humble. Then
we're both kind of blown away by receiving the call
(08:09):
on mamoshe ordering way why they want. I wanted to
speak with them because you know, it's not the sort
of thing that you put on your to do list
and say I want to be a flavorer. It's just
something that it kind of happens. And they were they
were quite overwhelmed and obviously very appreciative of honor to
be asked.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, I think those emotions prove that you pick the
right people for the job. I have to ask you
quickly about about drone Gate and what played out there
the fall out continued. How do you reflect on what
on what played out with the Canadian football team and
our football fields.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Yeah, I was obviously very shocking to have received that news,
extremely disappointed and and I guess for the team is
you know, quite unsettling. But I think they responded as
well as they could, because you know, once it's in
the hands of the authorities, there's not much more house
they can do. There's no there's no point dropping the
bottom lip. They just have to get on with the game.
I spoke with Elie Riley. Obviously she had immensely disappointing
(09:07):
for her for her injury, and that was also unsettling
for the team, but she was, you know, confident, the
team will just have to you have to regroup and
carry on. And although we didn't see the game because
we were in the middle of our flagbor announcement ceremony,
you know they gave it a great shot, you know,
you know one all into the break was It's a
(09:28):
great effort. It just didn't quite get away with it.
So now we just have to wait for the process
of the IOC Integrity Unit and FIFA's investigation and see
where that lands.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
And just to finish, you're one of our greatest weightlifters.
Will you get the chance to take in that sport
at these games? Have you made a point of making
sure that you get along. When David Lichti is involved
in weightlifting.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
I would love to see him compete, of course, but
it depends on what else is happening, what's going around,
and to be fair, I haven't really looked at the schedule,
but I want to support as many of the ethics
as we can. But as I mentioned earlier, you know,
I need to part of the team welcomes going on
as well, so it's a bit of a balance. But
I'm also I want to get down to see sailing,
(10:13):
to watch Joe, I definitely watch Aaron compete. So there's
a lot to do, a lot to see, and as
I said before, I'm extremely privileged to be able to
be able to do that. So it's really really looking
forward to the next sixteen days.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Yeah, we all are back here as well, Nigel, as
you can probably tell, I'm sure you're getting messages of
all sorts and I'll continue to come and we just
can't wait to watch it all happen overnight our time,
of course, And I do look forward to chatting to
you after the games to see if there was anything
unexpected and whether you whether you hit your metrics, and
I know the team around you and yourself, I'm going
to make sure these athletes are in very good hands.
(10:47):
Really appreciate you taking the time for a chat and
enjoy the next couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Thanks for Jason, appreciate it. Thanks for hearing me on
your show.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
No, it's good to have you on the show, Nigel.
Thanks indeed, Nigel Avery. There shift a mission of the
New Zealand team at the start of the games of
the thirty third Olympiad.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason fain us in
Life to News Talks it B weekends from midday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let's get you to Paris as the Olympics are set
to get underway properly tonight. Heaps of kiwis in action
on day one. I'll run through some of those in
a moment, but Schef the mission, Nigel Avery is standing
by and joins us now from Paris. Nigel, we've got
the opening ceremony out of the way. How much of
a successful Olympics is about actually getting to the start line?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Well, you all, Het, Hey, Jason, thanks for your time.
Thanks for inviting me on the show. You know it's
giving us that line is pretty important clearly, and in
the B shape possible ultimately is what we're trying to achieve.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
So tell us about the shape that you arrive and
are you happy with where you are as the games
proper are about to begin?
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Yeah, I think so. You know, he's very excited clearly,
you know, now sort of crunch time where you know,
the competition is definitely on for most of the team,
more for many and this is what they've been training
and preparing for physically and mentally for such a long time.
So you know, it's a very very exciting time for everybody.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
You're shift a mission at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham
two years ago. Can you compare and contrast for us
how much bigger is an Olympic Games? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:28):
I think you know, physically, obviously the size is the
scale as massive, you know, the village, although geographically it's
quite compact. You know, it goes up quite a lot
as well, so it's quite dense. And it's the population obviously,
many more nations, there's there's more at stake, so it's
just it's bigger. But I suppose functionally, you know, we
(01:49):
just need to do the same things as we did
for Birmingham. Get those rights, you know, get the ethics
to the start line at the right time, the right place,
in the right frame of mind and everything, and let
them perform.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
As the Games get underway and get going. What will
take up most of your time.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yes, at the moment, we kind of we're still welcoming
teams and so that's a really important part of our
our team cultures, making sure we get that right. It's
been really amazing with the team so far, so we're
going to continue doing that. Obviously, then supporting athletes and
teams as they start progressing through into the competitions and
then you know, really sadly we're we're fear welling teams
(02:31):
as they have finished and they carry on with either
back to New Zealand or into their their competition season
throughout throughout the world. So it's you know, we're only
just started and some some some teams that they're getting
ready to go on.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Soon indeed, and I guess also this is the pinnacle
for the athletes and they are putting the very final
finishing touches on their preparation. Are you just aware that,
you know, to not get in their way even though
you want to make a connection with them and make
sure that they've got everything they need.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
One hundred percent, So on the gym at the moment
with the S and C guy, because it's only time
we can get in here and without the team's being present.
So if I love it, so yeah, so you know,
we're definitely staying in our own lane, and you know
we're there if they need them. You know, the view
here is it's an opt in situation, you know, so
(03:21):
we will help them as much as they as they
want or need, and we work closely with team management
to make sure you know, that's the case, you know,
and it is delicate, you know, because you know there's
a fear amount of anxiety and nerves going on, and
we just have to be careful that we're not trying
to be you know, wind people up overly too much
or not engage either. So it's it's a real balance
and something we've reminded mindful of to make sure we
(03:43):
get right.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
From your experience, Nigel, how much of what happens in
the next three weeks will be stuff that you hadn't expected.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I don't know. You have to ask me, ask me
about about three weeks.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Well, but are you are you ready for example, are
you ready to fight fires or just to just are
you expecting the only speak to just in case.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Yeah, so we we sort of have some scenario type planning,
you know, what if planning and just to say, well, look,
you know, what would our prices look like if something happened,
and so you know wherever that happening might be. If
that should happen, then at least we've got to here's
a frame of reference we can look to to help
manage that. And yeah, I guess you've just got to
expect the unexpected and plan for what we can control.
(04:33):
And because that's what we ask the athletes to do,
you know, work on what they can control themselves and
the rest just has to happen around them.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Apart from metals, what other metrics do you use to
judge the success of the games from a New Zealand perspective.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Yeah, so we we survey at the end of the
games and you know, one of the questions is, you know,
you know, what did the environment have to your to
your important to your performance? Did a dad or not?
You know, we're we're happy with the management and things
like that, so you know, we hopefully will score highly
on that. That's what we try to do because what
(05:10):
we can't do is run on the field of play
and help the athletes out in the pool on the
tracker in the field. That's up to the end. But
what we can do is try and provide an environment
where they feel happy, safe, secure, welcomed, a real try
sense of belonging and that just aids obvious the icing
on the cake, as it were, from their performance.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
How important do you perceive it to be that you
were a former Olympian or an Olympian, yourself a former
elite athlete, as was your predecessor Robodell. How important do
you perceive that to be in the role of shift mission.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Yeah, I guess it's important because you have an understanding
of what the athletes are going through, so you can
really emphasize with how they're going and you know what
they might be feeling or thinking. But ultimately, we've got
an amazing team here, some of which I have been
Olympians also, but others who haven't, but they're contributing as
(06:06):
much and and it's it really is a team effort
of the team behind the team. And I guess the
amazing thing is as the athletes start arriving, as they
have in the last week or so, particularly, you know,
the Olympians who have been there before, are kind of
meeting and greeting that team behind the team. Hey has
a gun, you know, so they walk into a familiar
environment and there's such an amazing thing. You know. They
(06:29):
just love being part of a wider New Zealand team,
not just the you know, the rowing team or the
cycling team for example. There there there with others and
it's it's an amazing environment to.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Be part of do you still get a buzz as
well from seeing seeing the wide eyes of a first
time Olympian?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
You do, because you know, we've all been there and
and so you know exactly what they're going through, and
so you know, for me that's actually, you know, I've
been a bit more time with them and sending a
few chats and whatnot, because you know they are a
bit wide eyed. But we've also got an amazing group
of athletes support who have I think they have all
(07:09):
been Olympians, four of them, and we've got a wellness
team and whatnot, and so we are really cognizant that
we want to make sure that they're not being overwhelmed
by the occasion because it can be quite overwhelming, and
obviously reminding them and they're here to compete, but just
also reminding them that, you know, it's they're good at
(07:30):
what they do and they've obviously been been very successful
to get to where they've got to, which is here,
and they need to try and replicate that in the
field to play here and and go for it as
best they can.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
We've had the opening ceremony, of course, how nice a
job is it telling the flag bearers that they're going
to be flag bears.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Well, I mean, it's the privilege being in my role
full stop. But to ask those questions of our team
and those two people, it's an amazing privilege and huge
honour to be able to do that and very very special.
So both of them are amazing people, very humble. Then
we're both kind of blown away by receiving the call
(08:09):
on mamoshe ordering way why they want. I wanted to
speak with them because you know, it's not the sort
of thing that you put on your to do list
and say I want to be a flavorer. It's just
something that it kind of happens. And they were they
were quite overwhelmed and obviously very appreciative of honor to
be asked.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, I think those emotions prove that you pick the
right people for the job. I have to ask you
quickly about about drone Gate and what played out there
the fall out continued. How do you reflect on what
on what played out with the Canadian football team and
our football fields.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Yeah, I was obviously very shocking to have received that news,
extremely disappointed and and I guess for the team is
you know, quite unsettling. But I think they responded as
well as they could, because you know, once it's in
the hands of the authorities, there's not much more house
they can do. There's no there's no point dropping the
bottom lip. They just have to get on with the game.
I spoke with Elie Riley. Obviously she had immensely disappointing
(09:07):
for her for her injury, and that was also unsettling
for the team, but she was, you know, confident, the
team will just have to you have to regroup and
carry on. And although we didn't see the game because
we were in the middle of our flagbor announcement ceremony,
you know they gave it a great shot, you know,
you know one all into the break was It's a
(09:28):
great effort. It just didn't quite get away with it.
So now we just have to wait for the process
of the IOC Integrity Unit and FIFA's investigation and see
where that lands.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
And just to finish, you're one of our greatest weightlifters.
Will you get the chance to take in that sport
at these games? Have you made a point of making
sure that you get along. When David Lichti is involved
in weightlifting.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
I would love to see him compete, of course, but
it depends on what else is happening, what's going around,
and to be fair, I haven't really looked at the schedule,
but I want to support as many of the ethics
as we can. But as I mentioned earlier, you know,
I need to part of the team welcomes going on
as well, so it's a bit of a balance. But
I'm also I want to get down to see sailing,
(10:13):
to watch Joe, I definitely watch Aaron compete. So there's
a lot to do, a lot to see, and as
I said before, I'm extremely privileged to be able to
be able to do that. So it's really really looking
forward to the next sixteen days.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Yeah, we all are back here as well, Nigel, as
you can probably tell, I'm sure you're getting messages of
all sorts and I'll continue to come and we just
can't wait to watch it all happen overnight our time,
of course, And I do look forward to chatting to
you after the games to see if there was anything
unexpected and whether you whether you hit your metrics, and
I know the team around you and yourself, I'm going
to make sure these athletes are in very good hands.
(10:47):
Really appreciate you taking the time for a chat and
enjoy the next couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Thanks for Jason, appreciate it. Thanks for hearing me on
your show.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
No, it's good to have you on the show, Nigel.
Thanks indeed, Nigel Avery. There shift a mission of the
New Zealand team at the start of the games of
the thirty third Olympiad.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason fain us in
Life to News Talks it B weekends from midday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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