Cam Mitchell: Athletics NZ chief executive on the concern around suitable venues for 2034 Commonwealth Games

New Zealand has always led in track and field at the Commonwealth Games, but concerns have been raised ahead of the 2034 event.

New Zealand is in the running to host the 2034 Commonwealth Games, but there's currently no suitable athletics venue to host the sport.

Athletics NZ chief executive Cam Mitchell says if we're looking to host the 2034 Games, our infrastructure needs improvement. 

"If we are looking to host international athletics and we're also looking to grow our sport and create special moments like we had on Saturday night with track stars, then the infrastructure needs - they grow." 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, Athletics New Zealand says we've got a little bit
of a dilemma on our hands that we're going to
have to solve. If we want to host the twenty
thirty four Commonwealth Games, we need somewhere to put the
track and field, and apparently none of our existing venues
are up to snuff. Now, Cam Mitchell is in India,
he's the Athletics New Zealand Chief executive, High Camp. What's
wrong with our facilities?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (00:21):
Look, the facilities, I guess are more based around sort
of community or domestic level athletics, so you know they're
adequate for that level of athletics. But if we are
looking to host international athletics and we're also looking to
grow our sport and create special moments like we had
on Saturday Night with track Stars, then I guess the
infrastructure needs they grow and so we've got to keep

(00:44):
up with the requirements we have as we grow as
a sport.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Are you talking about what is actually happening on the
field or is it what's going on in the stands,
like the ability to hold more people.

Speaker 3 (00:55):
Look, it's a bit of both, I mean predominantly, I
guess it's the wrap around support within the venue, the
ability to run on backstraights, for example, and have the
right time to equipment the right screens. Those sorts of
things play a major role in performance, particularly for sprinters
that typically or definitely want to run with the tower
would not into a headwind. So setting infrastructure, you know,

(01:17):
all those sorts of things a positive fan experiences. You know,
in terms of the athletics requirements, I guess none of
our facilities are one hundred percent optimal. So there are
some minor adjustments we need to make it some of them,
but I guess it more sits around the fact that
if we are wanting to host major events with regards
to athletics.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
That you know that at the moment there isn't anything
that's optimal.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
So this is this doesn't sound like a complete build.
It sounds like a renovation or a tweak at an
existing venue. Is that right?

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yep? That could be one option.

Speaker 3 (01:48):
But you know, ideally from our perspective, you know, having
a home of athletics that's that's able to sort of
cater for international quality events would be it would be
something we would love to have. So you know, Mount
Smart was ofviously the home of athletics, but was converted
to being a rugby league field once the Warriors sort
of kicked off in the mid nineties and then q

(02:08):
WE two obviously with the earthquakes, has been replaced with
Pernawin and christ Church which is a really good domestic
level facility, but isn't necessarily built for fans and broadcasts
and those sorts of things. So certainly the broadcast infrastructure
and lighting infrastructure required for broadcast. You know, really it's
only Trust Arena and we Stalkland that has anything that

(02:28):
would meet those requirements. So every venue has got its
own quirk and little challenges and nothing is quite optimal,
and I guess I guess that's.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Something that we are keen to sort of work. You know,
there is this.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
National Sports Facility strategy being developed by the government, so
we're sort of feeding into that and making sure that
we're around the table and that athletics it is probably
viewed in a different light to what it has been
in recent times. You know, we're a sport that's on
the move, We're starting to attract larger audiences. We've now
got a TV product in place, so I think they're
really good conversations for us to be having as we

(03:02):
try and reset the sport facilities do create great experiences
for fans and also I guess the athletes themselves obviously.

Speaker 1 (03:11):
I mean, how do you write your chances that you're
going to get anything, particularly flash, because I thought half
the pitch for the twenty thirty four com Games is
that we wouldn't have to pay anything. We basically had
the facilities ready to go. So it feels to me
like you're probably you're probably out of luck on that.
What do you think?

Speaker 3 (03:27):
Oh, look, I think we'll see what comes out of
the National Sports Facility strategy and you know, and just
reflect on that.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
But you know, what do you expect from available to
build something new? Then clearly we'd be looking at how
we can work to enhance what we've got and make
it as good as we can.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
What are you expecting out of that strategy?

Speaker 3 (03:47):
Look, I guess a home of athletics would be great
for us. There's there's no short track in New Zealand,
so short track or indoor athletics.

Speaker 2 (03:53):
Tracks which are two hundred meters.

Speaker 3 (03:55):
Australasia doesn't have a short track, so that also creates
new event opportunities for this part of the world that
we haven't been able to look at before. So you know,
having facilities like that are advantageous. Yeah, so I guess,
you know, in terms of that facility strategy itself, we're
not quite sure what that will produce, you, but we've
certainly had really positive dialogue through the process.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
Yeah, and wait and see. I mean, the reality is
for the country.

Speaker 3 (04:17):
If they want to host the Commonwealth Games, and then
there's going to have to find a solution, whether that
be temporary or permanent for athletics, because I think most,
if not all of the other sports actually have facilities
that are adequate at the moment.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Athletics is probably the only one where that isn't the case.
Hey did you watch the cricket I did, Yes, Yes,
I'm obviously in India.

Speaker 3 (04:38):
Flew out on Saturday night, straight straight after the athletics,
so I watched it in a bar in the hotel
with a whole lot of Indians that were very happy.
I was very gracious and defeat as I'm over here
trying to strengthen our ties with Indio athletics and we're
sort of just trying to firm up our partnership with
them all.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
Good like Hey, thank you very much for talking to
us out of India. Canna's Can Mitchell Athletics, New Zealand
Chief Executive. More from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive.

Speaker 3 (05:02):
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