One week out from the 2024 Paris Olympics, the excitement and pressure is beginning to build.
There’s one person who knows those pressures well, having represented New Zealand in five Olympic Games.
Dame Valerie Adams is one of the country’s most well-known athletes, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, four-time World Champion, four-time World Indoor Champion, and three-time Commonwealth Games Champion, who was virtually undefeated in shot-put.
Although she’s no longer competing, Adams is going along to this year’s games as a member of the World Athletics Council, and she told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame that her preparations have been a little bit different.
“I think the stress levels are a bit different,” Adams said.
The types of stress are also different, Adams revealed, as competing has you training “pretty much at the cliff edge”, whereas in her current role, her stresses are caused by more mundane things like travel and preparing council meetings.
There’s plenty of sports on offer this year, and Adams is looking forward to the intensity of basketball and the novelty of gymnastics.
“And obviously, following the New Zealand crew,” Adams told Tame.
New Zealand is sending 195 athletes to compete in the Games across a total of 23 sports.
The Athletics team is 15-strong with “heaps of potential”, as Adams puts it, but they’re also facing quite a lot of pressure.
“We’ve had a good history of bringing back medals at every Olympic Games since I competed, apart from Athens. So there is a lot of pressure on there, but so much potential.”
“I hope spectators and viewers, especially us Kiwis back here supporting, remember and know and realise that everybody out there competing for our country is doing their ultimate best,” she told Tame.
“Whatever the results will be, will be, and just be a bit kinder with any comments or remarks that you might want to make.”
Having competed in so many high-profile events, Adams knows what it’s like to be cast into the spotlight and faced with New Zealand’s infamous ‘tall poppy syndrome’.
“I know what it’s like to perform well and succeed, and I also know what it’s like to underperform and actually get ridiculed and abused for it, and then win the gold medal seven days later, and then I was a national hero.”
“It’s not a good place to be.”
Although being at the Games is set to stir up some nostalgia, Adams is quite sure that five was enough, and being able to make a change in her capacity as a World Athletics Council member is special as well.
“You know, if you want to make change, you’ve got to be at the table, not serving coffee to people at the table.”
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks at B.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good morning, you were Jactame on News Talks eDV and
we are exactly one week away from the twenty twenty
four Olympic Games in Paris. Kiwi athletes have been training, competing,
pushing hard to qualify for Team New Zealand, and one
hundred and ninety five athletes are currently making their way
to France. As someone who knows the feeling all too well,
(00:36):
having competed at a whopping five Olympic Games and one
a staggering two golds, a silver and a bronze medal
in the shop put as Dame Valerie Adams this year
though she's not competing, although she's preparing to head to
Paris in her new advocacy role. Dame val is with
us in studio Keilder.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Good morning, Calder. How's it going?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Very good things. It's good to see you, Thank you,
thank you. What is it like preparing for your first
Olympic Games in more than twenty years in which you
don't actually have compete.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
It's a little bit different. I think the stress levels
are a bit different, and it's different stresses now you know,
before it was a performance high training pretty much at
the cliff edge, you know, kind of aiming for that
one centimeter at a time type of thing, where now
it's a different type of stress, you know, preparing presentations
for council meetings and you know, traveling and all the
rest of it. So it's it's good in one sense,
(01:30):
and then the other sense it's it's a stressful as
well because it is a different role. Yeah, but at
the same time looking forward to go and enjoy the
games from a spectator's point of view as opposed to competing, that.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Must be so nice. Yeah, yeah, actually, because I think
I don't know if it was real where it was,
but I think I spoke to it at games once
and and see, like do you actually watch the game
certainly before your event?
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yeah, never Yeah, And so like for you it's going
to become a novel experience actually just watching the Olympics.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Yeah, absolutely, like watching the whole day if I wanted to,
and sitting there and getting higher and all the rest
of it whilst enjoying the games. But you don't watch it.
You'll focus on your event, and that is that you
don't know what anybody else is doing, because that's just
the whole that's just the way it is. Where now
it's like you can actually pick who you want to
watch and who you want to follow and get up
at three o'clock in the morning before you actually shoot out,
but go into Paris all the rest of it. But
(02:24):
it's going to be great. I think, you know, this
is going to be a games to remember after what
happened in Tokyo, so globally, I think it's going to
pretty much uplift everybody. I hope, So, I mean, I hope,
But that's the aim, right is it.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
One of the things I love about the Olympics is
I get really intensely into sports that I don't necessarily
follow for like three years and nine months, you know,
and then all of a sudden I've become like an
expert on diving or whatever. Else. Are these sports that
you are really excited about seeing that?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Isn't that a typical journalist particular sports that I'm looking
forward to. I'm I really enjoy basketball joing the Olympic
Games because it's quite you know, it's quite intense, but
in a different way. I love, yeah, absolutely. But then
I do like things like gymnastics, you know, because it's
so such a novelty. We don't even really have it
(03:15):
here in New Zealand and obviously following the New Zealand crew.
But all in all, I think it's going to be
very different games, right because there's so many villagers that
they have to in countries, not just in France. You know,
you've got Tahiti putting up surfing, so it's very unique
and it's very French.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
How do you think about breakdancing?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Listen? Breakdancing. They take some skill and take some work
and it is quite competitive. I mean, but you know
it's quite hard to judge or to you know, get
a winner out of it. I think, you know, I'm
a real uh you know, old school when it comes
to the Olympics. But equally I know that we have
to move with the times, especially with the youngsters coming through.
(03:59):
So you have to be open minded and be a
bit more have have a mind that's a bit towards
the innovation way, because within athletics we're trying to do
the same thing to get more viewers and spectators on board,
especially from broadcasting point of view.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
You talk to us about that. How is athletics kind
of moving with the times a little bit.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Yeah. I mean, you know, we introduced things like the
mixed relay, you know, very unique events, and you have
like the relay Champs over and the Bahamas and all
the rest. So the whole idea for us is actually
how do you grow this sport globally and how do
you get more participants. Also, research shows that for example throws,
for example, there is a massive drop in viewership. So
from a from a sporting point of view, we actually
(04:39):
have to look at this and that's why. It's because
you know, female throws is a lot less interesting than
male male throwers. How do we change that? You know,
we have looked at ways of trying to you know,
bump that up, like changing implement weights. And with the
horizontal jumps, you know, there's so many fowls when they
do jumps. Okay, how do we avoid this? Because you know,
six six jumps and then they've foul four jumps, there's
(05:02):
only two valid jumps. You know, how does that become
boring for spectators?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Right?
Speaker 3 (05:06):
So we have to be a bit more open minded,
and sometimes it's very difficult because youve got to get
the buy in from the athletes. And buy in from
the old school spectators.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, that's very interesting. I hadn't perhaps appreciated that that
level of analysis came into every sport and athletics that
you know, you're looking at the kind of viewership and
going you know what, actually, we do have an opportunity
to improve things here.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Because because at the end of the day, broadcasters and
people with the TV companies like your own, that's how
we get our money, right, So we actually have to
work together and actually find ways and how do we
get more people to be interested in the sport. And
if it means moving around and maneuvering some things here
and then then that's what we've got to look into.
The mix relay for example, you know, people were a
(05:50):
bit spectacle. You know, oh this isn't probably not a
good idea. How do we make this, you know, entertaining,
But in fact it's been a big hit and now
it's part of the program. So we just have to
be a bit more open minded, but equally making sure
that the athletes get the buy in on it.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
And it's going to the balance, like you don't want
to make something spectacle for the sake of being a spectacle.
It's still you know, you're still going to got to
be true to the sport. Yeah, yeah, at its core.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Do you think you know that that shows Sprint on
Netflix has kind of applied the Formula one drive to
survive behind the scenes drama model to sprinters. Are there
other like sports and athletics that you think would could
you imagine yourself?
Speaker 3 (06:35):
No, the sprinters are like Hollywood stars. They are very dramatic.
You know, they're over dramatized things. You know, they're very
out there. And you've got the Americans versus the Jamaicans
is a little bit less loud than the Americans are,
and I think it brings a massive insight as to
what goes on in that sprinting world. But that's the entertainment. Yeah,
that's where most of the money comes from. Is this
(06:57):
one hundred sprints. So at the end of the day,
it's ten seconds. You've got to get the start right.
You can't fall start, and you've got ten seconds to
run your heart out and try and win.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Okay, you can't false start. Just as as as a layman,
I look at that and I'm like, really, we're going
to We're going to disqualify someone over a one false start. Yeah,
that's so much pressure.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
It's so much pressure. But once upon a time you
can get too false starts, so athlete on the line,
you get two false starts, so you could be starting
for the next half an hour. So it was pretty
much because broadcasters were getting annoyed, right, So it says
one false start, one hit, you're out. Yeah, And they
learned it pretty quickly and you know, hardly at least
false starts. When it happens. It's quite dramatic. That's what
(07:39):
TV likes, That's what spectators like, that's what the viewers like.
Is actually that that drama? Oh this person's false start
or they were a favorite to win.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
I looking at the key athletics team apart from your
very notable absence, of course, it's like it strikes me
as one of the strongest athletics teams across the boards
we've had in a long time. Is that is that fair? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:01):
That that is fair?
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Certainly. Like put it this way, there's heaps of potentially.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Yeah, I think that's the right word for it. It's
actually massive potential. Quite a young team, you know, coming
through the ranks, and there's a lot of pressure on
them to perform right, because ultimately, you know, we've had
a good history of bringing back medals at every Olympic
Game since I competed, apart from Olympia Athens. So there
(08:25):
is a lot of pressure on there, but so much potential.
Who knows it is the Olympic Games. It is a
pinnacle of everybody sporting career when they get there. But
you know, youve got the likes of Eliza making the
comeback again, lots of pressure Zoie within the sprints, but
didn't think it happens. So I mean, I just hope
that they will go out there and do their best,
which I know they would, and I hope spectators and viewers,
(08:46):
especially us Key's back here supporting remember and know and
just realize that everybody out there competing for our country
is doing their ultimate best and whatever the results will
be will be. And just be a bit kinder with
any comments or remarks that you might want to make.
It's interesting because you know, tall poppy syndrome, it is
a thing in now country, and we like to give
(09:07):
opinions and our two cents on people's performances. But let
me tell you something from someone who has been there,
done that multiple times five Olympic Games. I know what
it's like to perform well and succeed, and I know
I also know what it's like to underperform and actually
get to ridiculed and actually abuse for it.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
And then when a gold.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Medal seven days later and then I was a national hero,
it's not a good place to be and so just
be a bit mindful.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
That's that's really interesting that if did that affect you
when people were giving you a step of.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Course, because twenty twelve, like you know, I got silver
medal and then all of a sudden it was like
silver metal was not good enough, which is crazy, you know,
but I think you know nowadays, you know, the accessibility
to to athletes through social media platforms, et cetera. It's
it's out there, right, So yeah, it did impact you
because you're already on the ground anyway, down on the dumps,
and then extra on top of that isn't helpful. But equally,
(09:59):
you know, seven days later the results changed and then
all of a sudden, I was a national hero. So
not everybody has the capacity to deal with you know,
it's quite hard, but truth be told, you know this
like how you deal things mentally and high performers do
go hand in hand, so you have to put some
tools and resources around to try and combat that.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Are they are there things like that you will be
doing with New Zealand athletes to try and advise them.
You have any contact with them.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
So I'll go, you know, if I see them, Yeah,
I'll be in contact with them, but no, so I'm
there solely for world eforts, you know, but I will
definitely go and see I mean you're going off on
the door, right of course, of course, yeah, yeah, of
course I'll go and see them and and and support
them absolutely.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
That's sort of because I mean for some of them,
especially when I think about how young our athletics team is,
it seems to me like a lot of them I'm
sure would benefit from having your experience with those kind
of with those kind of considerations, right, I reckon honestly,
just delete social media off you.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, just log off, just took it off. Yeah,
it must.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Be so hard to do that.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
For for some athletes it's hard because that's the like,
let's how to kill time?
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yeah, of course, and that's it. You can't you try
not to burn tobut g energy, right, So you're sitting
in the village and then you're scrolling and then you
see something that really annoys you. Yep. Oh yeah, and
some of some AMTI experts who reckons they can throw
further than you, jump bigh than you.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Great, yeah, here we go. Prize money as well. Yes,
how are you feeling about that? Great? So fifty thousand
dollars per event, right right?
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Okay, So, so what difference will that make for for
for athletes in terms of motivation and in terms of
the sport.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
I think it's gonna like, you know, a lot of
people gain from the athletes and gain from the Olympic Games, right,
you know, with sponsors and you know, the.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
We're just talking about the TV broadcasts and stuff.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
You know, So Athletics, you know, I big up to
them for putting something like this together, to making it happen,
because you know, the athletes who deserve it, you know,
they are Athletics, for example, is the pinnacle of the
of the Olympic Games. And for me, I think it's
a step in the right direction, and it's up to
the other sports that they want to follow suit. You know,
there was a bit stick back from the IOC about it.
(12:08):
You know, it's not part of the Olympic movement and
blah blahlah and all this, But at the end of
the day, for me, I think it's it's a positive movement.
I think it's something that hopefully all the other sports
looks into because we've got to, you know, compensate our athletes,
you know, for winning at an Olympic stage and for
doing what they do. Athletics is not a very you
can't make a lot of money like you're doing golf
(12:30):
and all the rest of it. So that's going to
help absolutely.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
I just think it makes it seems only fair to me, Yes,
thank you. In order to compete at the highest level,
you have to we all know this. You you surely
have to be a full time athlete. Almost everyone is
a full time athlete, right and and there are sports
like you say, it might be all right if you're
an NBA star and you're playing playing for the USA
basketball team or something like that, you're probably going to
(12:54):
be okay, But there are so many sports where there
isn't that kind of money. Not surely you want to
see athletes actually, you know, compensated for their work but
also supported to get better. In the future. I think
it's obvious.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Absolutely, So I think like for me and for our sport,
hopefully every other sport can look it and go, okay,
we got to do something like this, probably not up
to the same standard, but do something, you know, because
that means that they value their athletes because they're gaining
from it totally. So let's see.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
So do I ask it, what moment of these games
are you going to feel the biggest like pang in
your chest?
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Man, I wish I was out there.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Probably while I'm at the track, and you know, funny enough,
it's probably maybe when I'm watching the woman shot.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Yeah, maybe, yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Yeah. Although I was at the Eugene World Championships the
year after I the year i'd announced my retirement, and
someone asked me if I was competing, Yeah, and I
was actually going to watch the qualification. I was like,
thank you, but no, actually I'll just cut to be
a spectator. But I think when the woman shot is on,
only because the last Olympic Games, the story and the
hardship took me to get there, and you know, the
(13:56):
COVID and all the rest of it, I think that's
probably going to be like, oh, crap like it would
have would be nice to be out there, But at
the same time, on the second breath, I'd be like, na,
bro u, I know exactly how you're feeling. How you're feeling.
You probably didn't sleep last night, probably hardly, you know,
wanted to eat anything, Like I am almost like I'm
done with that, you know. Five Olympic Games is enough?
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Yeah, And how special to be there in this capacity
as well to be able to actually enjoy the games
whilst also contributing.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Yeah, absolutely, And for you know, for me, it's about
going there and on a different capacity, but wanting to
use your platform, your experience to make change, you know,
because if you want to make change, you've got to
be at the table, not serving coffee to the people
at the table. And I soon realize, you know, I
mean you before, ethics is are very europe centric. Sport
ethnics has are very you know, heavily focused on what's
(14:44):
happening in Europe and also America. Also, they've also got
to realize that ocean you exist, South America exists, Africa exists,
you know. So I'm able to bring that aspect into
onto the table and actually have conversations with our council
members to be able to just let them know, remind
them that you know, we do exist down here, even
though our time zones are pretty effed up and we've
got to have meetings at one till four in the morning. Oh,
(15:07):
we're here for it.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
One last question. Have you been in France or in
Paris before where you haven't had to eat like an athlete?
Speaker 3 (15:14):
No?
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Because here's my tip, I reckon you want to you
want to land in Paris and you immediately want to
go to a patiserio or bologerie or whatever. Two arm
and croissants just to start the day. Yes, and the
champions breakfast and coffee of course, yeah, you can do that.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Absolutely. No, I haven't been there as a non athlete,
so I am looking forwards for and you some some buggets,
boun and croissant. There you go.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Perfect. Hey, it is so good to see you enjoy
enjoy the Olympic Games and all the very best.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
We will thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
That is Dame Valerie Adams. How good? Yes, less than
seven days now until the opening ceremony at Paris twenty
twenty four.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame listen live
to news talks he'd be from nine am Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks at B.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good morning, you were Jactame on News Talks eDV and
we are exactly one week away from the twenty twenty
four Olympic Games in Paris. Kiwi athletes have been training, competing,
pushing hard to qualify for Team New Zealand, and one
hundred and ninety five athletes are currently making their way
to France. As someone who knows the feeling all too well,
(00:36):
having competed at a whopping five Olympic Games and one
a staggering two golds, a silver and a bronze medal
in the shop put as Dame Valerie Adams this year
though she's not competing, although she's preparing to head to
Paris in her new advocacy role. Dame val is with
us in studio Keilder.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Good morning, Calder. How's it going?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Very good things. It's good to see you, Thank you,
thank you. What is it like preparing for your first
Olympic Games in more than twenty years in which you
don't actually have compete.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
It's a little bit different. I think the stress levels
are a bit different, and it's different stresses now you know,
before it was a performance high training pretty much at
the cliff edge, you know, kind of aiming for that
one centimeter at a time type of thing, where now
it's a different type of stress, you know, preparing presentations
for council meetings and you know, traveling and all the
rest of it. So it's it's good in one sense,
(01:30):
and then the other sense it's it's a stressful as
well because it is a different role. Yeah, but at
the same time looking forward to go and enjoy the
games from a spectator's point of view as opposed to competing, that.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Must be so nice. Yeah, yeah, actually, because I think
I don't know if it was real where it was,
but I think I spoke to it at games once
and and see, like do you actually watch the game
certainly before your event?
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yeah, never Yeah, And so like for you it's going
to become a novel experience actually just watching the Olympics.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Yeah, absolutely, like watching the whole day if I wanted to,
and sitting there and getting higher and all the rest
of it whilst enjoying the games. But you don't watch it.
You'll focus on your event, and that is that you
don't know what anybody else is doing, because that's just
the whole that's just the way it is. Where now
it's like you can actually pick who you want to
watch and who you want to follow and get up
at three o'clock in the morning before you actually shoot out,
but go into Paris all the rest of it. But
(02:24):
it's going to be great. I think, you know, this
is going to be a games to remember after what
happened in Tokyo, so globally, I think it's going to
pretty much uplift everybody. I hope, So, I mean, I hope,
But that's the aim, right is it.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
One of the things I love about the Olympics is
I get really intensely into sports that I don't necessarily
follow for like three years and nine months, you know,
and then all of a sudden I've become like an
expert on diving or whatever. Else. Are these sports that
you are really excited about seeing that?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Isn't that a typical journalist particular sports that I'm looking
forward to. I'm I really enjoy basketball joing the Olympic
Games because it's quite you know, it's quite intense, but
in a different way. I love, yeah, absolutely. But then
I do like things like gymnastics, you know, because it's
so such a novelty. We don't even really have it
(03:15):
here in New Zealand and obviously following the New Zealand crew.
But all in all, I think it's going to be
very different games, right because there's so many villagers that
they have to in countries, not just in France. You know,
you've got Tahiti putting up surfing, so it's very unique
and it's very French.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
How do you think about breakdancing?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Listen? Breakdancing. They take some skill and take some work
and it is quite competitive. I mean, but you know
it's quite hard to judge or to you know, get
a winner out of it. I think, you know, I'm
a real uh you know, old school when it comes
to the Olympics. But equally I know that we have
to move with the times, especially with the youngsters coming through.
(03:59):
So you have to be open minded and be a
bit more have have a mind that's a bit towards
the innovation way, because within athletics we're trying to do
the same thing to get more viewers and spectators on board,
especially from broadcasting point of view.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
You talk to us about that. How is athletics kind
of moving with the times a little bit.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Yeah. I mean, you know, we introduced things like the
mixed relay, you know, very unique events, and you have
like the relay Champs over and the Bahamas and all
the rest. So the whole idea for us is actually
how do you grow this sport globally and how do
you get more participants. Also, research shows that for example throws,
for example, there is a massive drop in viewership. So
from a from a sporting point of view, we actually
(04:39):
have to look at this and that's why. It's because
you know, female throws is a lot less interesting than
male male throwers. How do we change that? You know,
we have looked at ways of trying to you know,
bump that up, like changing implement weights. And with the
horizontal jumps, you know, there's so many fowls when they
do jumps. Okay, how do we avoid this? Because you know,
six six jumps and then they've foul four jumps, there's
(05:02):
only two valid jumps. You know, how does that become
boring for spectators?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Right?
Speaker 3 (05:06):
So we have to be a bit more open minded,
and sometimes it's very difficult because youve got to get
the buy in from the athletes. And buy in from
the old school spectators.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, that's very interesting. I hadn't perhaps appreciated that that
level of analysis came into every sport and athletics that
you know, you're looking at the kind of viewership and
going you know what, actually, we do have an opportunity
to improve things here.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Because because at the end of the day, broadcasters and
people with the TV companies like your own, that's how
we get our money, right, So we actually have to
work together and actually find ways and how do we
get more people to be interested in the sport. And
if it means moving around and maneuvering some things here
and then then that's what we've got to look into.
The mix relay for example, you know, people were a
(05:50):
bit spectacle. You know, oh this isn't probably not a
good idea. How do we make this, you know, entertaining,
But in fact it's been a big hit and now
it's part of the program. So we just have to
be a bit more open minded, but equally making sure
that the athletes get the buy in on it.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
And it's going to the balance, like you don't want
to make something spectacle for the sake of being a spectacle.
It's still you know, you're still going to got to
be true to the sport. Yeah, yeah, at its core.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Do you think you know that that shows Sprint on
Netflix has kind of applied the Formula one drive to
survive behind the scenes drama model to sprinters. Are there
other like sports and athletics that you think would could
you imagine yourself?
Speaker 3 (06:35):
No, the sprinters are like Hollywood stars. They are very dramatic.
You know, they're over dramatized things. You know, they're very
out there. And you've got the Americans versus the Jamaicans
is a little bit less loud than the Americans are,
and I think it brings a massive insight as to
what goes on in that sprinting world. But that's the entertainment. Yeah,
that's where most of the money comes from. Is this
(06:57):
one hundred sprints. So at the end of the day,
it's ten seconds. You've got to get the start right.
You can't fall start, and you've got ten seconds to
run your heart out and try and win.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Okay, you can't false start. Just as as as a layman,
I look at that and I'm like, really, we're going
to We're going to disqualify someone over a one false start. Yeah,
that's so much pressure.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
It's so much pressure. But once upon a time you
can get too false starts, so athlete on the line,
you get two false starts, so you could be starting
for the next half an hour. So it was pretty
much because broadcasters were getting annoyed, right, So it says
one false start, one hit, you're out. Yeah, And they
learned it pretty quickly and you know, hardly at least
false starts. When it happens. It's quite dramatic. That's what
(07:39):
TV likes, That's what spectators like, that's what the viewers like.
Is actually that that drama? Oh this person's false start
or they were a favorite to win.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
I looking at the key athletics team apart from your
very notable absence, of course, it's like it strikes me
as one of the strongest athletics teams across the boards
we've had in a long time. Is that is that fair? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:01):
That that is fair?
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Certainly. Like put it this way, there's heaps of potentially.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Yeah, I think that's the right word for it. It's
actually massive potential. Quite a young team, you know, coming
through the ranks, and there's a lot of pressure on
them to perform right, because ultimately, you know, we've had
a good history of bringing back medals at every Olympic
Game since I competed, apart from Olympia Athens. So there
(08:25):
is a lot of pressure on there, but so much potential.
Who knows it is the Olympic Games. It is a
pinnacle of everybody sporting career when they get there. But
you know, youve got the likes of Eliza making the
comeback again, lots of pressure Zoie within the sprints, but
didn't think it happens. So I mean, I just hope
that they will go out there and do their best,
which I know they would, and I hope spectators and viewers,
(08:46):
especially us Key's back here supporting remember and know and
just realize that everybody out there competing for our country
is doing their ultimate best and whatever the results will
be will be. And just be a bit kinder with
any comments or remarks that you might want to make.
It's interesting because you know, tall poppy syndrome, it is
a thing in now country, and we like to give
(09:07):
opinions and our two cents on people's performances. But let
me tell you something from someone who has been there,
done that multiple times five Olympic Games. I know what
it's like to perform well and succeed, and I know
I also know what it's like to underperform and actually
get to ridiculed and actually abuse for it.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
And then when a gold.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Medal seven days later and then I was a national hero,
it's not a good place to be and so just
be a bit mindful.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
That's that's really interesting that if did that affect you
when people were giving you a step of.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Course, because twenty twelve, like you know, I got silver
medal and then all of a sudden it was like
silver metal was not good enough, which is crazy, you know,
but I think you know nowadays, you know, the accessibility
to to athletes through social media platforms, et cetera. It's
it's out there, right, So yeah, it did impact you
because you're already on the ground anyway, down on the dumps,
and then extra on top of that isn't helpful. But equally,
(09:59):
you know, seven days later the results changed and then
all of a sudden, I was a national hero. So
not everybody has the capacity to deal with you know,
it's quite hard, but truth be told, you know this
like how you deal things mentally and high performers do
go hand in hand, so you have to put some
tools and resources around to try and combat that.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Are they are there things like that you will be
doing with New Zealand athletes to try and advise them.
You have any contact with them.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
So I'll go, you know, if I see them, Yeah,
I'll be in contact with them, but no, so I'm
there solely for world eforts, you know, but I will
definitely go and see I mean you're going off on
the door, right of course, of course, yeah, yeah, of
course I'll go and see them and and and support
them absolutely.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
That's sort of because I mean for some of them,
especially when I think about how young our athletics team is,
it seems to me like a lot of them I'm
sure would benefit from having your experience with those kind
of with those kind of considerations, right, I reckon honestly,
just delete social media off you.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, just log off, just took it off. Yeah,
it must.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Be so hard to do that.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
For for some athletes it's hard because that's the like,
let's how to kill time?
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yeah, of course, and that's it. You can't you try
not to burn tobut g energy, right, So you're sitting
in the village and then you're scrolling and then you
see something that really annoys you. Yep. Oh yeah, and
some of some AMTI experts who reckons they can throw
further than you, jump bigh than you.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Great, yeah, here we go. Prize money as well. Yes,
how are you feeling about that? Great? So fifty thousand
dollars per event, right right?
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Okay, So, so what difference will that make for for
for athletes in terms of motivation and in terms of
the sport.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
I think it's gonna like, you know, a lot of
people gain from the athletes and gain from the Olympic Games, right,
you know, with sponsors and you know, the.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
We're just talking about the TV broadcasts and stuff.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
You know, So Athletics, you know, I big up to
them for putting something like this together, to making it happen,
because you know, the athletes who deserve it, you know,
they are Athletics, for example, is the pinnacle of the
of the Olympic Games. And for me, I think it's
a step in the right direction, and it's up to
the other sports that they want to follow suit. You know,
there was a bit stick back from the IOC about it.
(12:08):
You know, it's not part of the Olympic movement and
blah blahlah and all this, But at the end of
the day, for me, I think it's it's a positive movement.
I think it's something that hopefully all the other sports
looks into because we've got to, you know, compensate our athletes,
you know, for winning at an Olympic stage and for
doing what they do. Athletics is not a very you
can't make a lot of money like you're doing golf
(12:30):
and all the rest of it. So that's going to
help absolutely.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
I just think it makes it seems only fair to me, Yes,
thank you. In order to compete at the highest level,
you have to we all know this. You you surely
have to be a full time athlete. Almost everyone is
a full time athlete, right and and there are sports
like you say, it might be all right if you're
an NBA star and you're playing playing for the USA
basketball team or something like that, you're probably going to
(12:54):
be okay, But there are so many sports where there
isn't that kind of money. Not surely you want to
see athletes actually, you know, compensated for their work but
also supported to get better. In the future. I think
it's obvious.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Absolutely, So I think like for me and for our sport,
hopefully every other sport can look it and go, okay,
we got to do something like this, probably not up
to the same standard, but do something, you know, because
that means that they value their athletes because they're gaining
from it totally. So let's see.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
So do I ask it, what moment of these games
are you going to feel the biggest like pang in
your chest?
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Man, I wish I was out there.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Probably while I'm at the track, and you know, funny enough,
it's probably maybe when I'm watching the woman shot.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Yeah, maybe, yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Yeah. Although I was at the Eugene World Championships the
year after I the year i'd announced my retirement, and
someone asked me if I was competing, Yeah, and I
was actually going to watch the qualification. I was like,
thank you, but no, actually I'll just cut to be
a spectator. But I think when the woman shot is on,
only because the last Olympic Games, the story and the
hardship took me to get there, and you know, the
(13:56):
COVID and all the rest of it, I think that's
probably going to be like, oh, crap like it would
have would be nice to be out there, But at
the same time, on the second breath, I'd be like, na,
bro u, I know exactly how you're feeling. How you're feeling.
You probably didn't sleep last night, probably hardly, you know,
wanted to eat anything, Like I am almost like I'm
done with that, you know. Five Olympic Games is enough?
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Yeah, And how special to be there in this capacity
as well to be able to actually enjoy the games
whilst also contributing.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Yeah, absolutely, And for you know, for me, it's about
going there and on a different capacity, but wanting to
use your platform, your experience to make change, you know,
because if you want to make change, you've got to
be at the table, not serving coffee to the people
at the table. And I soon realize, you know, I
mean you before, ethics is are very europe centric. Sport
ethnics has are very you know, heavily focused on what's
(14:44):
happening in Europe and also America. Also, they've also got
to realize that ocean you exist, South America exists, Africa exists,
you know. So I'm able to bring that aspect into
onto the table and actually have conversations with our council
members to be able to just let them know, remind
them that you know, we do exist down here, even
though our time zones are pretty effed up and we've
got to have meetings at one till four in the morning. Oh,
(15:07):
we're here for it.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
One last question. Have you been in France or in
Paris before where you haven't had to eat like an athlete?
Speaker 3 (15:14):
No?
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Because here's my tip, I reckon you want to you
want to land in Paris and you immediately want to
go to a patiserio or bologerie or whatever. Two arm
and croissants just to start the day. Yes, and the
champions breakfast and coffee of course, yeah, you can do that.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Absolutely. No, I haven't been there as a non athlete,
so I am looking forwards for and you some some buggets,
boun and croissant. There you go.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Perfect. Hey, it is so good to see you enjoy
enjoy the Olympic Games and all the very best.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
We will thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
That is Dame Valerie Adams. How good? Yes, less than
seven days now until the opening ceremony at Paris twenty
twenty four.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame listen live
to news talks he'd be from nine am Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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