October 4, 2024 • 11 mins
Ellesse Andrews was one of New Zealand's biggest stars at the Paris Olympics.
She dominated the Velodrome, bringing home two gold medals as well as a silver.
Andrews joined Piney to discuss her performance in this year’s Games.
“I don't know if I can pick one memorable moment, but the whole thing was just crazy.”
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from News Talks B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
One of the undoubted stars of the Paris Olympic Games
track cyclist Elise andrew She won gold first of all
on the karen A Lap to go.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Now Elise Andrews on the inside and up, but she's
got the brick coming around. It's like I said in
the former Finuken the power goes on can Alise Andrews
holders she comes down towards the finishing line. Alise Andrews
on the line.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
It looks like she's won gold.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Alease Andrews intense, incisive and vincible at the Paris Valodrome.
Too much power and too much panache.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
And then she went on to win gold again in
the individual sprints.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
As Andrews cows up the track starting a move, they
worked their way around of.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
The home straight.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Away.
Speaker 5 (00:59):
He goes.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Alise Andrews up against Leah Friedrich. Andrews comes around the bed.
She's in control. Timely allowed it of course. Now here
she goes around the bed.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Canci pedals on your chapter in New Zealand cycling history.
She can and less Andrews's a Totle gold endlist. In Paris,
she completes her own after tree.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Off I Love It from Andrew Orison. Two golds for
Elise Andrews, becoming the first woman to complete the sprint
Kieren Olympic doubles. She was also part of the silver
medal winning team Sprint, so three medals in Paris. That
was after she won silver and the Karen at the
last Olympics in Tokyo, three golds and a silver at
(01:42):
the twenty twenty two Commonwealth Games and Karen gold and
sprint bronze at the World Champs last year. Water haul
Elise Andrews says, well, she'll be running, You'll be running
out of places to keep all your medals.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
Hi, thank you for having me. Yeah, I've been asked
that question. Where am I going to keep to them?
I'm still thinking on that, so we'll see.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
All right. With a few weeks to reflect back on Paris,
what stands out the most when you think back?
Speaker 5 (02:10):
Yeah, I think it's really been quite nice having this
time and space to really reflect on the games. And
that's like quite a pattern for me, I feel historically,
you know, just needing to take some time for myself
to really think about think about the racing and reflects properly.
So I'm really grateful to have had that time. And yeah,
it's really special to look back and I don't know
if I can pay one memorable moment, but the whole
(02:32):
thing was just crazy.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
What were your hopes, your expectations, your goals going into Paris?
Speaker 5 (02:39):
Yes, I knew it was going to be a massive week.
You know, with six days of racing out of seven,
it was going to be so tough, and so I
knew that going in, so I really just wanted to
race every race day ass as I could, and you know,
in the individual races, that meant that I'd be continuing
to progress through the racing and hopefully make it to
the finals and that top spot as a dream. But
(03:01):
with the team, you know, we were really wanting to
hunt down a middle and we knew that we could
be there if we put our best performance forward, which
we did on the day, and you know, getting that
silver metal was very special.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Did the order of the events suit you? And when
you look back to the order in which they fell,
did that actually plan in your favorite or did it not?
Speaker 5 (03:21):
I feel like it doesn't. I mean, it's nice to
have the team event first. I do actually really like
the order, having the team event over one day and first,
but the order of the individual events probably not. But
maybe that's just because I'm used to it. Like I've
raced that format a couple of times before Tokyo that
the Karen was first and then this was second. Last
(03:41):
year's Worlds was the same, and this year's Games was
the same, So potentially I'm just used to it.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
The Karen. Did you always feel in control once you
got to the back end of the Kieren event?
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (03:53):
Yeah, I felt really rarely calm and controlled throughout the
whole competition. You know, maybe getting that first race other
way is always quite a nice feeling, but you know,
after that, I really did feel like I could just
you know, sort of breathe and relax into my racing
and make the best decisions possible was what was happening
around me, And so I did feel really calm and
(04:14):
in control and I but obviously and coming into the
final that was just I just gave it absolutely everything
I had. There was no control in the final. You
just have to go full guess.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Is that one of the one of the keys to
it to leaving enough in the tank that when it
comes to that final you can just give it absolutely everything.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
Yeah, I think if that's possible, then yes. And that's
something that I don't think I have done very well
in the past, and I think that's just an age
saying and experience is really kind of reading the race
and you know, not using all of your energy to
get to the finish line first, like they are smart
ways to race. And so that's kind of a change
that I really did feel this games, is that I
(04:54):
could make those just tiny, tiny decisions that would I mean,
they had a little bit more energy left at the end.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
I think you were I presume this is true, and
you might be able to tell me that you were
probably favorite for the Karen, did that give you any
extra pressure or motivation? How did that make you feel
that really people thought that you were the one who
was going to be on the top of the podium.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Oh, thank you? Maybe maybe a little bit. I think
I think that also, I'm not sure because there were
quite a few girls that we talked about for that
sort of that glory top spot and so and it
wasn't always it wasn't always me, So I feel like
it wasn't crazy, crazy pressure at least that I felt anyway,
because realistically, there were many girls that you know, could
(05:38):
push for that top spot, and the media in different
countries obviously were favoring their athletes. So yeah, so I
didn't always feel that feel that pressure.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
What about the sprint, I mean, with all due respect,
I'm not sure that you were absolute favorite for the sprint.
You were probably one of the bunch. You were a
bunch of one of a bunch of writers who may
or may not be there. So how did you approach
the sprint?
Speaker 5 (05:58):
Yeah, I definitely wasn't a favorite, but you know, I
approached it knowing that I needed to qualify further up
the field that I have historically. So in the past,
you know, I've sort of been around that maybe eighth
to eleventh place qualifying from the two hundred, and then
I've had to race my way up into the top positions,
(06:20):
which is a really tough way to do things. But
you know, we've done a lot of work on that
two hundred in the last a little while, and so
I knew that if I could get that right and
nail that, then I would qualify further up in the field.
So that was the first box to tick and then
from from that point on it was just you know,
focusing one race at a time. And yeah, I wasn't
a favorite. It was definitely an upset that I was
(06:45):
in the final ahead of some of us on the
other girls, but yeah, it's just the way it happens.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I think some of my favorite images of Paris are
you staring down Leah Friedrich before the sprint final. Do
you do you enjoy that side of the event that
I don't know whether it's psyching someone out or do
you do you enjoy that sort of thing?
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Though?
Speaker 5 (07:07):
I mean it is Sprinting is a very interesting sport
and interesting you know discipline, and you know that is
part of it. And I think it's not always just
like freak someone out, you know, like I do have
to have eyes on my opponent at all times, and
I think for me that's like a nice mental switch,
is to have that have that moment where you roll
(07:28):
up to the to the start line and you are
looking at your opponent because that's what you're going to
need to be doing to be aware of where they
are on the track, and so that's part of it.
But then also knowing that you know it is that
sort of mental mental game side of it as well.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Yeah, I love it. Can you give us some insight
into the influence of your coach, your dad, John?
Speaker 5 (07:48):
Yeah, oh yeah, for sure. He came on board less
than a year before the Games, after our previous coach
Neck had to move back to Australia with his family.
So that was a real surprise and probably reasonably truthful
at the time to think, you know, we are coach
lists going into the Games. But you know, it just
(08:10):
worked out really well that John had just been in
Australia coaching over there and then finally come back to
New Zealand and was working an art consultant contractor role sorry,
and so it just worked out that he was able
to apply for the job and come on board. So yeah,
it's been great to have him on board. It's been
(08:31):
really special. It's been such whirlwind at the time, I
think him coming on board, especially because of how late
he came on and the piece, but I think we've
been able to do some really great work together.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Interesting, I heard you call him John there. Is that
what you do when he's coaching you? You don't call
him Dad?
Speaker 5 (08:47):
No, I don't.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Is it an interesting dynamic? Though, because at the end
of the day, he's your dad, you're his daughter. Was
he able to I don't know, be proud, but also
be able to coach you in a way that that
would you know, that would get the best out of you.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
Oh yeah, I think like when it comes to racing,
like he's coaching me as a coach, and that sort
of celebration as a family comes afterwards. Just like all
the other athletes, you know, they are track sided with
their coach, and then later on after they're finished warming
down and troke testing and media and all of that
is when you can actually celebrate with your family. So
I think that was kind of how it worked for us,
(09:24):
is that you know, obviously were soaked to be there together,
but it was sort of in that professional capacity until
we could have some family time with you know, my
mum and my partner and grandparents later on.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Very cool. All right, So do you get a break
and what's next?
Speaker 5 (09:40):
Yes, I do get a break, which is quite refreshing.
It's been nice to be able to go home, to
do a little bit of travel around the South Island
and visit some of my favorite places. And next I
will be getting back into training. Properly on the track
in October, and then I have a series cool champions
(10:01):
League in Europe over November December, so I'll be heading
over to Europe November.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
All right, And do you have eyes on twenty twenty eight?
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Yes?
Speaker 5 (10:10):
I do, Yeah, I do.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Excellent. I think that's all we need to know about
that at the moment, right at the start of a
new Olympic cycle, Alicia gave us some mother you gave
us citizen, Indeed, you gave us some amazing moments in Paris. Congratulations,
all your hard work paid off. Thank you for taking
the time for a chat.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Thank you. Alise Andrews. There Golden girl or one of
them at the Paris Olympic Games. Good to know she's
going around again. Who knows what she might achieve over
the next four years. Two golds and a silver this
time around. We don't know, of course, where the track
cycling will be at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games still to
be decided, what the program will be there, but World Championships, etc.
(10:49):
She just seems like an absolute diamond, doesn't she. Elise
Andrews and someone who's going to I'm sure enjoy a
lot more success over the months and years ahead.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news Talk Said Be weekends from midday, or follow
a podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from News Talks B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
One of the undoubted stars of the Paris Olympic Games
track cyclist Elise andrew She won gold first of all
on the karen A Lap to go.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Now Elise Andrews on the inside and up, but she's
got the brick coming around. It's like I said in
the former Finuken the power goes on can Alise Andrews
holders she comes down towards the finishing line. Alise Andrews
on the line.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
It looks like she's won gold.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Alease Andrews intense, incisive and vincible at the Paris Valodrome.
Too much power and too much panache.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
And then she went on to win gold again in
the individual sprints.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
As Andrews cows up the track starting a move, they
worked their way around of.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
The home straight.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Away.
Speaker 5 (00:59):
He goes.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Alise Andrews up against Leah Friedrich. Andrews comes around the bed.
She's in control. Timely allowed it of course. Now here
she goes around the bed.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Canci pedals on your chapter in New Zealand cycling history.
She can and less Andrews's a Totle gold endlist. In Paris,
she completes her own after tree.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Off I Love It from Andrew Orison. Two golds for
Elise Andrews, becoming the first woman to complete the sprint
Kieren Olympic doubles. She was also part of the silver
medal winning team Sprint, so three medals in Paris. That
was after she won silver and the Karen at the
last Olympics in Tokyo, three golds and a silver at
(01:42):
the twenty twenty two Commonwealth Games and Karen gold and
sprint bronze at the World Champs last year. Water haul
Elise Andrews says, well, she'll be running, You'll be running
out of places to keep all your medals.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
Hi, thank you for having me. Yeah, I've been asked
that question. Where am I going to keep to them?
I'm still thinking on that, so we'll see.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
All right. With a few weeks to reflect back on Paris,
what stands out the most when you think back?
Speaker 5 (02:10):
Yeah, I think it's really been quite nice having this
time and space to really reflect on the games. And
that's like quite a pattern for me, I feel historically,
you know, just needing to take some time for myself
to really think about think about the racing and reflects properly.
So I'm really grateful to have had that time. And yeah,
it's really special to look back and I don't know
if I can pay one memorable moment, but the whole
(02:32):
thing was just crazy.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
What were your hopes, your expectations, your goals going into Paris?
Speaker 5 (02:39):
Yes, I knew it was going to be a massive week.
You know, with six days of racing out of seven,
it was going to be so tough, and so I
knew that going in, so I really just wanted to
race every race day ass as I could, and you know,
in the individual races, that meant that I'd be continuing
to progress through the racing and hopefully make it to
the finals and that top spot as a dream. But
(03:01):
with the team, you know, we were really wanting to
hunt down a middle and we knew that we could
be there if we put our best performance forward, which
we did on the day, and you know, getting that
silver metal was very special.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Did the order of the events suit you? And when
you look back to the order in which they fell,
did that actually plan in your favorite or did it not?
Speaker 5 (03:21):
I feel like it doesn't. I mean, it's nice to
have the team event first. I do actually really like
the order, having the team event over one day and first,
but the order of the individual events probably not. But
maybe that's just because I'm used to it. Like I've
raced that format a couple of times before Tokyo that
the Karen was first and then this was second. Last
(03:41):
year's Worlds was the same, and this year's Games was
the same, So potentially I'm just used to it.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
The Karen. Did you always feel in control once you
got to the back end of the Kieren event?
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (03:53):
Yeah, I felt really rarely calm and controlled throughout the
whole competition. You know, maybe getting that first race other
way is always quite a nice feeling, but you know,
after that, I really did feel like I could just
you know, sort of breathe and relax into my racing
and make the best decisions possible was what was happening
around me, And so I did feel really calm and
(04:14):
in control and I but obviously and coming into the
final that was just I just gave it absolutely everything
I had. There was no control in the final. You
just have to go full guess.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Is that one of the one of the keys to
it to leaving enough in the tank that when it
comes to that final you can just give it absolutely everything.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
Yeah, I think if that's possible, then yes. And that's
something that I don't think I have done very well
in the past, and I think that's just an age
saying and experience is really kind of reading the race
and you know, not using all of your energy to
get to the finish line first, like they are smart
ways to race. And so that's kind of a change
that I really did feel this games, is that I
(04:54):
could make those just tiny, tiny decisions that would I mean,
they had a little bit more energy left at the end.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
I think you were I presume this is true, and
you might be able to tell me that you were
probably favorite for the Karen, did that give you any
extra pressure or motivation? How did that make you feel
that really people thought that you were the one who
was going to be on the top of the podium.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Oh, thank you? Maybe maybe a little bit. I think
I think that also, I'm not sure because there were
quite a few girls that we talked about for that
sort of that glory top spot and so and it
wasn't always it wasn't always me, So I feel like
it wasn't crazy, crazy pressure at least that I felt anyway,
because realistically, there were many girls that you know, could
(05:38):
push for that top spot, and the media in different
countries obviously were favoring their athletes. So yeah, so I
didn't always feel that feel that pressure.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
What about the sprint, I mean, with all due respect,
I'm not sure that you were absolute favorite for the sprint.
You were probably one of the bunch. You were a
bunch of one of a bunch of writers who may
or may not be there. So how did you approach
the sprint?
Speaker 5 (05:58):
Yeah, I definitely wasn't a favorite, but you know, I
approached it knowing that I needed to qualify further up
the field that I have historically. So in the past,
you know, I've sort of been around that maybe eighth
to eleventh place qualifying from the two hundred, and then
I've had to race my way up into the top positions,
(06:20):
which is a really tough way to do things. But
you know, we've done a lot of work on that
two hundred in the last a little while, and so
I knew that if I could get that right and
nail that, then I would qualify further up in the field.
So that was the first box to tick and then
from from that point on it was just you know,
focusing one race at a time. And yeah, I wasn't
a favorite. It was definitely an upset that I was
(06:45):
in the final ahead of some of us on the
other girls, but yeah, it's just the way it happens.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I think some of my favorite images of Paris are
you staring down Leah Friedrich before the sprint final. Do
you do you enjoy that side of the event that
I don't know whether it's psyching someone out or do
you do you enjoy that sort of thing?
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Though?
Speaker 5 (07:07):
I mean it is Sprinting is a very interesting sport
and interesting you know discipline, and you know that is
part of it. And I think it's not always just
like freak someone out, you know, like I do have
to have eyes on my opponent at all times, and
I think for me that's like a nice mental switch,
is to have that have that moment where you roll
(07:28):
up to the to the start line and you are
looking at your opponent because that's what you're going to
need to be doing to be aware of where they
are on the track, and so that's part of it.
But then also knowing that you know it is that
sort of mental mental game side of it as well.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Yeah, I love it. Can you give us some insight
into the influence of your coach, your dad, John?
Speaker 5 (07:48):
Yeah, oh yeah, for sure. He came on board less
than a year before the Games, after our previous coach
Neck had to move back to Australia with his family.
So that was a real surprise and probably reasonably truthful
at the time to think, you know, we are coach
lists going into the Games. But you know, it just
(08:10):
worked out really well that John had just been in
Australia coaching over there and then finally come back to
New Zealand and was working an art consultant contractor role sorry,
and so it just worked out that he was able
to apply for the job and come on board. So yeah,
it's been great to have him on board. It's been
(08:31):
really special. It's been such whirlwind at the time, I
think him coming on board, especially because of how late
he came on and the piece, but I think we've
been able to do some really great work together.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Interesting, I heard you call him John there. Is that
what you do when he's coaching you? You don't call
him Dad?
Speaker 5 (08:47):
No, I don't.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Is it an interesting dynamic? Though, because at the end
of the day, he's your dad, you're his daughter. Was
he able to I don't know, be proud, but also
be able to coach you in a way that that
would you know, that would get the best out of you.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
Oh yeah, I think like when it comes to racing,
like he's coaching me as a coach, and that sort
of celebration as a family comes afterwards. Just like all
the other athletes, you know, they are track sided with
their coach, and then later on after they're finished warming
down and troke testing and media and all of that
is when you can actually celebrate with your family. So
I think that was kind of how it worked for us,
(09:24):
is that you know, obviously were soaked to be there together,
but it was sort of in that professional capacity until
we could have some family time with you know, my
mum and my partner and grandparents later on.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Very cool. All right, So do you get a break
and what's next?
Speaker 5 (09:40):
Yes, I do get a break, which is quite refreshing.
It's been nice to be able to go home, to
do a little bit of travel around the South Island
and visit some of my favorite places. And next I
will be getting back into training. Properly on the track
in October, and then I have a series cool champions
(10:01):
League in Europe over November December, so I'll be heading
over to Europe November.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
All right, And do you have eyes on twenty twenty eight?
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Yes?
Speaker 5 (10:10):
I do, Yeah, I do.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Excellent. I think that's all we need to know about
that at the moment, right at the start of a
new Olympic cycle, Alicia gave us some mother you gave
us citizen, Indeed, you gave us some amazing moments in Paris. Congratulations,
all your hard work paid off. Thank you for taking
the time for a chat.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Thank you. Alise Andrews. There Golden girl or one of
them at the Paris Olympic Games. Good to know she's
going around again. Who knows what she might achieve over
the next four years. Two golds and a silver this
time around. We don't know, of course, where the track
cycling will be at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games still to
be decided, what the program will be there, but World Championships, etc.
(10:49):
She just seems like an absolute diamond, doesn't she. Elise
Andrews and someone who's going to I'm sure enjoy a
lot more success over the months and years ahead.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news Talk Said Be weekends from midday, or follow
a podcast on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com