December 6, 2024 • 11 mins
Three-time Paralympic Champion Anna Grimaldi found success in an unexpected area this year.
The Dunedin-based athlete was New Zealand’s only gold medallist at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, claiming the gold in the T47 200m final.
She narrowly missed medalling in the T47 women’s long jump, the event she had dominated at the last two Paralympic Games.
Grimaldi joined Piney to reflect on her success in Paris, in an unexpected event.
“If someone had said ‘you're coming home from Paris with the gold’, I would have said’ I would have thought it was in the long jump,” she said.
“It wasn’t really on my radar to be winning the 200.”
“It's been a, it’s been a crazy, like, a bit whiplash, actually, because obviously the long jump didn't go so well, and then coming away with sort of the gold but like, in a completely different event... it was, it was incredible.”
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalk z'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Three time Paralympian, three time Paralympic champion, gold medalist for
New Zealand in the T forty seven two hundred meters
in Paris this year, to go with bronze and the
T forty seven one hundred meters and the back to
back gold medals she won in the T forty seven
long jump in Rio and Tokyo. It is, of course,
Anna Grimaldi and I wonderful to get the chance to
(00:35):
catch up with you and reflect on what happened in Paris.
If someone had suggested to you before the Paralympic Games
that you would win gold in the two hundred meters
in an Oceania record of twenty four point seven two
seconds while chopping over a second off your personal best,
what would your reaction have been to that?
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Yeah, I think I'm sorry about this a line. If
someone had Segre coming home from Paris with the gold,
I would have seed. I would have thought it was
in the long jumps, like it was not. It wasn't
really on my radar to be winning the two hundred.
I thought maybe we had a good shot at doing
okay and yees being a being a crazy like a
(01:18):
whipplash actually because at this is a long jump didn't
go so well, and then coming away with sort of
the goal, but like in a completely definite mean it was.
It was incredible. I think I'm just blown away by
the time and that I was able to step up,
like do two races in the same day and run
quick at both races, and yeah, I don't know, I'm
(01:41):
just really proud. That's funny.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
You should be proud. It was an amazing achievement. Didn't
you drop the two hundred from your program for a
while after you got a fracture in your foot or
something back in twenty seventeen.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Yeah, in twenty I was right after where I was
having a bit of trouble. It was my first time.
We sort of pushed on through it. We had World
Champs and London, and I did the heats of the
of the two hundred meters. It up first and I
ran and I hobbled off the trap. I could need
one walk and we had to withdraw from the three
(02:14):
hundred final in the one hundred and try and sell
with it for the long jump, And when I got home,
we sort of decided, like a lot something's got to
given this program. There's too many things, beings putting a
lot of pressure on my foot, which was flimsy, and
found out I was actually when I got home, and
so yeah, I just put it on, put it out
of my mind. Actually I really liked running the two
(02:35):
but just I had to. I had to, you know,
set to find something to keep the program going and
to get healthy again, and so I just actually never
thought about either run out again. And then we thought.
I saw the final from the stand that World Chance
last year, and this is my character and I was like, oh,
(02:56):
this race has just been ran. I just watched it.
I think we could do that. We need to have
a discussion about it. And he's like, oh, he already
talked to a couple of people about maybe in the
two hundred the game, so we were all on the
same page, and I think, Yeah, it just felt like
this big, full circle moment, like I finally trusted my
(03:17):
body again and what it could do, and then it
was strong, and yeah, I think I entered the two hundred.
To me, I think in Paris, you know, it was
just a personal project to see maybe a direction we
might want to go after the Games, and yeah, to
have it work out so well, it's so.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah, incredible, amazing. So in the long jump you were fourth,
just off the podium, the event you won golden in
the last two Games. How do you reflect on the
long jump in Paris?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yeah, Look, it's hard, and I think I'm still in
the process of sort of processing it all, actually, and
I think for so long, like I think if I
had come forth in Tokyo, I think I would have
that would give a state of me. And I think
it's a big testament to the work we've done over
(04:10):
the last three years to now be able to come
away from Paris and go, you know what, Like I'm
I'm still a two time parallelm at champion, and the
long jump, I'm still really great at long jump. I
just had a bad day out there. I just couldn't
get it together. And these days happened, and unfortunately mine
was the one day and the four years you don't
(04:31):
want it to go wrong, and yeah, I'm obviously still
a bit guffed, Like I wanted to put my best
foot forward there and I just couldn't do it. But
I think it's just yeah, it's been nice knowing that
the work we've done around identity and sort of finding
(04:52):
Anna away from the Golds has obviously played a big
part of being able to recover from the four from
the long jump and coming forth, and yeah, being really
proud that I still feel life. I'm a champion, regardless
(05:14):
of how this one wins. I think for so long
I was worried if I didn't keep doing it, you know,
for some reason, it just makes the other ones who
valid But that's not true at all, And I think
it's nice to have now gone through that and really.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Felt that that's awesome insight, amazing insight. Did it feel
you in any way for the two hundred though, you know,
not getting on the podium in the long job.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
I think approached this campaign like every event was totally separate,
because to me, they are all quite separate. Like one
hundred is something I'm not still not particularly confident about,
but I wanted to And we've done a lot of
work on my start and I and speed over the
last year and a birth, and the long jumps obviously
(05:59):
the one I usually feel the most comfortable and confident,
and then I just didn't less time. But then that
two hundred was really about it sploring, well what can
I do, what can my body do? And how fast
can we run? So I think that just yeah, it
was it did feel me and I think I actually
speaking the time on social media the evening after the
(06:21):
long jump, the morning, the evening before the before the
two hundred, and just saw like the amount of people
who really cheered. They went out of the way to
write a really time comment of seen the message, and
I wasn't actually expecting that. I sort of thought, oh,
this was a blow away so well of like paying
the addiction, and it was really nice to know that
(06:42):
people cared what I was doing and regardless of how
well I did. And I think that really feeled me
as well, knowing that people wanted to support me and
may not just my achievements as well. I think that
was a really big thing for me.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Well, you already achieved a place on the podium in
the t a bronze and New Oceania record. How pleased
were you with the one hundred?
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Yeah, I was very happy. I think before the games,
I think like these are ways those doubts that creep in,
going like oh god, I'm not going to be shaped
I've ever been, you know, and I want to be.
And then for me, they're not necessarily based on anything,
like they just occur, those thoughts and they're not backed
(07:30):
up by actual facts or the evidence wasn't actually showing that.
But for me, I didn't actually realize. I think I
was still a bit worried about how I was going
to be able to race and if I was going
to be able to be in the top shape I
could be, and we just were a bit unaware of
how fast I probably could run and that I'm just
(07:50):
really happy that it happened on the day and then
I was able to back it up as well and
run quicker in the final later in the day. Yeah,
I was overjoyed, I think. And it does actually take
a bit of pressure off the long jump by think
as well, like it does lint all right on the
one event, and I did appreciate that as well at
(08:10):
the time.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
So are you now a sprinter who also does long
jump or are you still a long jumper who does
a bit of sprinting.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yeah, it's been part of the process of sort of
processing at all, I think trying to figure that out
through out. It's I think just The best part about
this journey to running the two hundred basically is actually
just falling in love with running again. It's not something
that I you've really loved or felt that good at.
(08:40):
And I think now I've got that confidence to be like,
yeah I am a splinter, and yeah I am good
at it, and I think that's that's nice. It's what
I don't know which which movent comes first in the
introductions anymore. I'm not sure we're still workshoping, I think.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
So, have you committed to another Olympic cycle?
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Yeah, yeah, I am planning on going to LA twenty eight.
So yeah, I'm really excited, I think. I So, I
definitely thought Paris would be my last games if I
made it that far, because I really wasn't enjoying it.
I was consumed with nerves and I just wasn't enjoying
showing up to training every day. And that's really a
(09:22):
great place to lead a campaign from. And yeah, it's
been incredibly it's been incredible to like sit over the
last over, you know, the games, and go, I can't
wait to play the next four years. Like I'm not
done yet. I'm excited. It feels like a new chapter.
In my career, which is it's been tame to say that,
(09:44):
you know, I've been going up a tinion now and
done three games, but it does feel like a new
chapter and that's always it's always exciting you even know
like where it will take you, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Indeed, just my final question, you were also selected as
one of New Zealand's flag bearers for the opening ceremony
with Cameron Lesley in Paris. How special moment was that
for you?
Speaker 3 (10:04):
That was incredible, That made my whole games and pain
before it had even begun. Yeah, it was incredibly humbly
only really emotional to be asked, I think to be
seen in a position where it sort of takes into
account your your achievements, but also you as a person,
and I are just incredibly humbled to be given the
(10:24):
opportunity to represent the team and lead them out. And
me and Can both spoke about how like carrying the
flag is not necessarily the most you know, the thing
that you think of that will enhance your performance, because
obviously it's a late night, you're on your feet a lot,
and you can quite a bit in the lead up
to your campaign. But for both of us it was
(10:46):
about a bit more than just that. I think it
was just sort of a nod to us as athletes
and that we want to enjoy what we're doing, and
that we chose to do that because us as people
wanted to. And I think it's going to be one
of the highlights of my career. Yeah for sure.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Well, you gave us some wonderful moments in power says
you did in Tokyo and in Rio, And thanks so
much for talking to us and reminiscing a little bit.
I hope you have a nice summer break and we'll
look forward to to seeing what the next four years
hold for you.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Sound I'm excited and real a true so yes, thank you, Thanks,
Henery
Speaker 1 (11:20):
No, thanks for joining us Enna For more from Weekend
Sport with Jason Fine, Listen live to News Talk st
B weekends from midday, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalk z'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Three time Paralympian, three time Paralympic champion, gold medalist for
New Zealand in the T forty seven two hundred meters
in Paris this year, to go with bronze and the
T forty seven one hundred meters and the back to
back gold medals she won in the T forty seven
long jump in Rio and Tokyo. It is, of course,
Anna Grimaldi and I wonderful to get the chance to
(00:35):
catch up with you and reflect on what happened in Paris.
If someone had suggested to you before the Paralympic Games
that you would win gold in the two hundred meters
in an Oceania record of twenty four point seven two
seconds while chopping over a second off your personal best,
what would your reaction have been to that?
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Yeah, I think I'm sorry about this a line. If
someone had Segre coming home from Paris with the gold,
I would have seed. I would have thought it was
in the long jumps, like it was not. It wasn't
really on my radar to be winning the two hundred.
I thought maybe we had a good shot at doing
okay and yees being a being a crazy like a
(01:18):
whipplash actually because at this is a long jump didn't
go so well, and then coming away with sort of
the goal, but like in a completely definite mean it was.
It was incredible. I think I'm just blown away by
the time and that I was able to step up,
like do two races in the same day and run
quick at both races, and yeah, I don't know, I'm
(01:41):
just really proud. That's funny.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
You should be proud. It was an amazing achievement. Didn't
you drop the two hundred from your program for a
while after you got a fracture in your foot or
something back in twenty seventeen.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Yeah, in twenty I was right after where I was
having a bit of trouble. It was my first time.
We sort of pushed on through it. We had World
Champs and London, and I did the heats of the
of the two hundred meters. It up first and I
ran and I hobbled off the trap. I could need
one walk and we had to withdraw from the three
(02:14):
hundred final in the one hundred and try and sell
with it for the long jump, And when I got home,
we sort of decided, like a lot something's got to
given this program. There's too many things, beings putting a
lot of pressure on my foot, which was flimsy, and
found out I was actually when I got home, and
so yeah, I just put it on, put it out
of my mind. Actually I really liked running the two
(02:35):
but just I had to. I had to, you know,
set to find something to keep the program going and
to get healthy again, and so I just actually never
thought about either run out again. And then we thought.
I saw the final from the stand that World Chance
last year, and this is my character and I was like, oh,
(02:56):
this race has just been ran. I just watched it.
I think we could do that. We need to have
a discussion about it. And he's like, oh, he already
talked to a couple of people about maybe in the
two hundred the game, so we were all on the
same page, and I think, Yeah, it just felt like
this big, full circle moment, like I finally trusted my
(03:17):
body again and what it could do, and then it
was strong, and yeah, I think I entered the two hundred.
To me, I think in Paris, you know, it was
just a personal project to see maybe a direction we
might want to go after the Games, and yeah, to
have it work out so well, it's so.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah, incredible, amazing. So in the long jump you were fourth,
just off the podium, the event you won golden in
the last two Games. How do you reflect on the
long jump in Paris?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yeah, Look, it's hard, and I think I'm still in
the process of sort of processing it all, actually, and
I think for so long, like I think if I
had come forth in Tokyo, I think I would have
that would give a state of me. And I think
it's a big testament to the work we've done over
(04:10):
the last three years to now be able to come
away from Paris and go, you know what, Like I'm
I'm still a two time parallelm at champion, and the
long jump, I'm still really great at long jump. I
just had a bad day out there. I just couldn't
get it together. And these days happened, and unfortunately mine
was the one day and the four years you don't
(04:31):
want it to go wrong, and yeah, I'm obviously still
a bit guffed, Like I wanted to put my best
foot forward there and I just couldn't do it. But
I think it's just yeah, it's been nice knowing that
the work we've done around identity and sort of finding
(04:52):
Anna away from the Golds has obviously played a big
part of being able to recover from the four from
the long jump and coming forth, and yeah, being really
proud that I still feel life. I'm a champion, regardless
(05:14):
of how this one wins. I think for so long
I was worried if I didn't keep doing it, you know,
for some reason, it just makes the other ones who
valid But that's not true at all, And I think
it's nice to have now gone through that and really.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Felt that that's awesome insight, amazing insight. Did it feel
you in any way for the two hundred though, you know,
not getting on the podium in the long job.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
I think approached this campaign like every event was totally separate,
because to me, they are all quite separate. Like one
hundred is something I'm not still not particularly confident about,
but I wanted to And we've done a lot of
work on my start and I and speed over the
last year and a birth, and the long jumps obviously
(05:59):
the one I usually feel the most comfortable and confident,
and then I just didn't less time. But then that
two hundred was really about it sploring, well what can
I do, what can my body do? And how fast
can we run? So I think that just yeah, it
was it did feel me and I think I actually
speaking the time on social media the evening after the
(06:21):
long jump, the morning, the evening before the before the
two hundred, and just saw like the amount of people
who really cheered. They went out of the way to
write a really time comment of seen the message, and
I wasn't actually expecting that. I sort of thought, oh,
this was a blow away so well of like paying
the addiction, and it was really nice to know that
(06:42):
people cared what I was doing and regardless of how
well I did. And I think that really feeled me
as well, knowing that people wanted to support me and
may not just my achievements as well. I think that
was a really big thing for me.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Well, you already achieved a place on the podium in
the t a bronze and New Oceania record. How pleased
were you with the one hundred?
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Yeah, I was very happy. I think before the games,
I think like these are ways those doubts that creep in,
going like oh god, I'm not going to be shaped
I've ever been, you know, and I want to be.
And then for me, they're not necessarily based on anything,
like they just occur, those thoughts and they're not backed
(07:30):
up by actual facts or the evidence wasn't actually showing that.
But for me, I didn't actually realize. I think I
was still a bit worried about how I was going
to be able to race and if I was going
to be able to be in the top shape I
could be, and we just were a bit unaware of
how fast I probably could run and that I'm just
(07:50):
really happy that it happened on the day and then
I was able to back it up as well and
run quicker in the final later in the day. Yeah,
I was overjoyed, I think. And it does actually take
a bit of pressure off the long jump by think
as well, like it does lint all right on the
one event, and I did appreciate that as well at
(08:10):
the time.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
So are you now a sprinter who also does long
jump or are you still a long jumper who does
a bit of sprinting.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yeah, it's been part of the process of sort of
processing at all, I think trying to figure that out
through out. It's I think just The best part about
this journey to running the two hundred basically is actually
just falling in love with running again. It's not something
that I you've really loved or felt that good at.
(08:40):
And I think now I've got that confidence to be like,
yeah I am a splinter, and yeah I am good
at it, and I think that's that's nice. It's what
I don't know which which movent comes first in the
introductions anymore. I'm not sure we're still workshoping, I think.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
So, have you committed to another Olympic cycle?
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Yeah, yeah, I am planning on going to LA twenty eight.
So yeah, I'm really excited, I think. I So, I
definitely thought Paris would be my last games if I
made it that far, because I really wasn't enjoying it.
I was consumed with nerves and I just wasn't enjoying
showing up to training every day. And that's really a
(09:22):
great place to lead a campaign from. And yeah, it's
been incredibly it's been incredible to like sit over the
last over, you know, the games, and go, I can't
wait to play the next four years. Like I'm not
done yet. I'm excited. It feels like a new chapter.
In my career, which is it's been tame to say that,
(09:44):
you know, I've been going up a tinion now and
done three games, but it does feel like a new
chapter and that's always it's always exciting you even know
like where it will take you, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Indeed, just my final question, you were also selected as
one of New Zealand's flag bearers for the opening ceremony
with Cameron Lesley in Paris. How special moment was that
for you?
Speaker 3 (10:04):
That was incredible, That made my whole games and pain
before it had even begun. Yeah, it was incredibly humbly
only really emotional to be asked, I think to be
seen in a position where it sort of takes into
account your your achievements, but also you as a person,
and I are just incredibly humbled to be given the
(10:24):
opportunity to represent the team and lead them out. And
me and Can both spoke about how like carrying the
flag is not necessarily the most you know, the thing
that you think of that will enhance your performance, because
obviously it's a late night, you're on your feet a lot,
and you can quite a bit in the lead up
to your campaign. But for both of us it was
(10:46):
about a bit more than just that. I think it
was just sort of a nod to us as athletes
and that we want to enjoy what we're doing, and
that we chose to do that because us as people
wanted to. And I think it's going to be one
of the highlights of my career. Yeah for sure.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Well, you gave us some wonderful moments in power says
you did in Tokyo and in Rio, And thanks so
much for talking to us and reminiscing a little bit.
I hope you have a nice summer break and we'll
look forward to to seeing what the next four years
hold for you.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Sound I'm excited and real a true so yes, thank you, Thanks,
Henery
Speaker 1 (11:20):
No, thanks for joining us Enna For more from Weekend
Sport with Jason Fine, Listen live to News Talk st
B weekends from midday, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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