Michael Burgess: NZ Herald Sports Reporter gives an update from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

NZ Herald senior sport journalist Michael Burgess is in Paris for the Olympics - but you wouldn't know that from listening to Sportstalk! 

D'Arcy Waldegrave has been trying to get him on the all week, but scheduling conflicts, poor reception, and other annoyances of the modern age have all contrived to keep it from happening. 

But on Friday morning France time, D'Arcy at last got through - here is the result. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildergrave
from News Talks. It'd be.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
In fact, Michael Burgess is right here right now. I
tell you what, mate, you are harder to get hold
of than like I don't even know Michael.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
How are you?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Thanks for joining us.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
How's Paris very well?

Speaker 4 (00:24):
Yeah, it's going great, Darcy. It's as I think we
talked about last time. It's brilliant to be here, fantastic city.
I think it's going to be one of the best
Olympics in the last few decades. But also, you know,
the medals have started to flow, which is always a
wonderful thing to be part of.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
When you start to see Kiwis on the podium.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
The energy in the area from these New Zealanders are speciy.
That hour last night out time you stay Morning your
Time spectacular.

Speaker 4 (00:57):
It was incredible, wasn't it? And I think you've seen
this in previous games too. Once there is a medal
or two, it kind of inspires everyone else. And I
think anyone watching what unfolded at their own yesterday morning
here and it's yesterday night your Time couldn't help but
be moved. It was I thought there were wonderful stories

(01:20):
in all three medals, and it was just another reminder
of how incredible this New Zealand rowing program is, because
okay rowing may not be the most global sport, but
there are still some big nations that put a lot
of money into it, I e.

Speaker 3 (01:33):
Great Britain, I United States, I E.

Speaker 4 (01:36):
Germany and a lot of other europe remaining a lot
of other European countries.

Speaker 3 (01:40):
You know, they put a lot into it, and the
fact that.

Speaker 4 (01:43):
We can match or beat these countries again and again
is quite incredible.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
What's coming up overnight? What are you looking forward to
the most?

Speaker 4 (01:53):
I'm looking forward to see zoe Hobbs. I have to
say Zoey Hobbs on the track. She's in her heat
in a couple of hours from now, because we all
know if she should have been in Tokyo, that was
a major mistake by selectors, et cetera. So it's great
to see she is here. Tom Walsh, Jack O'Gill in
the shot put qualifying. Plenty of intrigued about those two,

(02:14):
and of course there's another couple of metal chances today.
You would think the woman's lightweight double skulls are in
action about twelve twenty local time, so that's about ten
twenty pm your time. And they are really a really
decent chance, and as we talked about, they'll be inspired
by what happened yesterday. And of course Dylan Smidt, who

(02:37):
everyone remembers from Tokyo, the real I guess the middle.
No one expected unforgettable stuff from him and the trampoline
he is on in the final, assuming he makes the
final at around six pm local time, and I would
think he is like trampoline is always so unpredictable to call,
but he is definitely a chance for a repeat podium.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
Just found out from the CEO of ven Z Rowing,
David Mates, that the lightweight skulls is gone for LA.
That's it. This is the last time it appears. And
we've had a reasonable history, says all of TMS and
NATRI of Olympics.

Speaker 3 (03:11):
Isn't it? Things just don't last.

Speaker 4 (03:15):
It's always a shame though when they get rid of
these events. You wonder how the athletes feel it happened. Yeah,
with the lightweight men, I think the last what their
last one was in London at a certain class I remember,
because then they just gave that away. And of course
The best and worst example from our point of view
is Dame Lisa Carrington. You know, we'd normally be talking

(03:35):
about her going for a fourth straight K one two hundred,
but politics have gotten the way and there's no more
K one two hundred, so that that.

Speaker 3 (03:44):
Yeah, things like that.

Speaker 4 (03:45):
It's it's a bit ridiculous and it's a bit unfortunate
when they're shoehorning at other events, which personally I think
are crazy, like I don't know, three and three basketball.

Speaker 3 (03:55):
And then they're getting rid of more traditional events. Don't
get me started.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
Day Well, I could probably do ten years of talk
on what should or shouldn't be at the Olympic Game.

Speaker 3 (04:03):
So I'm not going there.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
I'm celebrating for the here and now and exactly, Hey,
what are the locals like? Are they starting to ease
into this now? Are they still angry?

Speaker 4 (04:14):
Yeah, they're definitely what I consensus the real pride. I
never forget watching the opening ceremony. I wasn't at the river,
it's too hard to get there, but just watching it
at a bar and a big TV with a whole
lot of Frenchies, and they were, you know, the cheering
and the clapping and then afterwards walking through the streets
and the singing, and so they must be so proud

(04:36):
because this has just been a spectacular games, spectacular venues.
So as we talked about dark there was a lot
of negativity and resentment about aspects before the games, which
it always is, and I'm sure that's lingering, but I
also think they can't help but be so impressed by
what their city and what their nation has done. And
there's certainly been lovely to us. They're so friendly, so polite,

(05:01):
so helpful. All those stereotypes about Parisians, I just don't
think they're true.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
I'm good, I'm glad to hear it, and I think
it's the same ways the Olympic Games. We moan about
the whole thing up until it starts. Some goes, wow,
look how fast they are, and everything stops. Hey, good
on you mate, Thanks very much. Michael Burgess from in
zem In zid Herald writer, multi media journalist over there
uring the time of his life by the Sounds of Things.

Speaker 1 (05:28):
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