David Liti: Olympic Weightlifter ahead of the 2024 Weightlifting NZ National Championship

The 2024 Weightlifting NZ National Championships will see all of Aotearoa's best Weightlifters come and battle for the national title in their given weight category.

From debut performances on a national stage to Olympians defending their titles, the WNZ National Champs never ceases to provide inspiration and entertainment for all as we watch some of the strongest athletes do what they do best.

D'Arcy Waldegrave catches up with Olympian David Liti to preview the event. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Wildegrave from News Talk ZEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
It's time for the heavy here on the Ill Sport
Breakfast on that News Talk at z B. We're talking weightlifting.
National Champs are on in Monaco yesterday, today, Saturday, and tomorrow.
And tomorrow's where David Letty finally gets in and throws
a couple of weights up over his head. David, welcome
to the program. Big time of the year for you,

(00:33):
and I expect that really important for you as well,
to be able to connect all your fellow lifters right
throughout the nation.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Yeah, although you know, major competitions are almost done for
the year and I always feel like this Nationals New
Zealand Nationals a good way to have a run out
with my team and some of the other inspiring you know,
international lifters from New Zealand. Yeah, so excited for this

(01:01):
weekend and hopefully goes well.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
So it's important for that connection and to help the
standards of other lifters. But as far as your international
program is concerned, but where does it sit within that?
How important is for you and your development and where
you go next?

Speaker 3 (01:19):
How do I nicely say it does not help at all.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
You'd say it just like that. So you're doing this
out of the goodness of your heart and for the
for the sport in the country.

Speaker 4 (01:30):
It's one that part. I don't get anything out of it,
but the fact that I will be having a run
out with my my weightlifting team, and yeah, just I
don't know if you would call it giving back to
the community, but it's it's just, yeah, practicing a few

(01:51):
things like coaching and all of that, and computing alongside,
and just having fun in front of my home crowd
because before you know, all this glamorous stages and lights
and stuff, this is where I used to strive to
shine that. So it's always good to come back and
touch base with grassroots.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Sport absolutely and important for the upcomers too that that
look up to you big time. So you'd enjoy being
that kind of character to say, look, if you want,
you can actually get up near the top of the world.
This is the position you hold right now. Must be
wonderful being someone to be looked up to like that
David one.

Speaker 3 (02:32):
Hundred, you know, and it's a big reason why I,
you know, decide to show up each year and try
and do the nationals year in New Zealand as a
you know, I want to drive the sport out there
so people can see it and be like, oh cool,
if you can do it, then I can do it too,

(02:52):
you know. And yeah, it's it's an exciting time. Now
there's a few lifters that are starting to come up
and hopefully they can carry the torture on one time.

Speaker 5 (03:02):
I'm over and out.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
So where are you currently? Real wise? Plainly you doing
this because you love to lift, not massively important, as
you've said in where you're going, But what is your schedule? Like,
what are you looking like in the next year or so?

Speaker 5 (03:16):
What are you up to? Where is your target?

Speaker 3 (03:18):
So I have Worlds in December, which is about seven
to eight weeks away, and then after that it's just
waiting for the calendar next year. Nothing's come up for
us at the moment, but next year will definitely be
COMONWARF Champs, which is a direct qualifier for the COMONWAFF
Games twenty twenty six in Glasgow.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
So that's actually happening. Weightliftings made the cut mean.

Speaker 5 (03:41):
Yes, one of the ten sports.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
How important is that? Because everyone's been slashed The fact
that you've made the top teams, not bag gun as
a David, Yeah, I'm glad.

Speaker 5 (03:53):
You know, I'm glad that we made that top ten.
It's not a surprise.

Speaker 3 (03:58):
I would have been surprised if we were cut out,
knowing you know that that weightlifting is one of the.

Speaker 5 (04:03):
Core sports of sports, all sports.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
But yeah, I'm excited for it, and I really do
want to push for this, come off games and hopefully
snatch another medal as well and come home with that.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
You had to say snatch, didn't You couldn't help yourself.
Nice pun. Where you are internationally, what you picked up
will be helping my memory. Were you eight at the
Olympic Games? Is that basically where you sit internasali right now?

Speaker 3 (04:33):
David, Yes, I got eighth in Paris, but that doesn't
always mean that that's my place in the world, which
is why world is important. Everybody that wasn't allowed to
come to Olympics, you know, from countries that have been
banned or they're multiple athletes in one country not enough

(04:55):
space for for other classes. Uh, they will be definitely
coming to Worlds and showing why they should have been
at the Olympics.

Speaker 2 (05:04):
Expectations and finished and where do you think you're going
You still want a bit more that you can pick
up over your head. You haven't reached your limit, David.

Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yeah, at the moment, I feel like I'm just starting
to come up to my like I'm just starting to
kick in, you know.

Speaker 5 (05:19):
Pepeat in Paris.

Speaker 3 (05:20):
I'm hoping to do a little bit more by you know,
Bahrain Worlds that Shaw and I don't know, man Like.
It's a hard, hard sport to really think about where
you are until you actually thought it. So it's not
like one of those things where you know, like I
can see that I've lifted a lot in training, but
that doesn't matter if I haven't done in the competition.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
Yeah, it's the time, the pressure, the place and what
you put out or put out David Lee Tylway is
a joy talking to you, my friend. Enjoy yourself out
of this weekend. It sounds like you're fully intending. Thanks
for yours.

Speaker 5 (05:55):
Brother, Thank you very much.

Speaker 1 (05:57):
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