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August 1, 2024 12 mins

New Zealand's Olympic medal count now sits at five after a wildly successful night for our rowers, including a standout performance from Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors in the women's double sculls. 

Also, the Central Pulse are off to the ANZ Premiership final - can they take the title?

Wellington's All Sport Breakfast host Adam Cooper and Newstalk ZB news and sports reader Max Towle joined Nick Mills.

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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk s ed B. Yet your sporting fix
Friday Sports on Wellington Mornings.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Joining us for Friday Sport, There's All Sports Breakfast host
and host of Gold Sports Olympic commentator Adam Cooper.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
Goodboarding, Coeps morning. How are you sorry? Do I have
to wake you up for this? I apologize?

Speaker 2 (00:43):
I know you're working through the night and daytimes. Your
sleep time which our fellow host and friend wants to
ask you about. And news Talk ZEDB News news and
sports reader. Let's two weeks Max told Goodboarding, Max, good morning?

Speaker 3 (00:58):
Say come on you you wanted to ask coups of questions.

Speaker 4 (01:01):
You know, I haven't had the chance to speak to
coops much of the last few days. How's it all going?
I mean you're working those nights, schiffs, being able to
adjust your body clock to everything.

Speaker 5 (01:11):
Yeah, no, it's going well. Yeah no. The first day
or two was a bit of a slow burner, but
you sort of just get through it. And you know
it's me and Jason Pine and Nick Purely, Elliott Smurth,
Malcolm Jordan, the whole crew from the Newstalk's Abbe sports team.
So we're in a little room. We have each have
a screen in front of us and we get given
different sports to commentate. And regardless of what time of

(01:32):
the date is, whether it's two am when we're the
only ones in the building here at Newstalk's Edb's Cendra
and Auckland, or whether it's at nine am and when
you know Hosking's in and it's packed with people, there's
just always energy around. There's always something to look at,
there's always something to talk about. And it doesn't get
much better than being able to sit around and talk
about the Olympics and keep a real close eye on
everything going on. So, yeah, the sleep Baby has come

(01:55):
second fiddle to everything else going on, but it's been
great fun so far.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
Coops, I've got one quick I've got to get on
the sport. But I got one quick question I thought
about in the middle of the night last night, is
do you drink coffee at ten clock at night?

Speaker 3 (02:07):
Like ten o'clock at nights? Your ten o'clock in the morning.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
So do you go into the studio at ten o'clock
and get the coffee machine?

Speaker 3 (02:12):
Gun?

Speaker 5 (02:13):
Funny you say that, neck, I've been waking up at
six pm and getting straight into two week books and coffee,
which is really strange when we're walking around Auckland here
and seeing you know, people come home from work and
stop at the pub for a beer, but we're instead
of having our morning breakfast and coffees and getting sept
for a big shift all night.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
So I've got so many more questions now, no back
says as well, when's when's bears e tie?

Speaker 5 (02:38):
Well, I think you know we have to wait to
the end of the Olympics for that. We have a
big celebration at the end. None of that yet we're
working for long hours and I want to do the
best chilb possible. So yeah, the beersies can wait just
for a couple of weeks.

Speaker 4 (02:50):
I think.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
Okay, all right, coops, big night last night. Three Olympic
medals would have been a great Do you guys celebrate when.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
You get a gold medal? Do you celebrate the newsroom?

Speaker 5 (02:58):
Absolutely? Yeah, We've got a big metal tally for the
commentators that get to call the kiwe medals. So Malcolm Jordan,
who was on duty for the last night, is certainly
well in the lead and our commentator medal tally Nick. Yeah,
what a night for the rowers and it just sums
up the great work that the rowing organization, you know,
with the back of high performance sports do obviously Brook Francis,

(03:20):
Lucy Spores winning that gold and the women's double skulls,
you know, Matt McDonald, Oliver McClain, Tom Murray, Logan old
Rich and the men's four and then of course the
women's for as well getting the bronze medals. So yeah,
great night for rowing. It's just one of those consistent
sports that you can always rely on. It's been one
of New Zealand's most successful Olympic sports. I think it

(03:41):
might even top sort of the overall medals ever in
terms of medals that New Zealand have won. You know,
we're so lucky to live by the water and when
you see now that we're eleventh in the overall medal
table worldwide for all sports, you know our I think
our proximity to the water rarely brings us success in
some of these some of these events. You know, we'll
see Lesa Carrington next week and you know she's favorite

(04:04):
to go for even more goals in her career, but
just the rowing program, unlike others I think, you know,
it seems to be run so well, and then on
the other side of the scale, we've seems a real
disappointment from the likes of swimming. You know Lewis Clearburt
and eric A Fair where they have been touted as
genuine medal chances for this Paris Games and they haven't succeeded.
So there's something that you know, the rowers and you know,

(04:26):
the likes of the canoeists always seem to be doing
well and other sports who have very similar high performance
models just can't seem to execute at the same time.
So a great night overall for New Zealand though, was
the rowing just absolutely brilliant, especially to go with that
goal from the women's sevens players just a couple of
days before Max Toe.

Speaker 3 (04:43):
The swimming has been disappointing.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
We were all pretty fired up in Wellington with Lewis
Clearbirt that never happened. I mean as well, yeah, we
very popular New Zealand sports people, aren't they.

Speaker 4 (04:56):
Well, it's just tough, you know, there were an outside
chance for a medal. We shouldn't say they were favorites
in their discipline, but you know, how long has it
been now to any eight years or something. Daniel Loader
in Atlanta ninety six two golds in the freestyle events.
Swimming is always tough because there are some countries US Australia.

(05:18):
I've seen a lot of improvement from some of the
Central European countries in the pool as well. Lately China.
China is always there. It is a highly highly competitive
field and it has not been one of New Zealand'
strong points for many years. It would have been nice
to squeak a medal, but the weight goes on and
when it finally comes, it'll be worth you know, all
the more it doesn't.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
I mean, all it does is highlight how big the
Danion Loader thing was for me.

Speaker 3 (05:40):
I was all that live. You know, where was it?
Where'd you say?

Speaker 4 (05:42):
That was Atlanta?

Speaker 2 (05:44):
So it was perfect timing what it would have been
like late afternoon or something earlier the mid morning and
mid morning, so it was a good timing. Coops, what's
coming up this week? What have we got this weekend?
What have we got to look forward to? Where the
mixed medals coming from?

Speaker 5 (05:56):
Well, hopefully they'll be in the sailing they come, you know,
we were actually I was actually lining up to commentate
that means forty nine ers sailing featuring Isaac McCarty and
Will McKenzie then nick named that the mac Atech. We
see two max and their surname and they've linked up
and you know, take it on the mantle from Peter
Berling and Blair Chuk who have won three medals in
a row in this sailing division. And now these guys

(06:17):
have had a really good opening rickatta here and they
have been lining up for this metal race, very high
chance of a medal. But the race was started overnight,
it got stopped because of the lack of rain down
there in Marseille, sorry, the lack of winds, I should
say down there in Marseille. They started again and then
about halfway through the race, when they were in a
gold medal position, it got called off again. So wind permitting.

(06:38):
That'll be being held at about eleven o'clock tonight. And
I think these guys are going to be our next
medalist at the Olympic Games. They just seem to have
some consistency someme fight and just seem to have the
edge to get ahead from some of the other sailors
around the world. And we've also got the I don't
know if you guys have killed it, but the wind foiling,
goodness me, it's the new version of windsurfing. And not
only are they just boarding along to float on the ocean,

(07:00):
they're actually flying above thanks to the foils, and it's
rarely riveting to watch. And we've got Girl ten Harbor
and the women, and we've also got Josh Armad and
the men who are handily placed. And they've got their
medals coming up early tomorrow morning as well. So it
might be more in the water that we see in
terms of medals tomorrow morning. But Zoe Hobbes are starting,
Tom Walsh, Jack o' girl, you know in the athletics,

(07:20):
track and field always a highlight. We've got Hamish Kerr
coming up as well. So much to come. So I
think you know to tell you at the moment two
golds to silver's won bronze. I reckon by the time
we chat this time next week week Nick, we might
have close to double that of each medal.

Speaker 3 (07:34):
Wow, Max, let's change tect a little bit.

Speaker 2 (07:37):
Central Pulse are hosting the Northern Mystics at the A
and Z Premiership Final in Wellington on Sunday. The Pulse
have just been incredible. Injury after injury of star player,
after star Player finished on top, look almost unbackable.

Speaker 4 (07:55):
It's great for the city to have a home final.
I really hope the people are willing to turn out.
Sold out in three minutes.

Speaker 3 (08:01):
Yeah it's Scott there you go. You can't even go
to it.

Speaker 4 (08:03):
No, great for the city, you know, the top team
making a final home final. Can't wait. I'll be watching it.

Speaker 3 (08:11):
Yeah, I'll be watching it too, And Coops, will you
stay up?

Speaker 5 (08:15):
I might wake up early for it. Nick, here, it'll
be my reverse st of early Waker. Absolutely. I rarely
want to see the Pulse get the job done here.
I think we mentioned a couple of weeks ago when
we're all in the studio with you, myself and Piney.
You know, we've had some real chances of success with
our Wellington teams this year. We've had the Phoenix do
so well, make the playoffs but fall it almost the
final hurdle. We've had the Hurricanes bow out a week

(08:37):
before than they should have. We've had the Saint to
make the playoffs, sorry mention that, Nick, and then just
slightly bow out there slightly.

Speaker 3 (08:44):
That was the biggest nice kicking since World War.

Speaker 5 (08:47):
Two that you said that, not me. And then now
we've got the Poles to have again like those teams had,
especially the Hurricanes and the Phoenix had spectacular seasons. But
I think what's to find us from the Poles even more,
they had a brand new coach step up. She had
been the assistant for a few years, but Anna Andrews
Desola stepped up to make all the big decisions, and
then she had three of her key silver ferns out

(09:08):
for the first couple of months. You know, that is
just something that is genuinely most other teams would use
as an excuse to be season defining. Oh hey, we
finished outside the playoffs and that's because we lost three
of our top players at the start of the season.
Think of some of the excuses the Crusaders were making
in the rugby this year. It was a down to injuries.
The Poles thought, no, no, we're not going to accept

(09:29):
mediocrity just before because we've got a few injuries. We're
going to play through. We're going to promote some young players,
we're going to bring some veterans back. They did an
SOS to clear Curston, who came back and joined the
mid court while Maddy Gordon was out injured. So they
have just proven that you don't need your star players
for a whole portion of a season to be successful.

(09:50):
So a huge congratulations to the Poll three been getting
to this point because it's been a fantastic season top qualifiers,
but I know that they will not be celebrating their
season at all if they do not get this job
done against the Mystics on Sunday afternoon at Wellington. Just
got off the phone to Whitney sooner we'll play that
interview on the Allsport Breakfast tomorrow morning. And just that

(10:10):
that humbled by the response from Wellingtonian's you know, two
or three minutes sell out when tickets went on sale.
So we can't understate the achievements of the pols we've
had this year enough. I don't think it's a really
interesting time for netball as well. Nick. We don't know
what kind of competition they'll be next year, whether they'll
be even a purely New Zealand competition or what the
makeup will be, how many teams will even be based

(10:31):
in New Zealand, and what even able competition is in
the future. So regardless, here's hyping the Pulse can just
end this era of netball with a major high and
Funday afternoon.

Speaker 3 (10:41):
Right, we're running out of time.

Speaker 2 (10:42):
Quick mention though, but congratulations to Old Boys University for
the Jubilee Cup win over Tawa last week.

Speaker 3 (10:48):
Max.

Speaker 2 (10:49):
They are going from strength to strength. Old Boys University
seem pretty strong this year.

Speaker 4 (10:53):
Terrific to see. Love watching the local sport. I want
more of it on TV.

Speaker 2 (10:57):
I want Club Rugby more on TV. Keeps quickly, because
I know you've been following this all year. You would
have been reasonably please please. You probably support Old Boys.

Speaker 3 (11:06):
Wouldn't you?

Speaker 5 (11:07):
Yeah? Oh definitely. My dad used to play for the
Old Boys Club as well out of Wellington College too,
so yep for the family history there and obviously the
connected club to Wellington College. So great win to them,
and also the depth they've had this year winning the
next grade down as well. So the clubs that's based
at their clubrooms are based at the Cambridge Hotel Nick
just around the CORNERB Studios. They've I'm sure they've been

(11:29):
frequented a fair bit through the week celebrating a well deserved,
well deserved season, but also Tawa as well for having
their team in both Division one and two finals, with
great depth of both those clubs this year. So go
back to sleep, be done and dusted.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
Go back to sleep. Count give you accounting exercises and
go back to sleep. Haven't sleep through the day, Adam Cooper,
thank you very much. We miss you down here, Coops,
we miss you every morning. Nick, all right, take it eat.
You have a great week end. You can't have a weekend.
We're your sleeping during the day, working drough the night.
Adam Cooper next told, I appreciate you. Thank you both
very much.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks they'd be well Linton from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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