Great New Zealand Olympic Moments
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<p>Loader's gold medal swims in the pool were a highlight for me too. The other race I enjoyed was the Evers-Swindell twins second gold at Beijing where they pipped the Germans on the finish line by 1/100 th of a sec. Very tense watching that live.</p>
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<p>BTW, Lovelock and Abrahams would have know eachother through the Achilles Club - a track and field club for past and present representatives of Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Lovelock went to Oxford and Abrahams went to Cambridge.</p> -
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<p>Danyon Loader, the Tri 1-2 in Athens, Ferg & Macd in LA</p>
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<p>We watched Loader's two medals in our 7th form common room (not sure how we got a TV assigned there, but . . . bonus!) - it was a rare occasion when we cheered for someone who had attended a rival co-ed school across town.</p>
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<p>I couldn't make the parade when he got back to town, but it seems like it was pretty cool.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/back-in-the-day-danyon-loader-gets-hero-s-welcome-after-winning-olympic-gold-6049625'>https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/back-in-the-day-danyon-loader-gets-hero-s-welcome-after-winning-olympic-gold-6049625</a></p> -
<p>I particularly love Snell's 1500m gold. He just wiped the floor with them in that last lap.</p>
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<p>Also love all the rowing golds. I was involved in the pre work for Karapiro 2010, the construction of the HPC, and various parades, and had a lot to do with the rowers (I went to a special event at the Cambridge racecourse in 2008 where the rowing community/families watched the golden hour. Fuck, that was a great night.) They were really good people. Eric Murray was always a hoot. Jandals, potty mouth, totally himself. Mahe quiet and polite. I knew about him and Juliet long before it went public (was so obvious when you saw them together.) Rob Waddell was a bit of a sulky dick though. When all that selection stuff went down with Mahe, he wouldn't even stand near him or speak to him.</p> -
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<p>We watched Loader's two medals in our 7th form common room (not sure how we got a TV assigned there, but . . . bonus!) - it was a rare occasion when we cheered for someone who had attended a rival co-ed school across town.</p>
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<p>I couldn't make the parade when he got back to town, but it seems like it was pretty cool.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/back-in-the-day-danyon-loader-gets-hero-s-welcome-after-winning-olympic-gold-6049625'>https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/back-in-the-day-danyon-loader-gets-hero-s-welcome-after-winning-olympic-gold-6049625</a></p>
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<p>IIRC one of his medals was on a weekend, my recollection of the finals was during a Northland golf trial, and everyone was on the course buzzing which was a Saturday or Sunday</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="600777" data-time="1469658395">
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<p>I think John Walker's gold for me. We watched it in a motor camp in Timaru and my sister and I had to go and ask the camp owner if he would turn on the TV so we could watch it. Then the whole room filled up with people watching.</p>
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<p>bit before my time, but being a huge fan of middle distance running I think I've watched it 100 times on you tube.</p>
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<p>Walkers running style is so graceful</p> -
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<p>IIRC one of his medals was on a weekend, my recollection of the finals was during a Northland golf trial, and everyone was on the course buzzing which was a Saturday or Sunday</p>
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<p>We had school six days a week down here - we're a bit slow.</p>
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<p>(must have just been one of the golds then)</p> -
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<p>We had school six days a week down here - we're a bit slow.</p>
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<p>(must have just been one of the golds then)</p>
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<p>or you were a studious nerd ;)</p> -
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<p>I think John Walker's gold for me. We watched it in a motor camp in Timaru and my sister and I had to go and ask the camp owner if he would turn on the TV so we could watch it. Then the whole room filled up with people watching.</p>
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<p>Was a huge middle distance fan in the '70's and our guys were truly world class.</p>
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<p>John Walker, Rod Dixon and the very interestingly named Theodorus Jacobus Leonardus "Dick" Quax all medalled at the Olympics.</p>
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<p>Quax was the 5000m record holder and Dixon went on to become the first non American to win the New York marathon</p>
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<p>I remember Walker winning the gold and thinking " Well that's what I expected anyway"</p>
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<p>Sort of like the AB's playing Scotland....</p> -
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<p>Was a huge middle distance fan in the '70's and our guys were truly world class.</p>
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<p>John Walker, Rod Dixon and the very interestingly named Theodorus Jacobus Leonardus "Dick" Quax all medalled at the Olympics.</p>
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<p>Quax was the 5000m record holder and Dixon went on to become the first non American to win the New York marathon</p>
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<p>I remember Walker winning the gold and thinking " Well that's what I expected anyway"</p>
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<p>Sort of like the AB's playing Scotland....</p>
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<p>Me too (a huge fan). I picked up a second hand copy of "Kiwis can fly" a few years back. Still a good read.</p> -
<p>"Kiwis can fly" Yep! Used to have that one.</p>
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<p>Loved Walker breaking the 3:50 mile and then this...."The following year Walker broke the world record for the 2000 metres, running 4:51.4 in <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo' title="Oslo">Oslo</a>, <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway' title="Norway">Norway</a>, on 30 June<strong> 1976</strong>. He smashed the existing ten-year-old record held by <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Jazy' title="Michel Jazy">Michel Jazy</a> by nearly five seconds; Walker regarded this run as the best he ever ran. <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Cram' title="Steve Cram">Steve Cram</a> broke the record on 4 August <strong>1985</strong>, running 4:51.39 at <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest' title="Budapest">Budapest</a>, <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungary' title="Hungary">Hungary</a>"</p>
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<p>He "smashed" a 10 year old record by five seconds that took another 10 years to break!</p> -
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<p>Me too (a huge fan). I picked up a second hand copy of "Kiwis can fly" a few years back. Still a good read.</p>
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<p>I've got it too.</p>
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<p>In addition to Snells, Halburgs and Walkers Bio's (all signed copies) </p>
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<p>And every book that Lydiard and Gilmore wrote together. If any one is into running even just for fitness once a week, then "Run to the top" and "Run for Life" are must reads </p>
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<p>Was truly a golden era.</p> -
<p>Listening to the rowing eight take gold at Munich. Pretty sure Keith Quinn was commentator. They were still fundraising ther night before they flew out to compete - went round the pubs of inner Akl raffling a whole pig.</p>
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<p>Hockey gold was pretty good four years later in Montreal as was so unexpected and it was against Aussie and Manning? played his heart out in goal despite having a shattered kneecap for the last ten minutes.</p>
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<p>I am too young to remember Snell's medals but I did get to see them when he visited our school upon his return to NZ. He ran around the playing field pursued by the whole school. I had no idea who he was or why we were running but my little legs pumped it out as fast as I could manage. I do remember getting to within a couple of feet of him and seeing the shiny medals but I still had no fucking clue what it was all about.</p>
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<p>Every medal is special but the early ones are the ones that I remember most. Since then it's the disappointments that stand out the most. Oh the 1-2 in the tri at Athens was fucking cool.</p> -
Most memorable in the last few years for me have actually been done bronzes. Willis and Drysdale.<br><br>
Willis because that was awesome, great finish, and a medal in the 1500 felt like a gold.<br><br>
Drysdale because of the valiant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to defy the bot ....<br><br>
Early ones when I was young the moments don't stand out. Must have been past my bedtime or something ..... And saw them on tv when I already knew the result. -
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<p>Most memorable in the last few years for me have actually been done<strong> bronzes. Willis</strong> and Drysdale.<br><br>
Willis because that was awesome, great finish, and a medal in the 1500 felt like a gold.<br><br>
Drysdale because of the valiant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to defy the bot ....<br><br>
Early ones when I was young the moments don't stand out. Must have been past my bedtime or something ..... And saw them on tv when I already knew the result.</p>
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Remember that bronze was actually a silver after Rashid Ramzi was done for doping!</p> -
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<p>The hockey gold was awesome and nerve wracking. Very unexpected.</p>
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<p>Totally unexpected. Neither us nor Oz were expected to get through our semis. Oz upset Pakistan who had beaten us something like 5-1 in pool play from memory and so were favoured and we beat the Netherlands (reigning WC holders) after 3 periods of extra time. </p>
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<p><span style="font-size:8px;">​ALL OF THE ABOVE COULD BE TOTALLY WRONG - IT WAS 40 YEARS AGO!</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14px;">I'm sure I read somewhere ​that it was the first tournament played on an artificial surface and that our guys had spent the winter here playing on carpet to prepare which gave us an advantage.</span></p>
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<p>Hockey today is so much a better spectacle than when played on grass</p>
