Great New Zealand Olympic Moments
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="600789" data-time="1469661203">
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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> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Smudge" data-cid="600792" data-time="1469661476">
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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> -
<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>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> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Xpat2" data-cid="600808" data-time="1469666590">
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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> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="600814" data-time="1469666974">
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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. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Immenso Rapido" data-cid="601003" data-time="1469691560">
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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> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="601066" data-time="1469705535">
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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> -
John Walker for me ,<br><br>Was massive at the time ,when John ran , the country would stop ,<br><br>and John was a Manurewa boy, where I was going to primary school at the time
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="broughie" data-cid="601222" data-time="1469766351">
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<p>While not a visual moment I think the story of Coutts winning the yatching in LA with blisters on his butt was a good moment. </p>
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<p>He was wearing nappies too, from memory he devotes more space in his autobiography to whining about how the press found out and made it known to the world than he does about meeting his wife and getting married.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="kiwiinmelb" data-cid="601170" data-time="1469753196"><p>John Walker for me ,<br><br>
Was massive at the time ,when John ran , the country would stop ,<br><br>
and John was a Manurewa boy, where I was going to primary school at the time</p></blockquote>
Do you remember that big painting/billboard of him in town on the corner where the old library was (Station Rd?)
