King isn’t one to stand on ceremony
"It's going to be a long week. I know how hard it is, but I think that's also going to help me because I know exactly what to expect." Joelle King
Joelle King will continue her tradition of skipping the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.
The 29-year-old squash player is one of New Zealand’s leading gold medal hopes and will compete in three events (singles, mixed doubles, women’s doubles) on the Gold Coast for 10-straight days.
She has a medal of each colour from her time at Delhi in 2010 and Glasgow in 2014.
‘‘I’ve been to three Commonwealth Games and not gone to one opening ceremony,’’ she said yesterday.
‘‘I play the next day and it’s just a lot of unknown time spent on your legs.
‘‘I’m here to play and to do well, so any little two per centers I can make sure I’m going to be as well prepared as I can, that’s what I’m going to do. It’s just a personal choice.’’
The rest of the seven-strong squash squad will attend the ceremony.
For King, it was all part of her plan to stay as relaxed and focused as possible for her gruelling schedule. Only the squash and table tennis players have the chance to compete for the full 10-day schedule, something King did in both her previous Games campaigns.
‘‘It’s going to be a long week. I know how hard it is, but I think that’s also going to help me Etene Nanai-seturo is winging his way to the Gold Coast after injury and illness struck both New Zealand’s sevens camps.
The 18-year-old was the subject of a cross-code dispute between New Zealand Rugby and the New Zealand Warriors earlier this year, before eventually signing with NZR.
He was a surprise omission from the initial Games squad, but was called up yesterday after Ngarohi Mcgarvey Black suffered an ankle
because I know what to expect.
‘‘Your body gets pretty battered, especially through the doubles where I’m only playing one side, forehand, so you get certain areas that just get continually battered.’’
Aside from the physical pain, mental fatigue was also an issue.
King has eyed up a few spots injury in a warmup match last week, and travelling reserve Caleb Clarke was forced to return to New Zealand for surgery after being diagnosed with appendicitis.
The women’s team has also been hit with injury, as Kat Whatasimpkins has been ruled out with a leg injury. Tenika Willison has been moved from travelling reserve to the 12-strong squad, while Alena Saili joins the team as the travelling reserve.
where she will try to get away from the thousands of athletes in the Athletes’ Village, although the main one in the New Zealand complex did have its pitfalls.
‘‘There is a spot in the back of our setup that is no cell phones, no talking, bean bags and stuff, but I was a little bit put off by the fact there is bush around it and potentially snakes, so I don’t know how relaxing that will be,’’ she said with a half-laugh.
As for her competition, King, who was seeded second when the seedings were announced on March 19, recently moved above top seed Laura Massaro into a career high of fourth in the world.
Massaro slipped from fourth to seventh, but King said the rankings and seedings didn’t really matter.
‘‘The top 16 is really strong. The top eight, anyone on their day can upset each other. It doesn’t really change anything. Every match you’ve just got to be as good as you can be from the very first round.’’
King has set the ambitious target of three gold medals. She plays with Paul Coll in the mixed doubles and Amanda Landersmurphy in the women’s.
‘‘I may fall short, but I’m not afraid to put it out there and say that’s what I’m here to try and do,’’ she said.