Relief, excitement for Kiwis as long wait ends

MAKING it to the Tokyo Olympics has not been easy for many of the world’s top athletes.

A yearlong delay, and everything that has come with the global pandemic that caused it, has come with its challenges.

For world champion New Zealand rower Grace Prendergast, finally being at the Games was a great feeling.

‘‘There is a bit of a sense of relief.

‘‘I know I’ve always believed that this would happen because I think you have to do that to get through the training and put yourself in the best place, but in the back of your mind there was always that chance that it wouldn’t go ahead.

‘‘So yeah, it’s really exciting to be finally here and it’s locked, it’s happening and we get the opportunity to race.’’

But the postponement had not been all bad news.

Hamish Bond was back for his fourth Games, this time as part of the New Zealand men’s eight.

The twotime Olympic gold medallist said the delay had been hugely beneficial for the younger members of their crew.

‘‘Those guys have come on leaps and bounds with that extra 12 months.

‘‘[For] me an extra 12 months was maybe not the ‘I think I’m OK, I haven’t gone backwards,’ but those guys have definitely taken a massive step on in the last 12 months.’’

Bond, with a glittering resume and three Olympic campaigns to his name, was not too proud to admit his move from the pair to the eight had been far from straightforward.

‘‘I thought I knew how to row but I actually had to learn again because the eight is different.’’

New Zealand’s men’s football coach Danny Hay said the strict Covid protocols had not been too much of an adjustment for many of the players.

‘‘They’ve been operating in the UK and Europe and dealing with this on a daily basis.

‘‘For us coming from New Zealand, it’s a bit of a shock to the system, but we’ve just got on with it.

‘‘The fact that we’re not in the Olympic Village, for me, is a bit of a bonus and we’re just trying to treat this as normal as possible.

‘‘The humidity will be a factor, there is no doubt about that.’’

The Oly Whites’ first game is against Korea tonight. — RNZ