Bad timing for these stars
Duncan Johnstone looks at how sport’s global shutdown has been particularly frustrating for some Kiwis who were on top of their games.
Timing can be everything in sport and the coronavirus pandemic has hit every code where it hurts most. But it’s been particularly bad timing for some New Zealand sportspeople and teams that were showing real momentum before the brakes went on in the global shutdown.
Here are some who will be particularly ruing the inactivity on the back of good starts to a year that will never be forgotten for all the wrong reasons.
THE BLUES
The easybeats of the tough New Zealand Super Rugby conference for so long, the three-time champions had just got their swagger back when the big stall came out of the blue. Head coach Leon MacDonald has balanced the team’s always positive and dangerous attacking instincts with some resilient defence. There was plenty of character as they had made their best start since 2011, a year when they were beaten semifinalists. They were arguably the competition’s hottest team, winning five of their first seven matches, including all four on the road, and their last four on the trot.
They were sitting second to defending champions the Crusaders by just one point in the Kiwi conference and respect was returning with each round. They also had star signing Beauden Barrett yet to debut.
JOSEPH PARKER
The former WBO heavyweight champion had only one fight in a lacklustre 2019 but he started the year with a bang, knocking out North American champion Shawndell Winters in style. The triumph in Texas suddenly had critics and influential people connected to the sport talking about him again. It looked like an ideal launching pad for the 28-year-old to have a productive 2020 as he eyes a way back to the top in the heated division. Parker has managed to keep his name out there with creative use of his social media channels. He’s also making good use of his home gym, determined to be ready for an instant call-up when international boxing resumes.
MITCH EVANS
The Kiwi driver was determined to be a force in Formula E in 2020 and got away to a flying start. A third in Chile and a win in Mexico helped Evans to No 2 on the points table after five rounds. He’s clearly behind the wheel of a good car with Jaguar and has the combination of speed and skills needed to improve on his first three seasons in this new-age championships that has seen him on the improve, finishing 14th, seventh and fifth.
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SEVENS
These are increasingly competitive championships given the Olympic standing that rugby’s abbreviated format enjoys. The New Zealand men’s and women’s teams were both sitting top of their respective points tables when things went on hold. The men haven’t won the series since the 2013-14 season, an incredible drought for the 12-time champions, but three victories from six tournaments had them primed to change that. The women were even more impressive, winning their last four tournaments to open a 16-point lead over arch rivals Australia.
PETER BURLING AND BLAIR TUKE
Mixing an Olympics campaign with the strains of defending the America’s Cup was never going to be an easy equation. But Burling and Tuke had achieved what seemed a perfect balancing act as they claimed two more 49er world championships within three months either side of Christmas and got the nod to represent New Zealand in that class at the Tokyo Olympics where they will defend gold. With the Games officially on hold for another year, the yachting stars will have to rework their busy schedule accordingly. Their Olympics place remains assured, it’s just a matter of finding time to stay tuned in their 49er skiff while they work towards the America’s Cup match in Auckland next March. Their input into the tweaks for Team New Zealand’s second boat currently under construction for that assignment will be significant.
DAVID NYIKA
Qualifying for the Olympics in boxing is no easy task and Nyika discovered that the hard way when he came up short for Rio 2016. But his runner-up finish at the recent Olympic qualifying tournament in Jordan proved both his determination and his worth. Then, in an instant, everything was put on hold for a year for the double Commonwealth Games champion. That’s a long time in this sport, especially with a potentially lucrative professional career awaiting the 24-year-old. Ideally, he would have contested Tokyo 2020 and then joined the money ranks with enough time to make a pro debut before year’s end. Now, his Olympics dream is on hold again.