Weightlifter in sports awards running
Imagine your shot at international sporting glory coming down to one moment.
A moment where if you succeed, you win; but if you fail, you get nothing.
That was exactly the scenario for 2014 Massey University Harbour Sport Excellence Awards finalist Richie Patterson at the Commonwealth Games in July.
After failing twice at 184kg in the clean and jerk, the 31-year-old weightlifter had one last attempt in the 85kg class, a career-defining moment.
Lift it, he wins gold. Fail, he gets nothing.
Patterson succeeded, securing one of New Zealand’s more dramatic gold medals at the Games.
‘‘I never really had any doubt with my final ‘ all or nothing’ lift,’’ he says. ‘‘Weightlifting success comes with controlled thought processes and consistent movement.
‘‘So I just went through the basics in my routine, con- trolled my approach to the barbell and the outcome took care of itself.’’
‘‘The sense of relief after the lift however was huge, because I had trained so hard to join the history of successful New Zealand weightlifters to claim gold at the Commonwealth Games,’’ he says.
The lift has helped Patterson become a finalist in the QBE Stadium Sports- man of the Year Award.
The other finalists in the category are rower Finn Howard, a member of the eights crew that won gold at the under-23 World Championships; sailor Sam Meech, who finished ninth in the world championships in the Laser class; basketball player Corey Webster, who top scored for the Tall Blacks at this year’s world cup, averaging j ust under 14 points a game; Judo’s Adrian Leat, who won Commonwealth Games silver in the 73kg class and surf lifesaving’s Nick Malcolm, who finished second at the world interclub championships in the board rescue class.
Patterson is honoured to be a finalist.
He’s lived on the Shore for 10 years, and trained at the Millennium Institute before recently opening his own facility, Functional Strength HQ in Rosedale.
‘‘It has been a very special year and being recognised as a finalist is super special to me.’’
And he says his connection to the Harbour community is massive.
‘‘I still get stopped by people in places like supermarkets to congratulate me on my performance and how inspired they, their family, friends or colleagues were,’’ he says.
Patterson will find out if he is a winner at the awards gala dinner at QBE Stadium tonight.