1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,759 Speaker 1: Metal events for the twenty twenty six come Wealth Games 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: have been announced and there's a surprising change to a 3 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,959 Speaker 1: popular race. The fifteen hundred meter race will be replaced 4 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:12,559 Speaker 1: by a returning event, the Commonwealth Mile. The mile was 5 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: last run in nineteen sixty six, where we had two 6 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 1: keeps compete. Athletics New Zealand CEO Cam Mitchell is worth me. 7 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: Now how are you doing? 8 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 2: Cam good Francisco? 9 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: Is the mile a gimmick or are you keen for 10 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: it to replace the fifteen hundred meters going forward? 11 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 2: I look in terms of this game, it's a nice 12 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 2: little variation, isn't it. The miles still quite popular and 13 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 2: run quite a lot around different events. We just had 14 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:40,839 Speaker 2: our Mile Championship the other weekend at the Cook's Garden 15 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 2: in Wanganui. Obviously New Zealand has an amazing heritage and 16 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 2: history with the mile with Snell and Walker. We've got 17 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:51,480 Speaker 2: some great milers with Samtano, Myra Amston, Jody Beemish, Kimberly May. 18 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 2: So it's a nice little change up, I guess. But 19 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 2: whether that's something that would Athletics adopts, I would doubt it. 20 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 2: But certainly the miles are very popular event and remains 21 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 2: a focus on a number of different athletics events around 22 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:03,959 Speaker 2: the globe. 23 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: What difference can that extra one hundred and nine meters 24 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: make for the athletes? Doesn't make any difference. 25 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 2: Look, most athletes will prepare almost identically to a fifteen 26 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 2: hundred meters and a mile, so there's not a lot 27 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 2: of difference. And I guess the critical difference is. 28 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 3: At the start. 29 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 2: So you know, the mile starts a little bit behind 30 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 2: the traditional four hundred meters start light way one hundred 31 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 2: meters start line, and there's a merge on the bend 32 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 2: rather than merge on the straight, which is where the 33 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 2: fifteen hundred meters starts, So there can be a slightly 34 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 2: high risk of tripping. But you know, in terms of 35 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 2: application and the preparation for the athletes, they're pretty much identical. 36 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 2: It doesn't make too much difference. 37 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 3: And a lot of the best milers are also the 38 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 3: best fifteen. 39 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 2: Hundred meters, and as I said, we've got a few 40 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 2: of those at the moment, which is great. 41 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: Who actually holds down his ylland record for a mile? 42 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 3: It's a good question. 43 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: I'm not quite sure. 44 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: Is sorry, I'm trying that. I'm trying that at he. 45 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: Probably walker so walk around the first sub three fifty 46 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 2: and obviously Snell ran the first four minute mile on 47 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 2: grass in Wanganui in the sixties. So as I said, 48 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 2: we've got a great a great history. I mean, Sam 49 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 2: Tana is running very quick at the moment. He did 50 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 2: a three fifty five and Wanganu a couple of weeks ago, 51 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,079 Speaker 2: and you may have seen the news with world sensation 52 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 2: Sam Ruth, who's a fifteen year old who's very close 53 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 2: running under four minutes and is the fastest fifteen year 54 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:26,799 Speaker 2: old in the world over that distance, so you know 55 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 2: he's one to watch as well. We've got a lot 56 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 2: of great athletes and my Ramsden obviously at the Olympics, 57 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 2: she's a young up and coming athlete, and Joey Beamish 58 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 2: won the fifteen hundred meters at the World Indoors, so 59 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 2: you know there's lots of good talent there in that 60 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:41,080 Speaker 2: particular sort of distance. 61 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 1: So we definitely you know, there's the potential that we're 62 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: going to have Kwi's lining up to do the milet 63 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 1: in Glasgow. There's another new event, a mixed four by 64 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: four hundred meter relay. How likely are we to see 65 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: Qui athletes competing in that race. 66 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 2: Look, we've had individual four way fours in the past, 67 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 2: so the potential is definitely there. We've got a really 68 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 2: great four hundred meter runner at the moment, les Revel 69 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 2: Lewis and Tommy Tiperni, and they're actually going head to 70 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 2: head for the New Zealand four hundred meter record at 71 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 2: a free event we have on Sunday four to six 72 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 2: pm at Trust Arena called the Sirgram Douglas Internationals. So 73 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 2: you know, there's a number of. 74 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 3: Good four hundred meters, but I guess selection really depends 75 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 3: on the quota available to athletics and also to New 76 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 3: Zealand at the game, So it would sit depending on 77 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 3: where I guess. 78 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 2: How higher ranked athletes are based and as I say, 79 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 2: the selection process that sit around that. 80 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,119 Speaker 1: And of course we've seen the come Worth Games. They've 81 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: not done, you know, twenty sports down to ten. Obviously 82 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: athletics and power athletics is in there. Are you happy 83 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: with the mix they've got? 84 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, I mean it's obviously there's a reduction and 85 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 2: metal opportunities for New Zealand, but it hasn't really impacted 86 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 2: athletics in many ways. We've actually gained because there's an 87 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 2: increase in power events and as you know, we're very 88 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 2: strong in the power space and has sort of done 89 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 2: a great job in that area. The only real impact 90 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 2: for US is a lost out of STATEIA events, so 91 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 2: there's no marathon and some of the long walks are 92 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 2: no longer part of the Games, which is a shame 93 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 2: for those athletes, but we still get the full complement 94 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 2: of in STATEIA events and you know, arguably that's where 95 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 2: a lot of our strongest athletes are based. So you 96 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 2: know the pol Wolds, James Kerr and Grimaldi, you know 97 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 2: Tom Jacko and many others. 98 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: Kay Mitchell, thank you so much for your time. Really 99 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: nice to talk to you. Enjoy your weekend. That was 100 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: Athletics New Zealand CEO Cam Mitchell. For more from Heather 101 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,720 Speaker 1: Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news Talks. It'd be 102 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 1: from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.