D'Arcy Waldegrave: Sportstalk host on the World Athletics Indoor Championships coming to New Zealand for 2028

The World Athletics Indoor Championships could be coming to New Zealand for 2028.

Athletics New Zealand and the Government are working on a bid to host the biennial event, typically held in the third week of March.

The current criteria permits an outdoor venue to be used - and with only a 200-metre track needed, Eden Park or the new Christchurch stadium could be feasible options.

Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Eighteen past four on Newstalks Ye'd Be Sports talk host
Darcy Waldegrave is here with details on what sounds like
an ambitious bid. But my goodness, it would be amazing
if it was pulled off. The World Indoor Athletics Championships
to New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Twenty twenty eight. The only issue there is what else
is happening in twenty twenty eight Olympic Games LA. Now
I'm not quite sure. I haven't done my research, and
this is news zooey just come out. As far as
how many athletes actually attend, I.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
Think the five hundred, But how many who are going
to the Olympics in that same cycle?

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Do they keep their powder dry during the World Indoor
Athletics Championships that they come to stretch themselves out before
they go to LA? So there is an asterisk around this. Yeah,
but I think for an event, and New Zealanders love
sporting events, I think a lot of KIWI is now
a little tired of They don't follow whole programs unless

(00:57):
they're at Mad Cricket Van Mad Rugby tad. They want
a one off of v They want to go to
something it feels special, like the fine of the women's
Rugby All Cup and so on and so forth, So
something like this, Who wouldn't go? I think it's over
three two, three days of competition the last few we're
gonna have a three days of competition. You've got twenty
six different events, thirteen male, thirteen female, best in the world.

(01:19):
And it doesn't have to be indoors. Apparently they can
still run this outdoors if required, so Eden Park might
have a shot. But but where would this suit? Where
would this be beautiful? Do you think, Jack? Where do
you think?

Speaker 1 (01:32):
Oh? Yeah, tokaha, tokah. Yeah, that would be amazing.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah, it's got a roof, so it's under the roof. Yep,
there's massive amounts of accommodation and or to christ Church,
it'd be brand spanking.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
New film made. You will be right behind the second.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Everything you want. The coverage will be exceptional. It's an
easy place to get too, straight into christ Church on
the plane unless there's fog. That happens in Auckland. So
it's got a lot to it. I think, Look, I
don't know how far it goes, but apparently government are
behind it. Chris Bishop is behind it, which is a positive.
So what happens now, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
So okay, so I've just looked at the dates for
the LA Olympics there in July. This would be held
in the third week of March, so pretty relatively comfortable
climate like, not totally comparable to LA But if those
athletes are starting to get in that kind of you know,
similar temperage zone, you've got what three months in between,
so there's there's.

Speaker 2 (02:26):
A how much they want to fly back and forth
from a lot of their power bases in America or
in Europe.

Speaker 1 (02:32):
Yeah, yeah, especially well actually because a lot of them
are based on especially those high profile American athletes, they're
all based on the West Coast these days. They you know,
they're all based around Oregon or maybe Texas.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
There and they will come.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
Yeah, I'm into it. I think it'd be amazing. But
who knew that the indoor Champs didn't have to be indoors.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
I didn't either. I was going, hold on, we've got
a big enough indoor stadia, basti kaha gets built.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
Now. Look, I'm real I'm putting you on the spot here,
but I think the indoor Champs don't they have some
events that differ to the Outdoor Champs, right, so you
have like sixty meters sprint stuff like that.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
They had the two hundred meters but it was so
tight that they bang into the wall. Wow, they just
couldn't do it. So they can that. So there's only
a handful of events. But I think as far as
an experience and you sit down for a couple of
days and watch all these world class athletes go it
at hammer and tongs, even I believe Jack, if the
best in the world aren't there, people would go because,

(03:25):
as I said at the start, it's an event, and
you saidland just love being at an event. I think
it's got a lot about it. It's a lot more
feasible than the Commonwealth Games and whatever shape or form
they may take.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
Now the Tallbacks have a new coach.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yeah, and it's a wonderful part of a long lasting legacy.
Two thousand and two the World Champs. When he's finished
fourth pair of Cameron got on the top team. Incredible stuff.
He's a Hall of Famer. So from Ninad Vucinich was
an assistant coach. There after Tad Baldwin stopped and then
from Vusinich it went to Henardi and then from Hanadi

(04:04):
it goes to Pero Cameron, and then from Pero Cameron
it goes to Judd Flabble. They were all there, yeah,
in two thousand and two thread the whole weak. And
he's of course, he's won a couple of recent championships
for Canterbury, the Canterbury Rams first time at thirty years
they've picked them up. He's won two more at that
level and he worked with the Breakers for many, many
many years as their assistant coach. I think he was

(04:25):
their assistant coach right the way through their heyday when
they were winning titles left, right and center. So it
makes huge sense to get somebody like that, and he
understands the energy and the pride behind the Fern and
the Tall Blacks. Although some may question did they go
far away enough? Would we get an internationals? Basketball is
such an international game.

Speaker 1 (04:43):
Give us thirty seconds on Nelson, A sopha solomonor he
hasn't overturned his band, so he's going to miss the
Grand Final.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
I've got a wee lesson for everybody out there. Don't
smash people in the head with your shoulder. It's called
control the narrative. I keep telling my daughter about if
you don't do this, this won't.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
Occur in control the controllables.

Speaker 2 (05:02):
Don't start a fight with somebody, they won't fight back. Yeah,
just don't do it.

Speaker 1 (05:06):
It's a shame though, it's a real shame his.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
Epic to watch, absolute monster of a human being. But
so be it.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
Don't all right, don't thank you, sir? Does You'll be
with us tonight with Sports Talk, taking your calls after
seven o'clock. Right now, it's twenty three plus four For
more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news
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