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Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Olympic-level coach integral to the sport
A man described as a pioneer of swimming in New Zealand says he was not a swimmer of note himself, and "sort of drifted into coaching". Pleasant Point man Clive Power has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to swimming in the King's Birthday Honours. Mr Power has dedicated more than 50 years to coaching and mentoring both coaches and swimmers at all levels, and was instrumental in the success of some of New Zealand's top swimmers and swim coaches. He said the honour was a surprise, but one he was very appreciative of. While for most of his career he was based in the North Island, and in the recreation department at Christchurch Polytechnic, he and his wife Joyce moved to Pleasant Point 14 years ago, to be closer to their two sons. He picked up the role of coach at CBay when it opened, until a permanent appointment could be made. At 79, he says over the last couple of years he has "slowly petered out". "It's really time to step down and let the next generation come through." Educated mostly in Te Awamutu, before heading to university and teacher's college, his physical education background led to his career in coaching. "I used to look after 'the baths' and drifted in to coaching from that point on. "I wasn't a swimmer of any note at all, I played mostly water polo, but there wasn't the same number of coaches at that time, and it was just how things happened." The sport had changed considerably over the past 50 years, from lifting weights made out of concrete in the garage, to today's high-performance centres. "You had to be creative, you had to think about things a little more deeply, to make things work." Holding several positions at regional, national and international levels including as New Zealand swim team coach for several tours, Commonwealth Games, Olympics Games and Paralympics Games, Mr Power said there had been a lot of highlights. "To focus on one would be unkind to a lot of the athletes I coached." However, his involvement in taking paralympic swimming from something "pretty gratuitous" to today's sport for high performance athletes in their own right and on an equal footing to their able-bodied fellow athletes, was particularly satisfying. Now enjoying being based in South Canterbury, Mr and Mrs Power were making the most of the opportunity to explore in their motorhome. "As with everybody that gets to this point, you have to pass on your thanks to family members. "There's a hell of a lot of sacrifices that go into careers, you can't be whistling off overseas without that support."
Straits Times
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Last Tour stage to go through Butte Montmartre in Paris
An aerial view shows the Sacre-Coeur Basilica and the Butte Montmartre with the city rooftops of residential apartment buildings ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Games near Paris, France, July 10, 2024. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Tourists walk along a street at the Butte Montmartre on a warm and sunny Spring day in Paris, France, April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo Last Tour stage to go through Butte Montmartre in Paris PARIS - The final stage of this year's Tour de France will go up the Butte Montmartre, a year after the road race of the Paris Olympics went on the iconic hill, organisers said on Wednesday. "An exceptional route has been designed, inspired by the course of the road race at the 2024 Olympic Games, which drew over 500,000 spectators last August," Amaury Sport Organisation said in a statement. "The riders will climb Montmartre hill and pass at the foot of the Sacre-Coeur before contesting a stage whose scenario could break with the traditions established over the past 50 years in the heart of the capital." The Tour has been finishing on the Champs Elysees every year since 1975, at the exception of 2024, when it ended up in Nice. The Champs Elysees stage is usually a procession to the avenue, where only the final sprint is contested, but this year's route is likely to break this scenario. The Tour starts on July 5 in Lille and ends on July 27. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
BBC News
11-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Nigerian girl wey bike accident cut her leg dey inspire hope
Swimming na di passion of Regina but wen many pipo see her, dem go dey wonder how she take dey do am pass pipo wey get two full legs. Regina Johnson, na 23-year-old swimmer wey don win medals for di State wey she represent for national Games. She neva get di thought to go into swimming even bifor di dangerous accident wey cut her leg. For 2014, Regina bin dey waka for road, she bin wan cross to di oda side but as she no look road well bifor she cross, na so bike hit her. To survive, dem gatz cuts one of her legs. BBC Pidgin follow dis young Nigerian girl tok, and she open up say she get dream to represent Nigeria for Paralympics Games. Regina, wit her swimming skills win four medals for Oyo State for di 2024 Para National Games for Abuja. Dis don give her more confidence to do more trainings and prepare for bigger competitions. Na one coach bin discova her swimming talent and encourage her to compete. Wit hope and training, Regina compete for di Para Games for Abuja- dis na sometin wey she say many no believe say she fit do. "For 2014, dat time I be small pikin, so I bin wan cross di road, na so bike hit me," Regina tok. Regina dey battle day to day survival, even as she dey also do sports so as to pursue her dream of representing Nigeria for di Paralympics. "Some pipo go dey look say how dis pesin wey dey disable go dey do dis kain tin wey pipo wey get two legs no fit do." "I dey train by mysef, all dis big rivers for my village, I dey use am swim well. na one man see me for road wit im daughter, and dem collect."
