KEY POINTS:
Beatrice Faumuina has turned to a former Olympic bobsledder, a French weightlifter, and a former policeman as she seeks to thrust herself back into contention for Beijing.
The former world discus throwing champion and top contestant on Dancing with the Stars is hoping the new coaching team can
help her get her groove back and return her to her best.
For 14 years, she has been the stalwart of New Zealand athletics teams, the queen of the discus who reigned the world in 1997.
But last year, Faumuina, 33, returned from the world championships in Osaka disappointed with her result - 13th in the qualifying round, her 55.75m throw a far cry from her 68.52m personal best. It followed a dismal performance at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games where, as the two-time defending champion, she failed to win a medal of any hue.
Her international career looked fragile, at best.
"When she came back from Osaka, she was down in the dumps," Ross Dallow, a former police inspector, local body politician, and long-time athletics official, said this week. "I had a chat to her and said, 'You've still got five years of throwing in you'."
Around that time, Faumuina and her long-time coach, Debbie Strange, parted company.
With Dallow, she launched Operation Beijing, a mission to make it to her fourth Olympics. Dallow acts as mentor and oversees her training, together with his son, Winter Olympian and former decathlete Matthew, as well as French fitness trainer and weightlifter Eric Espinassy.
Matthew Dallow, whose own athletics career was cut short by injury while he was on a college scholarship in the United States, became a coach in the US and turned to the bobsleigh, representing New Zealand at the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. He returned from the US last year to become strength and conditioning trainer for the Highlanders.
Twice a week, Dallow snr films Faumuina's training throws and sends them to his son for technical analysis.
"As we saw with Dancing with the Stars, Beatrice has been blessed with good rhythm. We've used this and now she is spending a lot more time doing drills and exercises and building rhythm in her throws."
This month, Faumuina launched into a competition phase of Operation Beijing. She threw an Olympic A qualifying standard 62m in February last year, but with selectors saying an A-standard throw will not mean automatic inclusion, she will have to prove she is worthy of inclusion.
So far, so-so. Her three competitive outings this year have yielded throws of 57.65m at Mt Smart early this month, 58.47m in the international meeting at Waitakere on Tuesday night, and 57.82m at an IAAF meeting in Melbourne on Thursday night. The selectors will be looking for over 61m.
Faumuina said at Waitakere this week that she was confident she could do it. "When you are trying to bring in a new routine, it takes time," she said.
She was glad to have a renewed focus on her technique, saying small changes can "make a huge difference".
"Quite a few things have changed in my technique. Before it was a bit tough to identify what was going wrong."
She has no qualms about the selectors wanting athletes to be in top form for inclusion in the team.
"I don't think anybody would [object]," she said. "We want to be in the best shape."
