Olympics 2024: How New Zealand Olympians handle setbacks

New Zealand athletes have faced many setbacks on their road to the 2024 Olympic Games. With unwavering determination, these competitors have pushed their limits to pursue greatness. In the second instalment of a six-part video series, the Herald talks to some of our top Olympians about what they’ve done to overcome disappointments in their career.

Lewis Clareburt: Swimmer, two-time Olympian

Clareburt won two gold medals at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games - one a Commonwealth record.

In February, he unexpectedly won the 400m individual medley at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, qualifying him for his second Olympics.

Clareburt said of adversity: “I shove it in a motivation box and I let it out in the pool.

“Anything that I struggle with I really just try and tunnel that into more focus and training.

“Making sure whatever I might’ve done wrong, I correct that in the water.”

Emma Twigg: Rower, five-time Olympian

As one of New Zealand’s most experienced Olympians, Twigg, despite heading to her fifth Games, handles setbacks just like most others.

Considering disappointment, she said: “You sulk for a little bit ... I dwell for a while.

“[But] you never learn from things being easy.

“Certainly, when I reflect on the lows that I’ve had in my career they’ve set me up for the success I eventually had.”

David Liti: Weightlifter, two-time Olympian

Liti is heading to his second Olympic Games and said he has no secret for handling setbacks.

“I’m not superhuman or anything, I’m just normal.

“I grieve just like everyone. I cry just like everyone else, I hurt just the same.”

Sarah Tetzlaff: Speed climber, first-time Olympian

Tetzlaff has won the New Zealand national title for speed climbing multiple times and has broken New Zealand records at nearly every national and international competition she entered.

Entering her first senior Olympic games, she said on setbacks: “I get pretty emotional in the moment.

“Setbacks are very hard right then and there.

“They make me feel very fired up.

“I love to improve to find that edge that’s going to make me better.”

Tom Mackintosh: Rower, two-time Olympian

Mackintosh is an Olympic gold medalist, claiming the top podium spot at Tokyo 2020 in the Men’s Eight.

Competing in the Single Scull event in Paris, Mackintosh said: “Success is never linear ... It would be nice if it was.

“If I look at my training regime at the moment three days out of 10 you’d probably class as a fail.

“But that’s just the way it is - you have your good days and your bad days.

“What I’m learning is, let the bad days sort of take their toll.”

Jake Smith: Hockey player, two-time Olympian

Paris 2024 will be Smith’s second Olympics after being part of the Black Sticks side in Tokyo which finished 9th.

“[Setbacks] don’t define you, that’s how [I] react.

“That’s how you learn and grow from those experiences.”

Bonnie Jansen is a multimedia journalist in the NZME sports team. She’s a football commentator and co-host of the Football Fever podcast and was part of the Te Rito cadetship scheme before becoming a fulltime journalist.