Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News / Sport

Olympics: Todd gets unwanted attention

By Michael Brown
Hamilton News·
26 Jul, 2012 09:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.


Most of his rivals are wary of the threat Mark Todd poses in the Olympic three-day eventing competition. Jumpy security and volunteers, however, are more concerned about what bus he gets on.

The 56-year-old Todd isn't the oldest competitor in London - there's a 71-year-old Japanese dressage rider - but
he looks a little out of place among the largely chiselled youngsters. A lot of people know he's attending his seventh Olympics but, equally, a lot of people don't even know who he is.

"I'm feeling good,'' he said ahead of Sunday morning's (NZT) first day of competition.

"The only thing [that hasn't gone so well] since being here is being questioned what team I am an official for ... and getting on the bus and people saying, 'this bus is only for athletes'. I'm constantly having to say I am an athlete.''

Todd still looks like one, albeit with a few more wrinkles and grey hairs and his reflexes are as sharp as his wit.

He does yoga and stretching to keep supple but otherwise little has changed in his training regime since he won the first of his two Olympic titles in 1984.

Todd is a medal chance even though he is on his second horse Campino, but teammate Andrew Nicholson is among the favourites.

The 50-year-old Nicholson is also competing at his seventh Olympics and believes he finally has the package in Nereo to win an elusive individual medal.

"I don't feel like I'm putting any more pressure on myself than I normally would,'' he said. "I have a horse I have an awful lot of faith in and he's been very, very consistent, not just over the last six months but the last few years. He's at the top level.

"It's only right I feel very confident in the horse and we have a very realistic chance of a medal. We're both at 100 per cent and if he gives 100 per cent then, hopefully, we will be there.''

The rest of the New Zealand team is rounded out by Caroline Powell on Lenamore and promising youngster Jonathan Paget on Clifton Promise and Jonelle Richards on Flintstar.

They are being described as the "dark horses'' of the competition, as Todd put it, behind favourites Germany and Great Britain but the course at Greenwich Park in south-east London will present unfamiliar challenges for riders and horses.

It has been purpose built for the event on the site of the prime meridian line and also provides spectacular views over the city. It's quite different to the genteel courses of Badminton and Burghley and also hillier.

It will still require horses and riders to be good at all three disciplines - dressage, cross country and show jumping - and Todd thinks they have the right package to succeed.

"I think we are going into the Olympics with one of the strongest teams we have ever had,'' he said. "We are always slightly cautious. You don't want to get too cocky. We have been in this position before where we have gone into championships thinking we are favourites and things go wrong. You also need a bit of luck on your side.''

Todd and Nicholson still find the Olympics as much of a buzz as the first time - they both went to their first in 1984 _ but they won't be consuming everything the Olympics have to offer.

"The Olympics come round only once every four years and they are amazing,'' Todd said.

"Although it's probably not like when we first went to LA. Andrew and I were new kids on the block and stayed in the village. We ran around the athletics track, jumped the hurdles and did this and that. We are over that a little bit now.''

Which is a sign of Todd's age, and a reason why officials query his presence.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Sport

Forsman looking to cap record season as he looks forward to the next one

Sport

'Psychologically' tough: Nyika's journey to reclaim boxing glory

Sport

‘Everyone wants to start’: Reece hopes for return in All Blacks wing battle


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Forsman looking to cap record season as he looks forward to the next one
Sport

Forsman looking to cap record season as he looks forward to the next one

The Cambridge trainer eyes his best solo term ahead of the promise of a strong spring.

15 Jul 05:00 PM
'Psychologically' tough: Nyika's journey to reclaim boxing glory
Sport

'Psychologically' tough: Nyika's journey to reclaim boxing glory

15 Jul 03:43 AM
‘Everyone wants to start’: Reece hopes for return in All Blacks wing battle
Sport

‘Everyone wants to start’: Reece hopes for return in All Blacks wing battle

15 Jul 02:30 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP