Rodney Olympians welcomed home

Our Olympic athletes are welcomed home today with a mayoral reception at council offices in Orewa. Mayor Penny says "This will be a great opportunity for local students to meet and chat with Rodney's Olympic competitors and for the district to publicly acknowledge and congratulate them on their great efforts in Beijing".

The Library is sending someone along so hopefully we'll have a few photos for you.

A Big Welcome Home

tomorrow morning to all our Olympians. Haven't they all been absolutely fantastic. Just by making to the biggest sporting stage in the world, they have achieved far more than most of us can comprehend. Some of them sound as if they feel they let us down because they didn't achieve their own high standards. I say NO - you most certainly did not. You are all a success, achievers and winners.

And a special welcome home to our Rodney Olympians

Jo Aleh (Laser Mistral)

Barbara Kendall (Board Sailor)

Mark Herring, Corney Swanepoel and Melissa Ingram (Swimming)

Ian Hogg and Shaun Van Rooyen (OlyWhites football team)

Kristy Hall (Football Ferns)

James Dolphin (Sprinter)

Erin Taylor (Kayaker)

David Kosoof and Blair Hopping (Black Sticks hockey team)

For their time, effort, sacrifices and dreams, we thank them all. Pat yourself on the back for the journey you have just been on and continue to dream big.

Another Olympic Gold

Yippee! Another Gold medal for New Zealand at the Olympics yesterday in the Board sailing for Tom Ashley. Congratulations. Keep it going Kiwi's. Plenty more opportunity for us to get a medal with the BMX racers and the kayakers still competing and looking good.

We are getting heaps of kids in this week doing projects on the Olympics and individual athletes. It is difficult to find books on a lot of these athletes as they are so recent to the sporting world their achievements haven't been recognised in print yet. If you are struggling to find information on any member of the New Zealand team, rather than just searching through heaps of results from a Google search trying to find a biography, try these two sites. I have found them the best resource for New Zealand information.

The NZ Olympic website or www.olympic.org.nz and click on Games and Athletes and then the link for the New Zealand team to Beijing for profiles of the individual athletes, including their past achievements at Olympic games.
The TVNZ Olympic link also has profiles of the New Zealand team plus all the up to date news, articles and photos.

Remember, we do have available in the Library a list of suggested resources and websites about the Olympics and China, so if you are still stuck, come in and see us.

Bleary eyed Librarian

If you see a bleary eyed librarian around Rodney today, it might just be me. As I was awake in the middle of the night anyway, I got up and watched Nick Willis run into the Bronze Medal in the 1500m event at the Olympics. Absolutely fantastic result after Bevan Docherty's Bronze in the triathlon yesterday. Red Beach resident Erin Taylor got her first taste of Olympic competition in the K1 500 heats and is through to the semifinals. Fantastic stuff for this young woman who saw Ben Fouhy at the Athens Olympics and thought - "I'd like to do that".

There is an article on Erin on the TVNZ website . Mahurangi East Library have been supporting Erin as one of our Rodney athletes and devised a fantastic display courtesy of a kayak belonging to one of the librarians.

Only a few days to go but still some great medal opportunities for the Kiwis in the canoeing, BMX and sailing. Go strong everyone.

Super Sport Weekend

Wasn't it fantastic!!! Even if you are not a sport lover, you have to be impressed by the achievements of our Olympians over the weekend. Valerie with Gold - you are a star! Caroline and Georgina, another Gold - smile and we smile with you! Mahe - the most heroic Bronze you will ever see, still smiling after being ill all week! Hayden's Silver - what you get for never saying never! Nathan and George - moved onto the podium with a Bronze after missing out with a 4th at Athens! And it wasn't just the medals. The velodrome was the scene of some fantastic times, near misses and the opportunity for more medals to come, while Nick Willis moved into the 1500m final and in all the hype of Michael Phelp's eight gold medals, we almost lost track of our 4 x 100m medley team in the last event of the pool coming in a stunning fifth in the final.

Today sees our sailors back in action trying to make up for all the lost time (including Jo Aleh who is in with a fantastic medal chance and Barbara Kendall still thereabouts), while Rodney sprinter James Dolphin competes in the heats of the 200m. The womens triathlon is this afternoon as well as the kayakers kicking off their programme and the cyclists going for more medals.

Photo source - TVNZ website

Go the Kiwis

Wow - it is going to be a fantastic weekend of sport. The fact that the All Blacks have a test against South Africa has almost (but not quite) been lost in the Olympics coverage.

It was a great night over night. The 4 x 100m medley swim team (including Rodney swimmer Corney Swanepoel) stunned their more favoured competitors by gaining a place in the final. Of course five of our rowing teams have finals tonight. The cyclists did well, both Hayden Roulston and Alison Shanks qualifying for the final rounds. Nick Willis went comfortably through his 1500m heat while Rebecca Smith got a very creditable 9th in the 10,000m. The Black Sticks men have got their campaign back on track with an 4-2 win over Belgium. And despite having storms one day, and no wind the next, our sailors are steadily coming through the fields to threaten for medals. Our two Rodney sailors are doing well with Barbara Kendall up to 6th overall and Jo Aleh doing superbly at her first Olympics now up to 4th overall.

Muriwai resident Jo has got right behind Rodney Libraries campaign to support the Rodney athletes, supplying some of her sailing gear to the Kumeu Library for their Olympics display. Check out her profile on the NZ Olympics website and drop into one of our seven libraries with your message of support so that we can forward it on to her.

So plenty of action to keep us occupied this weekend, including Valerie Vili's first appearance. Good luck to all our athletes and to the All Blacks for the weekend.

Olympic update for the weekend

Not too many Kiwis in action yesterday (especially as the rowing and yachting were cancelled due to the weather conditions). However in the pool Rodney swimmer Corney Swanepoel had an excellent heat in the 100m butterfly and has made it through to the semi-final of that event.

An excited Swanepoel said afterwards: "It felt great. It was only in the last few metres that I began tying up. "To set a New Zealand record and a personal best - and a big personal best at that - I couldn't ask for more than that in a heat swim." (source TVNZ Olympics website).

Born in South Africa, Corney is attending his second Olympic Games for NZ. He was 12th in the 100m butterfly at Athens, broke the New Zealand record over 100m butterfly at the Olympic trials and holds the 50m butterfly record. He was a semi-finalist over 100m butterfly at the World Championships last year. Check out more about Corney here.

Fellow swimmer and Rodney resident Melissa Ingram also made it through her heats in the 200m backstroke yesterday and will line up in the semi finals. "I'm rapt," she said later. "It's another PB and a New Zealand record. It's come from a lot of hard work in training, which is beginning to pay off. Check out Melissa's profile here at the TVNZ website or on the official NZ Olympics website.

Track and field kicks off today. And theres lots of action in and on the water with rowing, sailing and swimming. I will try to drop by with an update over the weekend.

Keep those messages of support rolling in. I emailed off to the Black Sticks yesterday and we have had a few messages for the swimmers as well. I know Kumeu Library are busy sending messages through to Jo Aleh who hails from their neck of the woods. But we want more! Stay safe and dry over the weekend.

So close and yet so far

That would probably be the catch phrase for New Zealand's day at the Olympics yesterday. Moss Burmester leading the world (including the freakish Michael Phelps) in the 200m butterfly yesterday but just running out of puff on the run home to finish 4th. A couple of our rowers bowing out being just shaved into 4th place in their semi-finals, while other crews got our heart beats working overtime by just managing 3rd places to go through to Saturday's finals.

And 7 seconds isn't a very long time, but was the difference between winning and losing early this morning for the Black Sticks (including Rodney-ites Blair Hopping and Dave Kosoof). I didn't stay awake to watch the game live this morning, but saw the highlights this morning and the guys just looked so stunned and gutted. However they now have to pick themselves back up to tackle Belgium tomorrow. I'm confident we can still get through.

Happy birthday to Blair for yesterday. He would have had a bit of a headache after copping a stick from the first game which gave him stitches across the back of his head (I knew there was a reason I played netball and avoided hockey). Blair has been to two Commonwealth Games and was in the Black Sticks team at the Athens Olympics.

His profile on the NZ Olympics website reads "One of the world’s best defenders and highly regarded by his international opponents, Blair is the backbone of the Black Sticks defence. Making his debut for the Black Sticks in 2000, he went on to play a major role in the silver medal effort in Manchester as a left half and in recent years has become one of the very best full backs ever to play for New Zealand. A player with amazing ability, he is able to shut down some of the best attacking teams in world hockey and has great composure on the ball when getting his team out of some sticky situations. His tendency to pop up in the right place is easily his best asset and he will be one of the Black Sticks major weapons in Beijing. "

Rodney Athletes in action today include Jo Aleh and Barbara Kendall out on the sailing course, while Corney Swanepoel hits the water in the pool in the 100m butterfly heats (with Moss Burmester) tonight.

Spotlight on David Kosoof

Event: Hockey


"Born and bred on the North Shore, Dave is now a regular selection in the Black Sticks attacking line-up. At 29 he is now a highly experienced member of the team, having played 123 tests. He offers speed and flair when attacking and is strong on the ball when taking on defenders. He played in all three of North Harbour’s NHL victories, scoring hat-tricks in the 2000 and 2004 final and being named the MVP of the 2007 NHL. He is possibly one of New Zealand most influential NHL players and easily one of North Harbour greatest products. This will be Dave’s 2nd Olympic campaign after getting a late call-up to the 2004 Athens team when Ryan Archibald had to withdraw through injury."


Athlete profile information from the official website of the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

Athlete photo from 'Kosoof's Olympic diary' on the TVNZ website.


When he's not playing hockey, Dave will be entertaining us by blogging on the official website.

Have a look at the competition schedule to find out when he's playing.

Email from Beijing

When it's another wet one in Aotearoa, it doesn't take much to make your day. So when Dave Kosoof took the time to send us an email to say thanks for the support, it certainly brought a smile to our faces.

"Thanks heaps for your support, its been great to hear from everyone back home. We got off to a fantastic start which im sure you all know. Beat the Koreans 3-1. Have Spain next, which will be a real tough test!!! Hope to do us Kiwi's proud. And bring home the Gold!! Thanks . Dave Kosoof"

The Black Sticks are busy focused athletes, just after a win in their first pool match. So thanks for taking the time Dave - Give them a taste of Kiwi!

Ni Hao

Its a very soggy Rodney North again this morning, but without the humidity that the athletes in Beijing (and equestrians in Hong Kong) are battling.

Congratulations to the Black Sticks for a wonderful first up win against Korea 3-1. While Hayden Shaw stood out with his hat-trick for the Kiwis, so did Rodney-ite Blair Hopping who copped a stick from one of the Koreans and has ended up with a number of stitches.

"I got the guy's stick on his follow through. It got me across the back of the head and split me open. There's a few stitches in there, I don't know quite how many at this stage. The doctor didn't have time to tell me, he just whacked them in there and told me to get back out there.
... Hopping returned for the second half swathed, Bert Sutcliffe-style, in bandages but would have woken this morning feeling like he'd swallowed a half dozen of the local Tsingtao beers. (NZ Herald).

The Rodney athletes in action today include Barbara Kendall who will be aiming to move up from her 8th place over all in the Board Sailing after her start yesterday, Jo Aleh kicks off her campaign with her first Mistral race and Kristy Hill will be in action for the Football Ferns. For the full list of Kiwi athletes in action today go the the TVNZ website for times. One of the most exciting prospects will be Moss Burmester in his semi final.

And if all the sports action is too much for you, pop into your local library and find a good book to read. There are heaps of new titles on the shelves at the moment so come in and check them out.

Olympic Report - Monday

Ni Hao. Commonsense got the better of me on Friday night (and the thought of an early rise for netball on Saturday) so I didn't stay up to watch the Opening Ceremony although I did catch some of the highlights on the internet. I loved the lighting of the flame (but did wonder if the gymnast had any eyebrows left at the end).

Things seem to be going well in the heat of Beijing, although the rainstorm yesterday for the women's road race made things interesting. The rowers seem to be quietly on form and the equestrians were steady in the dressage (but after dashing along to a TV at lunchtime to watch Toddy, I'v just found out Andrew Nicholson is out with a fall at the second to last fence).

Today the Tall Ferns were in action, but they went down to Spain in their pool match. I am trying to find out if Nadine Stanton qualified for the finals in the trap shooting and weightlifter Mark Spooner is due on their arvo as well. The windsurfers, Finns and 470's are all on the water today, as are our single skullers in their quarter finals tonight. And the Black Sticks men open their campaign with a game against Korea.

Which reminds me - the Black Sticks have apparently got two Rodney-ites in their team. As well as David Kosoof, Blair Hopping hails from Kumeu way. Every time I check my emails at the moment there is another Rodney athlete at the Games coming out of the woodwork. All the more reason to cheer on our hockey team tonight. Go hard guys.

The Eighth of the Eighth 2008

Yes the big day for the opening of the Beijing Olympics has arrived. And it's STOP THE PRESSES time here at the Rodney Libraries Blog as several more athletes with Rodney connections have come to light. We knew there were more out there and here they are:

Shaun Van Rooyen from Stanmore Bay is another member of the soccer Oly-Whites team.
Kristy Hill has family in Helensville and plays for the Football Ferns, the NZ women's soccer team.
Mark Herring from Kumeu is swimming for NZ at his first Olympics. His specialty is the freestyle sprint events.
Claiming world champion BMXer Sarah Walker may be a little bit of a push as she comes from Albany - but the more the merrier we say. After all parts of Albany are in Rodney.

So three of our Rodney athletes have already been in action. And thats before the Opening Ceremony. A big thumbs up to our footballers with some gritty performances in their first round matches. The footballers are in action again over the weekend, as is swimmer Mark Herring. Here is the schedule:

Saturday 9th August
The Football Ferns play Norway at 11.45 pm
Sunday 10th August
Oly-whites play Brazil in their second pool round at 9pm

It's a bit hard to work out but the 4x100m freestyle relay event featuring the NZ team appears to be swimming their heats on Sunday the 10th at 1.11 am (but then they could mean the wee small hours of Monday morning our time). The finals are on Monday afternoon at 3.23 pm.

Messages are coming in for the team and some libraries have already been busy posting these off to the team and individual athletes for you. More news next week including athlete profiles and pictures of displays in the various libraries around the district.

Go hard team!! And have a good weekend everyone.

Oly-Whites in Action Tonight

The Olympic Games haven't even been officially opened yet, but the first of our Rodney athletes (sports) will be in action tonight when New Zealand take on host nation China in their first soccer (or as they say internationally, football) match of the Olympics.

The New Zealand men are in Group C at the Games along with China, Brazil and Belgium. Up against soccer names such as these, you may think they have their work cut out. But as one commentator pointed out, with the inclusion of leader Ryan Nelsen (FA Cup final experience with Blackburn Rovers), they may give the hosts China a run for second spot behind group favourites Brazil. Apparently however, Brazil have an awful Olympic record, this being the one international tournament they have never won, so with a little luck this group may be more open than many believe.

The NZ team (from the Soccer New Zealand website) includes Rodney footballer Ian Hogg. So we wish them all the luck in overcoming the host country and getting the Kiwi's off to a fantastic start. The Football Ferns almost did it last night so lets see if the Oly-Whites can go one better.

Tune into your Olympic station TVOne tonight at 11.45pm to catch the action.

Support Rodney Olympians

The Olympics are under two weeks away now and most of our athletes are already overseas doing their final preparations and warmups, or packing their bags to fly out to Beijing to acclimatise for the start of this fantastic sports event.

Rodney Libraries are supporting our Rodney athletes that have headed over to follow their dreams. Each library will have displays, news reports, copies of athletes on-line diaries, TV schedules and the opportunity for you to write messages of support.

Athletes with Rodney connections who are part of the New Zealand Team are:

Jo Aleh - Sailing Team in the Laser Radial class

James Dolphin - Athletics Team in the 200m sprint

Ian Hogg - Oly-Whites soccer team

Barbara Kendall - Board Sailer in our Sailing Team

David Kosoof - Black Sticks Hockey team

Erin Taylor - Canoeing Team competing in the K1 500

We will be following our athletes and keeping you posted on how they get on. If you have any messages of support get in to your local Library or check things out on either the official NZ Olympics website or the TVNZ Olympics website.

AND IF WE'VE missed someone out, we want to know. If you know of another Rodney athlete in Beijing, we want to support them as well so get in touch with us by posting a comment or talking to someone at your library.

A demain (it's International Language week so that's French for "see you tomorrow")