Hammer thrower Julia Ratcliffe, who won gold at the Commonwealth Games last night, says it's the competition she most wanted to win but will next turn her attention to the Tokyo Olympics.
Photo: Photosport
Ratcliffe won gold in the women's hammer throw with a throw of 69.94 metres.
Her gold is New Zealand's fourth athletics medal following last night's gold to Tom Walsh in the men's shot put and Holly Robinson's silver in the women's para javelin and Alana Barber's race walking silver.
The Commonwealth Games is the competition she wanted to win the most, she said. Ratcliffe was a silver medallist at the 2014 Glasgow Games.
"You don't get to throw on this stage very often.
"It's a really good chance because you're so hyped up on adrenalin and caffeine and things like that, that it's just a good chance to throw far."
She graduated from Princeton recently, and now does her training at her parents' lifestyle block in Hamilton.
"Dad [who is also her coach] put a concrete circle in the backyard, so I throw into the backyard and there's all the neighbours' livestock watching on."
"I try not to hit them."
Photo: Photosport
Now she turns her attention to Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
"Just chasing that podium, chasing that anthem, it's such a great feeling not many people get to experience, so you always want more."
"It's really no fun hearing other people's anthems," she said. "I quite like singing, so when you don't know the words you can't even sing along."
"It was just awesome to be out there and sing along. Uncomparable to anything else."
