Dame Valerie Adams has changed coaches ahead of the Tokyo Games. Photo / Photosport
Dame Valerie Adams has changed coaches ahead of the Tokyo Games. Photo / Photosport
Dame Valerie Adams' coach Scott Goodman has revealed why the pair are parting ways, saying it was a mutual agreement and one which will serve as a "win-win".
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Adams has decided to switch coaches ahead of next year's postponed Tokyo Olympic Games, opting to team up with Christchurch-based Dale Stevenson.
Stevenson also coaches Commonwealth Games gold medalist shot putter Tom Walsh, among others as the national throws coach.
Athletics NZ High Performance Director Scott Goodman. Photo / Photosport
Revealing the news on Instagram today, Adams said she was excited to join Stevenson's team.
"I need to step out of my comfort zone and shake things up a bit to enable me to be the best version of myself in Tokyo. Soooo I'm very excited to have Dale Stevenson lead my programme and to have the opportunity to train in his squad," she wrote.
"I want to thank Scott Goodman for his continued help and support in the last few years especially through my pregnancies and comeback at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games."
Goodman, who has worked with Adams since the 2016 Olympic Games, said the move had been brewing for some time.
"After the first lockdown we had a training camp in Hawke's Bay and we brought in 15 athletes from around New Zealand, including Dale's squad. Just talking to Dale at that time we started looking at the option of being able to get to Christchurch and train regularly just to be in a group setting with more people with similar ambition and energy," Goodman, who serves as Athletics New Zealand's high performance director, told Newstalk ZB.
"That energy was hard for us to create here in Auckland and she's got that down there and that'll be a good thing."
Dale Stevenson coaching Tom Walsh and Hawkes Bay thrower Nick Palmer. Photo / Warren Buckland
Goodman said he and Adams came to the conclusion that working with Stevenson would be best for not only her but the wider throw team ahead of next year's Tokyo Games.
"Having someone like Valerie training with Tom and the banter, especially in the gym where people are really working to their limits, having that group dynamic and someone beside you can be inspiring, it just provides a different level of energy, they'll all benefit from that," he said.
"This is a win-win, I've talked to Dale and Valerie and Tom about this and from a national programme, we think this is the best approach to help all of the athletes."
Adams, who is looking to compete in her fifth Olympics, will travel to Christchurch weekly on a programme which will see her train with Stevenson and the squad three weeks out of four.
