KEY POINTS:
An emotional, hour-long heart-to-heart conversation was the turning point which set Beatrice Faumuina on the path to her fourth Olympics.
The 1997 world champion discus thrower was yesterday named in the New Zealand team for Beijing, a selection which was by no means a certainty given her disappointing performances at the Osaka world championships last year and the Commonwealth Games in 2006.
The 33-year-old admitted yesterday that she returned from Osaka unhappy and knowing that she had to make changes if she wanted to stay in the sport.
She revealed that the decisive moment came when long-time mentor and west Auckland athletics administrator and coach Ross Dallow sat her down in the Trusts Stadium in Henderson when she returned from the world championships.
"The last thing I wanted to talk about was what happened in Osaka but when things don't go well you need to. That hour was a tough one, but needed to be done," said Faumuina.
Following the conversation, Dallow took over coaching her, with the help of his son, former decathlete and Winter Olympian Matthew Dallow, and fitness and weights trainer Eric Espinassy.
"We found there were things that we could change in training," she said. "I've had a new focus and different direction and it's nice to have that."
Under the eye of her coaching team, Faumuina made changes to her technique, a switch which took a few months to pay dividends. Early in the season, she was throwing less than 60m - well below what would have been expected if she was to make the Olympic team.
But at the national championships last month, she reached 61.73m and another two over 60m, her best since throwing an A standard in February 2007.
Athletics NZ selection panel convenor John Bowden said it was that performance which clinched her selection.
"I think Beatrice was under pressure at the nationals and she showed the panel that under pressure she performed and that's all we can ask of all our athletes," said Bowden.
Faumuina said she had gone into the competition feeling good, and was not fazed.
"From the couple of weeks leading into nationals I knew I was ready."
Between now and August, she will compete in Osaka and Maui, Hawaii, in May, but will otherwise base herself in Auckland.
As for her goals at the Olympics, she is keeping them to herself.
"The environment I'm in now is so positive. You always want to do well if there's people working with you."
MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 2004
2004 Olympics, Athens: 7th, 63.45m
2005 World Track & Field Championships, Helsinki: 4th, 62.73m
2006 Commonwealth Games: 4th, 59.12m
2007 World Track & Field Champs, Osaka: 13th in qualifying, 55.75m
