TOP of their GAME

As the Commonwealth Games kick off in England this month, we take a look at some of our brightest Kiwi stars going for gold in Birmingham.

PAUL COLL

SQUASH PLAYER

If any New Zealander is likely to top the podium in Birmingham, it’s Paul Coll. The squash star has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past 12 months, twice winning the British Open and making history as the first Kiwi male to be ranked number one in the world.

Yet despite his huge success, the 30-year-old nicknamed “Superman” has kept his feet firmly on the ground, as demonstrated during a whirlwind trip back to the country last month. While accustomed to playing in the biggest tournaments on the globe, he happily took to the court for the Greymouth Open in his hometown, and relished the opportunity to catch up with friends and family – and indulge in the odd whitebait fritter.

“The most important thing for me is to remember who’s helped me and who I am,” says the Amsterdam-based athlete, who has just become an uncle for the first time. “I’ve tried to stay myself.”

He says the Commonwealth Games, in which he has medalled twice before, is his favourite competition. “I really love that team environment.” The men’s badminton singles kick off at 11pm on Friday 29 July and the mixed doubles from 11pm Thursday 4 August, both on Prime (Freeview channel 10, Sky channel 4).

NIAMH FISHER-BLACK

ROAD RACE CYCLIST

Competing on the world stage is all well and good, but for Niamh Fisher-Black, it was a challenge a little closer to home that set her on the road to success.