Covid-19 has struck a double blow to Kiwi gold medal weightlifter David Liti and his long-time coach Tina Ball.
The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics means Liti's previous qualification now doesn't stand.
Added to their pandemic frustrations, though, is the closure of Ball’s gym in Ellerslie.
Ball’s gym was a special place for Liti - it ran the school programme that discovered him as a teenager, offering an alternative to traditional sport.
But with rent going out during lockdown and no money coming in, the gym Ball spent years building from scratch was shut down.
“The gym is 100 per cent a casualty of Covid-19, but the club's not,” Ball said.
“The club are driving forward and my first priority was to get everyone back together and thanks to Olympic Weightlifting Auckland, we have a home here until we find a new one.”
Their new home – the Gillies Avenue Weightlifting gym – also houses two other weightlifting clubs which could come in handy with many now re-planning their campaigns due to the pandemic.
This week would’ve been when qualifications for the 2020 Games were made official, but due to the coronavirus weightlifters are having to requalify for the postponed event, Ball says.
“I would just say it's been a rollercoaster,” Ball said.
“It wouldn't take much to set the tears flowing… My heart goes out to other people that are in similar situations where their livelihoods have just turned around overnight.
“I'm lucky I've got something to keep me focused.”
A new Olympic qualifying period has been set but Liti and Ball have no idea where or when they’ll have to compete to get to Tokyo.
Regardless, though, after everything they’ve already faced this year Ball said they’re ready for challenge.
“I have goals and I'm not going to stop doing my best to help him achieve his dreams next year.”
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