Kiwi weightlifter Andrea Hams has paid tribute to Richie Patterson, who put aside his own disappointment to help her to a creditable 6th in today's 69kg event at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Patterson was left heartbroken after failing at all three snatch lifts in the men's 85kg event last night, but backed up this morning to help Hams through her own time in the spotlight.
Speaking to 1 NEWS' Stephen Stuart after finishing, Hams said she appreciated Patterson's professionalism and guidance.
"When Richie came in this morning before we started warming up the first thing I did was thank him for being here," she said.
"I obviously know what it's like being an athlete and not achieving what we set out to do and Richie's a class act.
"Obviously I really felt for him last night and really appreciate the fact he fronted up and he did absolutely everything textbook for me today and reinforced everything I needed to hear.
"That was really special for me."
After lifting a personal best of 95kg in the snatch and 109kg in her first clean and jerk Hams, who won a bronze in hurdles in 2010, went for broke at 114kg and then 115kg in an attempt to push into the medal positions.
She just fell short, but was pleased to have left nothing behind.
"112kg was the plan, but it would have put me in no-man's land, I would have been out of the medals even if I got 112kg, so I wanted to give myself two attempts at the 14 and 15, at the end of the day, it was about the medals, so I had to give it a go," she said.
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