Rio Confidential: The Rocky story to inspire Aussies in Brazil

IF the Australian Olympic team needed a Rocky story to inspire it at the Rio Games, now it has one ... and he’s a little champ!

Dane Bird-Smith walking with his dogs Pina and Rocky. Pic: Peter Wallis

IF Australia needed a Rocky story to inspire it in Rio now it has one.

As in Rocky the Chihuahua, the secret training weapon of Brisbane’s bronze medal winning walker Dane Bird-Smith.

The preparation of Olympic athletes advances every year with meticulously constructed training programs, tapering sessions, biomechanical advice, and sophisticated eating plans.

But just occasionally there’s a bit of old world charm thrown in … like taking the dog for a walk.

Bird-Smith has two dogs, Italian greyhound Pina who could walk for hours with her owner around the streets of St Lucia as he trains and enjoy every bit of it.

But for Rocky, whose tiny legs have to whirr like egg-beater to keep up, a training walk with Bird-Smith falls in the category of national duty rather than a cherished past-time.

Dane Bird-Smith walking with his dogs Pina and Rocky. Pic: Peter Wallis

“Little Rocky does unbelievably well. If dogs had Olympics he would be up there for the fittest Chihuahua in the world,’’ Bird-Smith said before his Olympic bronze.

“He has got a lot of ticker. Pina, the greyhound, just gets along into a pace and sticks by my side. But with Rocky I take about one stride to about 40 from him.

“When you put the pace on, his tiny little legs are funny to watch.’’

It was a memorable moment when Bird-Smith was named for Rio because his father and coach David competed at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and finished 10th at the 1984 LA Games.

Dane made his Australian walking debut in Moscow on the course his father competed at in the Olympics.

“All my life I have been surrounded by the track,’’ he said. “The week I was born dad took me to training. I do recall at some stage being pushed around in a pram on a track.

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INGLES ITCHING TO SEE TWINS

Boomers forward Joe Ingles is finding Rio a little bittersweet, having left his newborn twins behind to chase Australia’s first Olympic basketball medal.

Ingles sounded a bit homesick as he explained netballer wife Renae gave birth to twins Jacob and Milla on July 25.

Instagram pic from Renae Ingles who is married to Australian Basketballer Joe Ingles.

“Ideally, it would be nice to stay home and be home with them,” Ingles said yesterday after Australia’s 93-68 win over China.

“But my wife is very understanding.

“To come to the Olympics is a pretty big thing for me, to represent the country. It’s tough, I wish I could be there with her, but on the flip side of that, I wouldn’t want to miss this for anything.”

Ingles said having twins was “a good surprise after the initial shock”.

“She’s got them (twins) in her family, so we knew there was a chance,” said Ingles, whose new fatherhood saw him stay in Australia and miss some pre-Games exhibition games in South America.

But even though he’s not home, Ingles has a permanent link to his bubs in a wrist tattoo of their names, which he shared on Instagram after their birth with the message: “I will forever have your backs.”

AUSSIES WAIT UP FOR CAMPBELLS

Nobody feels your pain when you miss a medal more than your teammates, and on Friday morning (AEST) the Aussie team made sure they were there for Cate and Bronte Campbell.

A source inside the athlete’s village said a large portion of the Australian side made sure they were waiting for the girls after they made the sad trek home from the pool.

And as they entered the team dining room, the Aussies let out a big cheer to try to make them feel better.

Originally published as Rio Confidential: The Rocky story to inspire Aussies in Brazil