Racing
League
Rugby
Football
Cricket
Golf
Sport Nation
Motorsport
Netball
Basketball
Combat Sports
Olympics
Other Sports
'Gold was unfathomable': Zoe Hobbs opens up on career-defining Comm Games heroics
Sport Nation • August 5th, 2026 3:17 pm
Zoe Hobbs | Photo: Photosport
Fresh off winning New Zealand's first-ever Commonwealth Games women's 100m gold medal, Zoe Hobbs hopes her breakthrough performance can inspire others to dream big.
Speaking on Sport Nation Afternoons, Hobbs admitted the magnitude of her achievement still hadn't fully sunk in after returning home to a flood of congratulatory messages.
"I didn't even know if I'd be able to make a Games back then, and here I am winning a gold medal," Hobbs told host Mark Stafford.
"To walk away with any colour of medal would have been incredible, but to walk away with the gold was just unfathomable."
Athletics NZ boss hails Zoe Hobbs' historic 100m triumph | Sport Nation
The 28-year-old described the victory as the culmination of a lifetime's work, saying sharing the moment with her family and fiancé made it even more special.
Hobbs also reflected on proving doubters wrong after being encouraged earlier in her career to switch events.
"I've got a bit of a stubborn personality, so it's a bit of, 'I'm going to prove you wrong.'"
The sprint star said the overwhelming response from New Zealanders had been one of the most rewarding parts of her triumph.
"It's actually been really special. Sport brings a whole nation together, and to have represented New Zealand... to have put track and field on the map for our country is really cool."
Listen to the full interview below:
